You may have noticed that when you log into your account things look a little different.  We have listened to your feedback and as part of a continuous process of development, we have made some changes to the volunteer page. Some key changes and things to look out for are summarised below. Key updates When […]

After a period of many online studies, we are pleased to share that researchers are increasingly inviting participants to take part in face to face studies.  Here are some examples of studies currently looking for volunteers to take part in different parts of the UK: Sleep, gut health and cognition study Insomnia in later life […]

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia in the UK and the symptoms develop gradually over many years. Background The symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease can progress slowly and many, such as getting more forgetful, can be attributed to ‘just getting older.’ This can make diagnosis more difficult and currently there is no single […]

All medicines may have side effects for the people who take them. But if there was a new treatment to slow or stop Alzheimer’s, how would you weigh up its benefits against its potential risks? That’s what researchers are asking as part of a new project. One of our charity partners, Alzheimer’s Research UK, has […]

Parkinson’s is a progressive neurological condition that leads to tremors, stiffness and difficulty with walking, as it can affect balance and coordination. Parkinson’s has more than 40 symptoms, both motor and non-motor, which usually begin gradually and get worse over time. Every hour, two more people are diagnosed. That’s the same as 18,000 people every […]

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 […]

September is World Alzheimer’s Month and this time each year, people from around the world come together to raise awareness about dementia. September 2021 marks the tenth year of this important global awareness campaign. Rates of dementia are increasing; every three minutes, someone in the UK develops dementia. There are currently 850,000 people in the […]

On 1 October 2021, I will be stepping down as NIHR National Director for Dementia Research. One of my roles was to set up the Join Dementia Research service, to facilitate those living with dementia, their carers and the public to engage in research and to support dementia researchers to recruit individuals into research. Over […]

Did you know that many of the studies on Join Dementia Research are open to anyone over 18 without a dementia diagnosis? These tend to be online studies, which can be done at home, at a time to suit you. Because these studies are keen to attract a large number of people they run for […]

The beneficial aspects of listening to music such as calming anxiety, reducing stress and inducing a relaxing effect, are being tested in a new study for people living with dementia. The context As well as experiencing cognitive decline, people with dementia often also suffer from ‘neuropsychiatric symptoms’ such as depression, irritability, anxiety and hallucinations. In […]