For World Alzheimer’s Day (21 September), CPFT is sharing details of the latest studies local people can take part in to help test new technologies and approaches for better dementia care.
Clinical Director of CPFT’s specialist Windsor Research Unit (WRU) Dr Ben Underwood (photo) is also a Principal Investigator leading many dementia studies and clinical trials with his team over the last decade, in partnership with the University of Cambridge and Anglia Ruskin University.
Ben said: “Thank you to all our participants, carers and families who take part in dementia research and everyone who supports our studies to find new treatments and ways to stop dementia progressing. With your help, we are able to get much closer to the breakthroughs we need in this field and the more people take part, the better we can understand how to improve the lives of millions of people.
“We have a number of exciting new studies opening this year that people in our region can help with, which were in the pipeline before the pandemic. It’s easy to volunteer by getting in touch with our friendly team at the Windsor Research Unit, or you can sign up online with Join Dementia Research. You can leave a study at any time and your contributions make a huge difference.”
CUMULUS
This study is investigating whether wearable technology can be used to measure brain health and thinking ability. Volunteers are needed to try out using a new technology at home that could support the development of new treatments for dementia. People aged 50 – 90 years with a diagnosis of dementia, and people without, can take part.
If you take part, you will be asked to use the study technology at home over the course of one year. You will also be invited to visit the Windsor Research Unit at Fulbourn Hospital, Cambridge, to complete tasks that measure aspects of brain health and thinking ability. It may also be possible for a member of the study team to visit you at home to complete tasks there. You can contact the WRU team (details below) to find out more and request an information pack that explains the study in detail.
IMPRINT
With increasing evidence that the immune system may be involved in dementia, this research is looking in detail at the role it plays through blood tests, physical and cognitive assessments.
Over 18 months, researchers will monitor immune system changes and any memory problems to understand how these may be linked, and how boosting the immune system may be able to help people at risk of dementia. Anyone aged 50 and over can take part, with or without a diagnosis of dementia or memory problems, and the research team are looking for healthy control volunteers.
QMIN
CPFT is working with the University of Cambridge to investigate whether a machine-learning algorithm can help diagnose patients early and give a more accurate prognosis by looking at MRI brain scans to identify patterns and combining these findings with the results of standard memory tests. Anyone attending the memory clinics run by CPFT for an assessment can take part if they need a routine brain scan, which will be extended for this research. Over 150 people have taken part already with CPFT this year. Find out more about this study in a recent BBC News report.
Anyone who would like to take part in dementia research with CPFT can contact the Trust’s Windsor Research Unit team on 01223 219531 or email wru@cpft.nhs.uk.
You can also sign up with the Join Dementia Research service, run by the National institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) which matches people to studies they may be able to take part in online, around the country or in your local area. If you register as a volunteer you will be connected with dementia researchers across the UK and hear about suitable studies as soon as they open, with no obligation to take part.
Anyone over 18 with or without a diagnosis can sign up to Join Dementia Research at: www.joindementiaresearch.nihr.ac.uk
Find out more about local NIHR dementia research at:
www.nihr.ac.uk/nihr-in-your-area/dementias-and-neurodegeneration/
