Displaying items by tag: Dementia

In a significant move to enhance dementia care, thousands in the UK will participate in a trial to test blood for dementia, led by University College London and Oxford University. This five-year study aims to facilitate early access to care, support, and emerging drug treatments. About 5,000 volunteers will be involved in researching blood tests for Alzheimer's and other dementias. Currently, diagnostic methods like PET brain scans or spinal lumbar punctures, which detect brain proteins linked to Alzheimer's, are costly and underutilised. This trial explores more accessible blood tests, potentially a more economical and straightforward approach. The aim of the study (which focuses on various forms of dementia, including Alzheimer's) is to improve diagnosis rates, particularly in early stages or mild memory issues. This trial holds promise, especially with the development of new drugs like Lecanemab and Donanemab, which potentially slow the progression of the disease. Alzheimer’s Research UK has highlighted the critical need for advances in dementia diagnosis, mirroring progress in other diseases.

Marion Ritchie's life was altered for ever when her husband Dave was diagnosed with dementia at 65. A former Navy pilot, his unrelenting decline over nine years turned their lives into a nightmare. Marion and her daughters were left to cope with the emotional toll of Dave's transformation and grieving for lost futures. In Scotland, about 90,000 people live with dementia, experiencing similar challenges. Despite the need for emotional support, healthcare services offered little assistance. Recognising this gap, Healthcare Improvement Scotland has introduced new guidelines for healthcare professionals, focusing on 'pre-death grief' in dementia patients and their families. These guidelines, the first in nearly two decades, aim to address such emotional impacts, including better training for healthcare staff. Marion welcomes these guidelines, hoping they provide accessible support and information for caregivers facing similar struggles.

Miriam, who is 77 and recovering from cancer, had her life torn apart when she had to choose to care at home for her 89-year-old husband Ian, while her sister Jennifer (73, with young onset dementia) was placed in assisted living accommodation. Ian was diagnosed with vascular dementia in 2020. Over 220,000 people are unpaid carers for a sick or disabled person in Northern Ireland. That’s one in eight people. Caring for people at home reduces pressure on the health and social care system, and it reduces the number of people in residential care and hospitals. Miriam said she had to ‘let one go’ to look after the other: ‘It is just exhausting.’ The Praxis charity has appointed the first dementia coordinator, who will focus entirely on carers. The last carers strategy was published two decades ago. Northern Ireland lags behind the rest of the UK in supporting people battling the dementia journey alone.

An Oxford University team who found effective drugs to treat Covid are trialling an antiviral called Tecovirimat to aid monkeypox recovery. Over 3,000 British people have caught monkeypox in recent months, with more cases anticipated. The virus, declared a global health emergency, can take weeks before recovery, and there can be serious complications. ‘The aim is to find a treatment that helps people recover quicker and get out of quarantine'. Also scientists have discovered they can boost people's memory for at least a month by harmlessly stimulating parts of the brain with electricity. Volunteers performed better at word memorisation games, which tested their immediate ‘working’ memory and their long-term memory. Dementia is caused by a diseased brain, with dying brain cells leading to memory problems. The researchers are investigating whether the technology can be used to stimulate the surviving brain cells and help schizophrenics and obsessive-compulsive disorder patients.

A ban on children heading the football in Scotland could be implemented due to fears over links between football and dementia. The Scottish FA wants to lead the way on the issue after a report found former players are more at risk of dying from the disease. An announcement on banning under-12s heading footballs in training is expected this month. A similar ban is in place in the USA. Scotland would become the first European country to impose such a restriction. Discussions have been ongoing since an October study found the first links between former players and degenerative brain disease. Although former players are three-and-a-half times more likely to die of dementia, there is no firm evidence linking heading the ball to the disease. A neurosurgeon said that England striker Jeff Astle died from a brain condition normally linked to boxers rather than Alzheimer's disease.

Reports from Pakistan have prompted fears that British Christian mother-of-five Aasia Bibi, held in prison there for over nine years, is displaying symptoms of dementia. The British Pakistan Christian Association (BPCA) cited a recent visit to Bibi by a Pakistani journalist who suggested her memory, mental sharpness and judgement were in decline. Found guilty of insulting Muhammad and drinking from the same water source as Muslims, she has been in solitary confinement - sentenced to death, despite support from high-profile figures including the Pope. On 8 October a special three-member Supreme Court reserved its judgment on her final appeal against execution. The chief justice warned media against commenting on or discussing the case until the court's detailed judgment has been issued. No date has yet been given for when the verdict will be announced. See

The Salvation Army has launched a dynamic programme for people with dementia which uses singing to help them connect with others and bring back memories. The scheme, called Singing By Heart, uses a mix of popular hymns such as 'Joy in my Heart' and popular songs like 'Moon River'. Each song (which begins with a Bible passage and finishes with a prayer) has been carefully selected to ensure it is fondly recognised by the people in the groups. It is widely acknowledged that music can trigger past memories and feelings in those living with dementia. The sessions are designed to encourage communication, recollection of memories, and happy thoughts for those taking part. It is also hoped they will benefit carers by giving them time to relax, make friends, and share experiences.

More than ten million Britons are at a higher risk of dementia because they live near a busy road, scientists have concluded. Those living in big cities are up to 12 per cent more likely to develop dementia as a result of traffic fumes, according to a study of more than six million people in Ontario, Canada. The closer people live to heavy traffic, the higher the risk. The scientists said that their findings were ‘of real public health significance’. They called for homes to be built further away from traffic, and for levels of traffic-related air pollution to be further reduced. Half the population of Ontario lives within 200 metres of a busy road, and 20 per cent within fifty metres: these figures are likely to be higher in Britain.