Diagnostic Projects
The Sheffield Team offers people affected by Dementia a clinical service, access to clinical trials and research projects.
There are a large number of research projects taking place. These pages summarise past and present clinical, diagnostic, and scientific projects.
For more information on the full scope of our research please visit the Sheffield Institute for Translational Research (SITraN) website.
Developing a new EEG method for the early diagnosis of dementia
Some patients with memory problems go on to develop Alzheimer’s disease. An accurate diagnosis of Alzheimer's is crucial in order to provide support for people with dementia and their carers. There is no accurate test currently available. Brain scans can exclude some causes of memory problems. We can also examine is how well the brain is connected using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain scans.
We plan to use electroencephalography (EEG) to measure brain connectivity. The University of Sheffield has developed new techniques using EEG to examine brain connectivity. This research will study EEG to see if changes in brain connectivity can help make a diagnosis at an early stage. EEG is more ‘patient-friendly’ than MRI as it only requires electrodes (like stickers) to be placed on the scalp to measure electrical activity.
Is ALS/FTD Neuropsychologically distinct from FTD?
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) also known as Motor Neurone Disease and Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) are two brain diseases. ALS is a physically disabling neurodegenerative condition due to physical weakening of the muscles, whereas FTD affects behavioural, reasoning and judgement of an individual. It is known that some people with ALS develop FTD and vice versa, indicating a link between the two conditions.
The link, as to why some people with ALS develop FTD and vice versa, whereas others do not, is not fully understood. The above study therefore aims to improve the understanding of the relationship between patients with FTD/ALS and those with FTD by measuring changes in their behaviour, reasoning and judgement.
(not currently recruiting)