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 […]

It is well documented that music and singing are beneficial to those living with dementia. Listening to or singing songs can provide both behavioural and emotional benefits and the power of music can unlock memories and help provide links to a person’s past and promote connection with carers. Researchers at Nottingham University are looking for […]

Dementia can impair the ability of the individual to manage their financial affairs. This means that they will require support from family members in ensuring good financial outcomes and protection. Often those living with dementia enter into a power of attorney agreement that empowers a named person to act on their behalf and assist them […]

Alzheimer’s disease affects approximately 70% of people diagnosed with dementia, and an estimated 26 million people worldwide. In the very early stages, Alzheimer’s disease may be referred to or diagnosed as Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). There are no available treatments to prevent or delay the start of Alzheimer’s disease and currently medications only provide a […]

As we turn six today, we are celebrating not only six years of bringing researchers and volunteers together, but also our collective achievement of helping dementia research to keep going during the pandemic.   See what our volunteers, charity partners and researchers have to say about us!   Since Join Dementia Research began, an incredible […]

As we get older we tend to spend more time being inactive – up to 60% of older people report sitting for more than four hours per day. The positive impacts of exercise on our physical health are well known, but researchers at Anglia Ruskin University are looking into whether remotely delivered coaching aimed at […]