Patients with dementia and their carers will have the opportunity to shape their future treatment and care thanks to a boost in research at Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust.
Dementia affects over 850,000 people in the UK and it is estimated that 25 million of the UK population have a close friend or family member with dementia. In line with recent figures reported by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) showing a 60 percent jump in the number of people volunteering to help with medical research into dementia, the Trust is supporting and developing this important area by offering patients increased opportunities to participate in studies that will benefit their future care.
Led by consultant in old age psychiatry, Professor George Tadros alongside the research and development team, the Trust is taking part in a number of NIHR funded research projects which aim to understand the best methods to treat dementia both medically and cognitively.
This includes the ELAD study, in which the Trust is leading the way regionally to implement. This study evaluates the effects of the drug Liraglutide, already used in the management of diabetes, to see whether the drug has positive effects on brain function and cognition in people with Alzheimer’s disease. The Trust is working in partnership with Imperial College London to offer patients the opportunity to take part in this trial.
Ten patients from the Trust who have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and who are still considered to be in the early stages of the disease have been recruited. Each participant will receive either Liraglutide or a placebo treatment, via daily injection, for one year. Their brain will be scanned at the start of the experiment and again after 12 months at Imperial College to look for changes in brain volume and structure. Participants will also undergo cognitive tests to assess whether the drug has an effect on memory, thinking and activities of daily living.
For one of the patients taking part in this trial, Susan Price and her husband, Malcolm, research is the only way to fight a disease that runs in Susan’s family. At 70, Susan’s diagnosis is still in its earliest stages and the ELAD trial offers her the hope of a new and effective treatment.
“Even if we’re getting the placebo, said, at least we’re helping someone, Malcolm said
“We need to find a cure for this disease together. It’s that simple.”
Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust director of research, Dr Alice Turner, said: “With one in three people over the age of 65 developing dementia, accounting for 40 percent of the Trust’s patients, we view this as a very important area for developing our research. We are proud to be able to offer such a range of studies in which our patients can take part in to change the outlook for people with dementia and their loved ones now and in the future.”
For further information about the Trust’s research studies, visit: https://hgs.uhb.nhs.uk/research/
