Dementias Platform UK

Promising news on a 'next gen' drug, MCI, and global scale networking. Read some of the takeaways and reflections from some of our team who were in Toronto for #AAIC25. zurl.co/16Bj1

It's been a busy few days for @dementiasplatform.bsky.social Director @profjohngallacher.bsky.social at #AAIC25. With international and industry colleagues to meet, he still had time to call in on the #DPUK team and plenty of posters, including Morgane Kuenzi
#dementiaresearch #cognition #data

Today at #AAIC25 - #DPUK ’s Prof Sarah Bauermeister will be speaking about harmonisation of datasets and federation at a session with @AD Data Initiative: ‘Harnessing The Power Of Collaborative Data Sharing And Research: Progress And Existing Barriers’ Room 107 10-11.30 #ADRD

New 'game-changing' wonder-drug could halt Alzheimer's progression A new drug could halt the progression of Alzheimer's disease - granting hope to thousands who suffer from the illness.

Promising news of potential new dementia treatment reported at #AAIC25:
"90% of those prescribed trontinemab experienced amyloid clearance within 28 weeks, meaning visible markers of the disease had cleared."

zurl.co/6PK1G

At #AAIC25 today: Biomarkers: Neuroimaging. Call to see Simeen's poster #394 on subcortical grey matter alterations as diagnostic indicators for dementia. #DementiaResearch #DPUK #ADRD

🧠 Where are you heading at #AAIC25 today? Check out Morgane Künzi's posters:
🔍 Poster #829: The Effect of Early Deprivation on Mental Health and Cognition
📊 Poster #791: The Effect of Early Adverse Experiences on Coping Strategies, Mental Health, Brain and Cognition

#DPUK

At #AAIC25 today: Public Health: Epidemiology. Visit James Lian's poster #723 on mental health trajectories during COVID-19. #DementiaResearch #DPUK

It's great to see Brains for Dementia Research at #AAIC25. Like Dementias Platform UK, they are providing some of the really valuable tools for research in the UK and beyond. Call and say hello.

At #AAIC25 today: Biomarkers: Neuroimaging section. Check out Simeen's poster #411 on age-related volume alterations in subcortical grey matter. #DementiaResearch #DPUK

At #AAIC25 today: Public Health: Epidemiology.
Check out Liang's poster #744 on early adversity and cognitive health. #DementiaResearch #DPUK

At #AAIC25 today: DPUK's Maria Bunyan has a poster (#838) on digital lifestyle interventions for dementia risk reduction. Find it in the Public Health: Prevention section. #DementiaResearch #DPUK

Where are you going today at #AAIC25? There are biomarker presentations, including DPUK's Alexandra Krugliak's poster #395 on MEG responses in Alzheimer's disease in the Biomarkers: Neuroimaging section. #DementiaResearch #DPUK #ADRD

We're at #AAIC25! Discover how DPUK is accelerating #dementiaresearch #ADRD through its data portal, federation and collaboration at the AD Data Initiative @AlzData stand #630. And meet Prof Sarah Bauermeister today at 10.30 for a 'walkthrough'. #DataPortal #TrialsDelivery

New brain scanner trialled in Kent could speed up dementia diagnosis The NHS is trialling a portable brain scanner to aid both mental health and dementia diagnosis.

New low-field MRI scanner being trialled in Kent aims to improve dementia diagnosis. Smaller, more portable than traditional machines, it could bring brain scanning to community clinics. KMPT leading research with academic partners. #DementiaResearch #NHS
zurl.co/WnQOU

DPUK supports @alzresearchuk.bsky.social's collaborative approach to dementia research! Dr Mandolfo's work with MTZ shows how drug repurposing could lead to breakthrough treatments. Join the fight against dementia: lnkd.in/et6dgmyC#Dem... #Collaboration

Here's a new pre-print paper about links between higher educational attainment and Parkinson's disease. zurl.co/iSM1v

#DPUK researchers demonstrate how resilience affects cardiometabolic health through socioeconomic pathways.Their analysis of #UKBiobank data reveals resilience is linked to lower glycated haemoglobin and better cholesterol profiles, mediated by income and deprivation.
zurl.co/WVI7E
#resilience

Incredible milestone from #UKBiobank! Congratulations on scanning 100,000 participants. This unprecedented imaging resource is already transforming dementia diagnosis and research. Proud that #DPUK contributed to this journey that will benefit patients for generations to come. #DementiaResearch

UK Biobank completes its 100,000th whole body scan. How its helping dementia research UK Biobank passes a huge milestone in its whole body imaging programme (and how DPUK contributed).

UK Biobank's 100,000th whole body scan marks an unprecedented milestone in health research.The imaging databank is revolutionising how we detect and diagnose dementia. #DPUK is pleased to contribute by funding the initial reimaging programme that tracks disease progression over time zurl.co/aNMma

NTAD - Journey The New Therapeutics in Alzheimer's disease study (NTAD for short) has been running for several years. There is still an urgent need for better diagnosis and treatment for dementia. One problem is that clinical trials have just been too slow, expensive and uncertain. NTAD has been looking at a way that can reduce the cost, risk and time it takes to get safe and effective new drugs. Our main research has been to test a new type of brain scanner called MEG, to see if it can pick up the effect of Alzheimer's over time on brain health. Nearly 150 people have taken part in the NTAD study which has shown that the MEG scan works in detecting Alzheimer's disease, and changes over a year, person by person. A critical step was to show that MEG scans give the same result every time, called reliability. This is needed, to detect the benefit from a new drug. Here Yasir Widatalla and Cara Alcock describe how the study was delivered.

🧠 The NTAD study has demonstrated that MEG brain scanning technology can reliably detect Alzheimer's disease and monitor changes over time. This research by Yasir Widatalla and Cara Alcock could transform how we develop treatments by making clinical trials more efficient and precise.

zurl.co/tgG2m

Synthetic Data: A Game-Changer for Dementia Research DPUK is set to publish a groundbreaking report titled 'User Requirements of Synthetic Data,' exploring how synthetic data can accelerate dementia research. The report addresses critical needs identified by the research community for advancing this innovative approach. In a fascinating development, Lewis Hotchkiss from Swansea University has been sharing his pioneering work on AI and neuroimaging within trusted research environments with DPUK's Bota Godwin. Hotchkiss's research on synthetic data is creating new pathways that could transform dementia research, demonstrating how technological innovation is revolutionizing the field.

🧠 Synthetic data: the privacy-preserving innovation changing dementia research. DPUK's new report shows how artificial datasets help researchers develop AI models efficiently while maintaining patient confidentiality. Lewis Hotchkiss's work is opening new research pathways.

zurl.co/D7oXd

Dementia: are younger generations really less likely to develop the disorder, as a recent study has claimed? With a growing global population and a greater proportion of people living over the age of 65, it is likely dementia cases will actually increase.

New study suggests dementia rates declining in younger generations, but data limited by:
• High-income country data only
• Prediction models vs clinical diagnosis
• No socioeconomic analysis

Global projections still show cases rising to 139M by 2050
zurl.co/rMp4q

Babies have more of this Alzheimer’s-linked protein than dementia patients – study raises hope for future treatments Scientists discover that ‘toxic’ Alzheimer’s protein is essential for baby brain development.

Study finds newborns have higher levels of "toxic" Alzheimer's protein p-tau217 than dementia patients—yet develop normally.

This suggests the protein plays a vital role in early brain development before becoming harmful in later life.
Do babies have a key to new dementia treatments?
zurl.co/lrvYs

Dementia: are younger generations really less likely to develop the disorder, as a recent study has claimed? With a growing global population and a greater proportion of people living over the age of 65, it is likely dementia cases will actually increase.

New study suggests dementia rates declining in younger generations, but findings limited by:
• High-income country data only
• Prediction models vs clinical diagnosis
• No socioeconomic analysis

Global projections still show cases rising to 139M by 2050

zurl.co/rMp4q

What does the NHS 10 Year Plan mean for dementia? - Alzheimer's Research UK This week, the Government launched its 10 Year Health Plan to fix the NHS in England. We take a look at what it means for people affected by dementia.

The NHS 10-Year Health Plan includes significant commitments for dementia:

🧠 New service framework to improve diagnosis
💊 Treatment innovation
📱 Digital tools for patients and carers
🔬 Research opportunities via NHS App

A promising vision that needs robust implementation zurl.co/Qy29f

Wimbledon season is almost here! While enjoying the traditional strawberries & cream, you'll be boosting your brain health too! 🍓🧠

Scientists found eating just 4 strawberries daily improves cognitive function and may reduce dementia risk. A delicious tradition with benefits! zurl.co/O4uog

It was great to see a very engaged audience at the UK Synthetic Data Community Group in Birmingham hosted by ‪@dementiasplatform.bsky.social‬ @dpukdataportal.bsky.social‬ & others. The theme: generating & evaluating synthetic datasets in sensitive research. New horizons for future dementia studies.

Surprising discovery: H. pylori bacteria, known for causing stomach ulcers, may help protect against Alzheimer's disease. Researchers found it blocks harmful protein buildup in the brain. Read more: zurl.co/Aid0m #DementiaResearch

New dementia drugs not approved for NHS.
"This is disappointing for many. It demonstrates the fine balance that exists between the potential value of novel medications and the limited resource environment in the NHS. (Prof John Gallacher) READ MORE zurl.co/xhihS

Join us

🧠 12,700 members strong! Great Minds connects volunteers with dementia researchers to fast-track treatments.
Share health data, join trials, help identify brain changes decades before symptoms.

Ready to make a difference? Join Great Minds today! zurl.co/NwTps

#DementiaResearch #GreatMinds #DPUK