Opinions/blogs
Hear about different aspects of dementia research from a range of researchers, healthcare professionals and volunteers
Why having conversations about end-of-life in dementia is so important
18 December 2024

In any area of healthcare, the topic of end-of-life is very difficult. It’s hard to talk about for people with a diagnosis, their families and healthcare professionals. But it is important to discuss, particularly with people living with dementia. Research has shown that people who have had end-of-life care conversations early on have an improved […]
Blog: Internet use is now a vital part of daily life for many older adults
25 November 2024

Terry Quinn is a Professor of Cardiovascular Ageing at the University of Glasgow. He recently led a study, working with volunteers in the Join Dementia Research community. The aim was to investigate what activities of daily living are important to older adults. They found that the existing tools and methods often used to measure […]
Blog: using music to help improve dementia symptoms
18 October 2024

Dimana Georgieva is the Programme Manager for a charity called Music for my Mind. The charity helps people with dementia to create free music playlists through their website. In this blog, she shares insights from their online study, ‘Generating and using personalised music playlists to improve behavioural and psychological symptoms in people with dementia: a […]
Grandson calls for south London volunteers for dementia research
16 May 2023

Dementia Action Week (15-21 May) is an annual awareness-raising campaign. This year’s theme is getting an earlier diagnosis of the condition. Lewis Deakin, a communications manager at the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) has written this blog in memory of his grandmother Edna for Dementia Action Week. Edna’s story Dementia is cruel. […]
The non-approval of aducanumab in Europe still marks a significant stride forward in dementia research
17 December 2021

An opinion piece by Professor John O’Brien, NIHR Clinical Research Network National Specialty Lead for Dementias The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has today said no to approving aducanumab – a new drug to treat Alzheimer’s disease. EMA considered that although the drug removed amyloid, a toxic protein that builds up in the brains of people […]
Air pollution and dementia
29 July 2021

The possible link between air pollution and dementia has been a focus of several studies and at the recent US Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC), the topic came to the fore again. New findings Whilst previous reports have linked long-term air pollution exposure with accumulation of Alzheimer’s disease-related brain plaques, a series of new reports […]
Now that COVID restrictions are gradually lifting, what’s next for dementia research?
15 June 2021

An opinion piece by Professor Alistair Burns, National Clinical Director for Dementia at NHS England and Professor Martin Rossor, NIHR National Director for Dementia Research. During the lockdowns, many of the activities that we know are good for our brain health such as socialising, exercising and other cultural experiences were made more difficult. This […]
Guest blog: Dementia Action Week 2019 | Taking the next step together
21 May 2019

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.