Dementia

Dementia is the leading cause of death in the UK. Over 50 million people worldwide live with one of the diseases underlying dementia.

However, novel treatments are on the horizon for several major causes, including Alzheimer’s disease and cerebrovascular disease. To ensure people have access to treatment before disease causes significant damage to neurons, we must make a diagnosis at an early disease stage.

This is best done by examining biomarkers in either blood or cerebrospinal fluid. Together with collaborators, we are preparing the ground for the availability of disease-modifying medications for the diseases that cause dementia. We’re doing this by conducting clinical trials, rolling out biomarkers, and examining dementia’s links between other morbidities, such as hearing loss.

Our researchers work closely with patient and public groups, such as the South Asian community, to shape their work.

Key people

Manchester has a strong and growing dementia research community, with internationally recognised expertise in frontotemporal dementia, vascular dementia, neuroimaging, biomarker discovery and the biology of neurodegeneration. Research spans fundamental laboratory science, experimental medicine and clinical studies, supported by assets including the Manchester Brain Bank, advanced imaging platforms and well-characterised patient cohorts.

Researchers are also developing new approaches to understanding and treating rarer dementias, including paediatric and monogenic forms of disease, while applying advances in data science and artificial intelligence to improve diagnosis and prediction. This work is complemented by research into cognition, communication, hearing and brain health, lived experience, and dementia care, ensuring discoveries can be translated into meaningful benefits for patients and families.