Dementia research boosted by surge in volunteers

Ambition to find a cure for dementia has been boosted by the surge of people volunteering to take part in dementia research.

26th August 2015

The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), the research arm of the NHS, reported a 60 per cent jump in people signing up to take part in dementia research in the past year. According to NIHR figures, just under 22,000 people took part in studies into dementia last year. That compares with 13,583 people between 2013 and 2014. It is hoped the rise will boost efforts to find treatments which could help prevent or cure dementia.

The increased participation in 100 ground breaking dementia research projects across the UK will give scientists a huge advantage in finding new treatments to prevent, treat and eventually cure the illness.

Research projects include:

Testing whether antibiotics slow cognitive decline
Investigating the role of the immune system in dementia
Identifying genetic risk factors and improving end of life care for people with dementia

For more information on how to join dementia research, visit the Join Dementia Research website.