It is increasingly recognised that it is important to support people with dementia to develop ways of manging their condition, drawing upon the ideas of self-management. However there is limited evidence on how to do this. Consequently the Journeying through Dementia randomised controlled trial was set up to test the effectiveness of a self-management intervention which draws upon occupational therapy principles called Journeying through Dementia. This consisted of 12 group sessions and 4 individual sessions which address a variety of topics including memory techniques, healthy living and reengaging with activities.

The trial recruited people in the early stages of dementia. They were randomised to receive usual care or usual care plus the Journeying through Dementia intervention. Outcome measures will be collected from participants for up to a year.

(not currently recruiting)

Existing treatments only temporarily treat specific imbalances in the brain but as yet there is no cure for Alzheimer's Disease. Losartan is a well-tolerated blood pressure drug that blocks a chemical pathway called angiotensin II which prevents the release of vital memory chemicals in the brain. People who have previously taken losartan, have lower risk of developing Alzheimer's Disease compared to other blood pressure drugs. These drugs may also slow the rate of deterioration in patients with Alzheimer’s. This clinical trial will investigate if losartan could complement current treatments.

(not currently recruiting)

Maintaining both every day and interesting pleasurable activities can be difficult for people with dementia as well as for those who support them. Occupational therapists assist people to continue to participate in activities despite the difficulties that they might be experiencing.

VALID is a research study involving people with dementia, and the people who support them (a supporter could be a family member, friend or neighbour). We are looking at the possible benefits of a programme of occupational therapy for people who have been diagnosed with dementia and those who regularly support them.

(not currently recruiting)

As we get older we experience various changes in memory and other abilities which can affect our well-being and quality of life. It is very important for people to be able to maintain well-being and to live well as things change in later life. The IDEAL project will investigate what helps people to live well and what makes it difficult to live well in this situation. The results will be used to encourage greater awareness of the needs of older people, and will help to improve health and social care and to create more supportive communities.

(not currently recruiting)

Memory, attention and other abilities may be impaired by some of the brain diseases that affect ageing people. Healthy individuals belonging to different genders, age-groups, and having different levels of education can produce widely varying results on psychometric tests. Establishing normal variation, therefore, is a basic requirement for valid ageing research.

We intend to study how differences in gender, age-group, and education result in different levels of performance on a number of psychometric tasks normally used in the assessment of patients with cognitive impairment. We are also interested in the effect of ageing over time on task performance in different tests.

(not currently recruiting)