Brain donors needed in struggle to defeat under-researched form of dementia

The call comes as an important new study into the causes of agitation and aggression in people with dementia with Lewy bodies gets underway at King's College London and Newcastle University.

The study, funded by Alzheimer's Society and the Bupa Foundation is using tissue from the Brains for Dementia Research network. This work is a huge boost for people with dementia with Lewy bodies as scientists estimate research into the condition is about 15 years behind that of Alzheimer's disease, despite the fact it affects tens of thousands of people in the UK. Dementia with Lewy bodies shares many of the symptoms of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Other symptoms can include hallucinations and sleep disturbance.

This latest project is one of a number to have benefited from the brain bank network which was launched last year to provide high quality tissue to the best researchers in the world. While hundreds of people have already pledged to donate their brains, scientists still need many more if they are to make the advancements necessary in research into dementia.

Professor Clive Ballard, Director of Research at Alzheimer's Society, said:

'Dementia with Lewy bodies is a distressing and disabling condition which accounts for a significant percentage of the 750,000 who have dementia in the UK. Research like this is therefore essential if we are to bring our understanding into the 21st century.

'Much of what we know about the brain, how it works and current dementia treatments comes from research on donated brain tissue. Brains for Dementia Research offers an invaluable means of ensuring that research such as this is of the highest quality.'

Professor Paul Francis, lead investigator of the King's College London and Newcastle University research and Director of Brains for Dementia Research, said:

'This study has the potential to move us closer to treatments that will improve the quality of life of a substantial group of older people.

'Thanks to the generosity of people with dementia with Lewy bodies and their families, researchers have already been able to draw on high quality tissue from Brains for Dementia Research. However, we would like to hear from more people with and without the condition who are interested in brain donation. This will ensure scientists can continue to carry out high quality research and move us closer to treatments and a cure for this devastating condition.'

Brains for Dementia Research is coordinated by King's College London and jointly funded by Alzheimer's Society and the Alzheimer's Research Trust. It has centres in London, Newcastle, Bristol, Manchester, Oxford and Cardiff. People, both with and without dementia, who have pledged to donate their brains after death have their memory, thinking and behaviour assessed at regular intervals. This makes Brains for Dementia Research a unique and valuable resource for researchers looking to understand, diagnose or treat dementia.

People over 65 who are interested in contributing to dementia research by donating their brain should contact Dr Gillian Hayes at King's College London at bdr.office@kcl.ac.uk or 020 7848 8377 for more information. Alternatively visit the website brainsfordementiaresearch.org.uk