Researchers offer new support for dealing with memory loss

Researchers believe they can help people in the earliest stages of Alzheimer's disease to cope with memory problems, in a project funded by the Alzheimer's Society, the UK's leading dementia care and research charity. Volunteers relearn key skills through a rehabilitation programme designed to support them in everyday life.

Psychologists at the University of Wales in Bangor, led by Dr Linda Clare, believe the cognitive rehabilitation technique could help more than 72,000 people in the UK in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease. The study involves memory recall techniques such as using visual images as a prompt for pieces of information, like remembering someone's name. Volunteers work with a therapist and select goals to help with the effects of memory loss in their daily lives.

Dr Susanne Sorensen, head of research at the Alzheimer's Society, says:

'This is an innovative approach to supporting people in the earlier stages of dementia, by testing whether they can be taught new ways of coping. It will also examine whether learning these new skills is reflected in brain scans. It is extremely important to seek new strategies for supporting people in their home as well as researching drugs for people with dementia.'

The three-year study has received more than £140,000 from the Alzheimer's Society and will follow people diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, mixed or vascular dementia. More than 750,000 people in the UK have dementia including 40,000 people in Wales. This number is expected to rise to 1.8 million by 2050.

People attending Memory Clinics in North Wales who are being treated with the drug treatments, Aricept, Reminyl or Exelon are being invited to volunteer for the study. Volunteers have the opportunity to undergo two scans, to measure changes in the brain's ability to process and recall information as a result of the treatment. These non-invasive checks will detect brain activity and take place about eight weeks apart.

Dr Linda Clare, Reader at the University's school of psychology, says:

'We want to find ways of helping people with Alzheimer's disease to manage better in their daily lives, by focusing on the things that are important to them. We cannot cure memory problems, but we can try and give people the skills to cope with it more effectively. We also want to understand what effect this treatment has on the way the brain deals with information - this research should help answer those questions.'

For more information, contact Jessica Mangold, Alzheimer's Society press office.

Notes for editors

University of Wales, Bagnor

• Bangor University's School of Psychology is one of the leading academic departments in UK Psychology. In the recent national university Research Assessment Exercise, the School received the highest possible award (i.e. 5*A on a scale of 1-5*, where A indicates that the work of more than 95% of staff has been reviewed). Only six other psychology departments out of 73 in all across the UK succeeded in obtaining this rating.
• The excellence of the School's teaching and general provision for students has also been recognised; in the most recent UK-wide Teaching Quality Assessment, the School received the top award of "Excellent". The School is one of the three largest teaching university departments in the UK.
• People interested in taking part in the research can contact Mrs Caroline Parkinson at the School of Psychology on (01248) 388377 to find out more.
• Further information: Dr Linda Clare, School of Psychology, University of Wales, Bangor (01248) 388178 or Elinor Elis-Williams, Press Officer, (01248) 383298, email press@bangor.ac.uk

Alzheimer's Society

• The Alzheimer's Society is the UK's leading care and research charity for people with dementia and their carers.
• Over 750,000 people in the UK have dementia. More than half have Alzheimer's disease.
• Dementia affects one in 20 people over the age of 65 and one in five over the age of 80.
• There are 18,500 people in the UK under the age of 65 with dementia.
• For information and advice on Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia call the Alzheimer's Society national helpline on 0845 300 0336.
• Our website address is: http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/.