Research priorities

The Alzheimer's Society's research programme has three themes - cause, cure and care. The search for cause and cure gives us hope for the future, while research on care ensures that we are delivering the best help for the present.

Cause

Much of the research effort worldwide is focused on finding the cause of Alzheimer's disease. As our understanding of what is going on inside the brain and nerve cells grows we gain insights, leads and clues to what is going on in the other dementias.

• The causal relationship between genetics and lifestyle factors predisposing people to dementia, for example exercise; diet; toxic metals; stress; workplace environment
• Collecting and storing blood and/or tissue samples form people with dementia as a research resource and establish methods for best use of retained tissue
• The causes of dementia and mechanism of disease progression
• Triggers for onset of dementia
• The relationship between small vessel vascular disease and Alzheimer's disease
• Early onset dementia - what is different

Cure

The first step towards a cure is to develop effective treatments - they may not stop or reverse the disease but they do at least give temporary respite and relief.  Cure might also mean prevention or delaying the onset so that fewer people develop the disease.

• Drugs: better use of existing drugs; evaluation of existing drugs; new drugs; clinical trials of off patent drugs; combinations of drugs
• Stem cell therapy
• Systematic reviews of existing dementia research to build the evidence and identify the gaps
• Prevention of dementia including vaccine
• Research into the brain's self-healing properties
• Equal access over the country to availability of treatment
• The feasibility of dietary supplements or complementary therapies as an alternative to drugs
• How can researchers on cause & cure gain practical experience of dealing with carers & patients?

Care

Effective communication, co-operation and co-ordination between all those involved in caring for a person with dementia are essential for providing a level of care that assures dignity and quality of life for the person with dementia and their carers.

Research into care for people with dementia and their carers forms one-third of the Alzheimer's Society research programme.  Our research is aimed at ensuring that the best possible care is delivered, improving quality of life.

• Development of tools for earlier, better and simpler diagnosis and monitoring of disease progression (including brain scans; blood tests; csf tests, psychological assessment tools, computerised tests etc.)
• How to best train staff in all health sectors, at all levels, in communicating with, understanding the needs of, and caring for people with dementia
• Management of anxiety, agitation and other behavioural symptoms, without the use of antipsychotic drugs.
• Holistic palliative care (including detection of pain and discomfort in non-verbal patients)
• Hospitalisation of people with dementia
• Designing and building resident care facilities specific to those living with dementia, including the carer's/family's needs to stay together
• The economic and social effects of caring for people with dementia at home
• The future needs of the NHS and Social Services with respect to dementia management
• The importance of physical contact, music and listening to conversation for people with dementia?

Much of our effort is put into disseminating the results of our research - making sure that the message is spread and that practices change - ultimately a very difficult change to make happen.