Dementia - research

You can find here information about selected research projects and activities. The page also signposts you to sources of information about research in dementia and some of the key agencies that are involved in this research across the UK.

The following resources were last accessed on 13 February 2013.

Research activities and projects

Dementia Nursing Research Taskforce
The RCN is working with the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Dementias & Neurodegenerative Diseases Research Network (DeNDRoN) to set up a Dementia Nursing Research Taskforce (in partnership with Dementia UK and Alzheimer's Society), with the purpose of supporting the Prime Minister's challenge on dementia. Further information and contact details are available on this page which is within the RCN’s research and development website.

Dementia Priority Setting Partnership
The Alzheimer's Society is leading a project to identify the priorities for future dementia research working with the James Lind Alliance. The Dementia Priority Setting Partnership aims to identify and prioritise the unanswered questions about dementia from the perspectives of people with dementia, their carers and former carers, health and social care professionals and members of the community. This page in the Alzheimer’s Society website describes the process so far - see also RCN: Dementia Nursing Research Taskforce.

National Institute for Health Research: Dementia research
In December 2012 the Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt announced NIHR funding for 21 successful research projects "that will pioneer dementia diagnosis and ground breaking treatments”. This page on the NIHR website describes the background to this and provides a summary of the 21 funded research projects. See also: RCN Research and development news: DH funding 21 dementia research projects announced.

Key research agencies and networks

Alzheimer's Society: Research
This section of the Alzheimer’s Society describes the research projects the society is supporting which can be accessed via research topic or research by dementia type. The section includes a research news page and resources to support understanding of research.

Alzheimer’s Research UK
Alzheimer’s Research UK specialises in “funding world-class, pioneering research at leading universities to find preventions, treatments and a cure for dementia”, and has a network of 15 centres of dementia research excellence across the UK. The current research pages describes the projects in progress.

Alzheimer Scotland Dementia Research Centre
This Centre, launched in September 2011, is funded by a five-year grant from Alzheimer Scotland. The Centre aims to “commission and develop a balanced portfolio of clinical and scientific research”.

Alzheimer Scotland – Research News
This section of the Alzheimer Scotland website links to items about research activities and findings in the news.

Dementia Services Development Centre: Research
The Centre, based at Stirling University, has a multidisciplinary research team working on projects both nationally and internationally. This section of the Centre’s website includes information about the team and their research projects.

International Dementia Design Network
The International Dementia Design Network aims to be a forum for collaboration and sharing of best practice, for research, education and innovation that make a positive difference to living with dementia. It developed from the Dementia Design conference held at Salford University in September 2012, where the benefit of bringing together not just different disciplines but different sectors to learn from each other and identify areas for future development was evident. The network is hosted by a multi-disciplinary team at the University of Salford; nurses, architects, designers, social workers, psychologists, artists, computer scientists and business specialists.

National Institute for Health Research: DeNDRoN
DeNDRoN is the Dementias and Neurodegenerative Diseases Research Network. The Network supports the development, set up and delivery of clinical research in the NHS in the dementias and other neurodegenerative diseases, and includes seven Local Research Networks.

Scottish Dementia Clinical Research Network (SDCRN)
The Scottish Dementia Clinical Research Network seeks to promote clinical research in dementia across Scotland. It was set up “with the intention of spreading a culture of clinical research in dementia across Scotland and improving recruitment from both urban and rural areas”, and is establishing a network of staff and researchers across Scotland.