All news

Can doing a daily crossword or Sudoku puzzle keep your brain young?

22 May 2019

Hand holding pencil ready to complete a Sudoku puzzle

In 2 linked studies, researchers found that people who said they did puzzles regularly did better on tests of cognitive ability. However, the research does not definitely show that doing puzzles made brains “sharper”. Or that doing puzzles staves off dementia in later life. It could be that people who have better cognitive abilities are more likely to do number or word puzzles in the first place.

Guest blog: Dementia Action Week 2019 | Taking the next step together

21 May 2019

Professor Martin Rossor, NIHR National Director for Dementia Research

In this blog for Dementia Action Week, Professor Martin Rossor reflects on how far dementia research has come, and looks ahead to how healthcare professionals, researchers and the public can take the next step together.

Dementia Action Week 2019

20 May 2019

This Dementia Action Week we’re asking healthcare professionals to talk to their patients about research opportunities.

New type of dementia discovered

2 May 2019

Art designed to look like the human brain

Researchers have identified a new form of dementia. Known as LATE, it shares many similarities with Alzheimer’s disease, but tends to lead to a more gradual decline in memory. LATE (limbic-predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy) appears to be linked to the accumulation of a protein called TDP-43 in the brain, whereas Alzheimer’s is linked to the […]

LEARN to help people Join Dementia Research

3 April 2019

Graphic of a person using the Join Dementia Research learn tool

Join Dementia Research has helped more than 40,000 people connect with research studies over the past four years. As a result, researchers and their studies have massively benefitted, with more than 11,000 study enrollments in this time. However, if we are going to turn the corner and find ways to better prevent, diagnose, treat, care […]

Over 40,000 volunteers sign up to Join Dementia Research

27 March 2019

Graphic representing over 40,000 volunteers now registered with Join Dementia Research

We’re delighted that over 40,000 people have now registered as volunteers with Join Dementia Research. This is wonderful news – thank you so much to everyone who has signed up and helped us reach this milestone. It’s people like you who are making a difference. By registering your interest in research, you’re helping us bring more […]

Eye test can pick up Alzheimer’s, study claims

13 March 2019

Close up of a human eye

This article has been reproduced from the NHS website. “Alzheimer’s disease can be spotted through simple eye test,” reports the Daily Telegraph. A new study has found that people with Alzheimer’s had fewer blood vessels and less blood flow in the retina (back of their eye). The Alzheimer-linked eye changes were detected by an eye test that uses […]

‘Small’ increase in risk of Alzheimer’s disease with HRT use, study suggests

11 March 2019

This article has been reproduced from the NHS website. “Millions of women who take HRT pills may face a greater risk of Alzheimer’s,” warns the Mail Online. A study identified all postmenopausal women in Finland who’d been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease over a 14-year period. It compared their use of HRT (hormone replacement therapy) with a group of […]

Help dementia research from home

26 February 2019

Senior lady talking on the phone

Not all research takes place in a lab. Many different types of study are vital to understanding dementia, so there are often ways you can help out from the comfort of your own home. Surveys, questionnaires and online activities give scientists the knowledge they need to improve dementia care and treatments. The Bristol study One […]

What’s that study? Investigating thinking and emotional regulation styles in older adults

18 February 2019

Laptop with the Join Dementia Research logo on the screen

We spoke to Anne-Marie Greenaway, PHD student at the University of Reading, who is leading a study to investigate the emotional wellbeing of people living with dementia. When someone experiences a low mood, it makes it more difficult to complete everyday tasks. Low mood increases the level of cognitive impairment in people living with dementia. As approximately half the number of […]