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Is there a song that instantly transports you back to a specific time in your life? A particular melody that stirs up emotions and memories long forgotten?  Music has a profound ability to connect us to our past, and for those living with dementia, it can be a powerful tool for improving quality of life. […]

There are more than 700,000 people caring for friends and family members with dementia in the UK. Caring for someone with dementia can be challenging and rewarding. It can have profound impacts on relationships, priorities, and wellbeing.  As we make new strides in dementia prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, it’s important that those developments go hand-in-hand […]

Almost half of dementia cases can be prevented or delayed. Research has shown that our health in our 30s, 40s and 50s can have a particularly big effect on our dementia risk. However, simple lifestyle changes before the age of 30 can reduce the risk of developing the disease later in life. Risk factors for […]

Recent news on dementia research has focused on getting an early diagnosis and drugs to treat the condition. However, it is also important to find ways to help people live well with dementia. The IDEAL (Improving the experience of Dementia and Enhancing Active Life) project aimed to understand what factors influence a person’s ability to […]

Research has helped us identify risk factors for dementia, which can in turn help us find ways to prevent the condition.  Professor Paresh Malhotra, NIHR specialty lead for dementia, explains these risk factors in the video below:  The English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA study) revealed that people who are overweight have an increased risk […]

Research shows that poor spatial navigation can be an early sign of Alzheimer’s disease – long before symptoms such as memory problems arise. Another common symptom is feeling ‘lost’ even in familiar places.  This is especially true of people aged 65 and over in the early stages of the disease. Studies are now using digital […]

Exciting breakthroughs in dementia research are making it easier to diagnose the condition earlier and more accurately. The sooner a person is diagnosed, the better their chances of getting the right support and treatment. One study, led by Stephen Ball at the University of Manchester, is looking at how the brain understands words and concepts. […]

Today marks 10 years since Join Dementia Research began helping people take part in vital dementia research across the UK. The service was set up on 24 February 2015 by Professor Martin Rossor and Adam Smith of the University College London (UCL) Institute of Neurology.  Join Dementia Research enables people to register their interest in […]

A UK-wide study into using blood tests to diagnose dementia is now recruiting its first participants. The READ-OUT (REAl World Dementia OUTcomes) study began testing patients at Warneford Hospital in Oxford this week.  The study The study aims to assess blood tests to detect different types of dementia, such as Alzheimer’s, vascular dementia, and dementia […]

A recent study involving people from the Join Dementia Research community has looked at the topic of sleep in dementia. Sleep disturbances are a common and distressing issue for people with dementia and their families. These disturbances can make the symptoms of dementia worse. They can also negatively affect the quality of life for both […]