There has been a big rise in people volunteering to take part in groundbreaking research studies into dementia.
During the last year, almost 22,000 people have taken part in research studies to tackle the condition – a 60% rise – according to figures from the NIHR.
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.
George Freeman, Minister for Life Sciences, said: “Dementia is a devastating condition that can have a significant impact on the lives of those affected and their families. Volunteers are essential to our battle against the disease and I’m delighted that so many people – with and without dementia – are coming forward to participate in ground-breaking new trials. There is still a long way to go, but with their help we hope to find a cure or disease modifying therapy by 2025. The race is on.”
The development of Join Dementia Research has been a significant step in supporting the public to take part in research. The service, developed by the NIHR Clinical Research Network in partnership with the charities Alzheimer’s Research UK, Alzheimer’s Society and Alzheimer Scotland, allows anyone – with and without dementia – to register their interest in being approached about research.
Professor Martin Rossor, National Director for Dementia Research at the NIHR, said: “With the continued focus on dementia research and increasing levels of funding, we expect to need even more people to participate in dementia research over the coming years. Traditionally it has been difficult to identify the right people for the right study at the right time, but Join Dementia Research is streamlining this process and we are already seeing the benefits of this boost in volunteers for research. Join Dementia Research makes it much easier for people, wherever they live, to get involved in research and the willingness of the public to help research is vital for us to make the progress that we all hope for.”
Over 9,000 people have signed up to Join Dementia Research and 51 research studies are using the system to recruit participants. To read more visit www.joindementiaresearch.nihr.ac.uk.
