Brains for dementia research

Brain Scan can detect early signs of disease

Researchers at King's College London and in Sweden are the first to use an advanced computer programme to accurately detect the early signs of Alzheimer's disease from a routine clinical brain scan. 

The new scan can return 85% accurate diagnostic results in under 24 hours and could dramatically improve the quality of life for the large number of people diagnosed with the disease each year.

The system is being trialled with patients attending memory services in Croydon, Lambeth and Southwark.

For more information see Brain Scan Trials

Brain cells grown in lab will help to identify new Alzheimer's drugs

Researchers in the US have made batches of brain neurons by adding chemical growth factors to human embryonic stem cells. The technique allows scientists to grow an almost limitless supply of the brain cells.

The neurons made at the lab were a type known as basal forebrain cholinergic neurons, which cause memory loss when they stop working in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease.

For more on this see Brain Cells Re-grown