Online dementia publication sheds light on latest research

Online dementia publication sheds light on latest research

More than 400,000 Australians live with dementia and that number is expected to climb to 1.1 million by 2056.

University of Queensland experts are keeping people living with or affected by dementia up to date on the latest dementia research and care through the online publication – The Brain: Dementia.

Queensland Brain Institute director Professor Pankaj Sah said the 24-page publication, produced in partnership with Alzheimer’s Australia, was designed to shed light on all aspects of Australia’s second-biggest killer.

“The publication is an essential resource for anyone living with or affected by dementia, one of society’s most pressing health problems,” Professor Sah said.

“We explain the science behind dementia – its causes and risk factors – in an accessible and informative way.

“We also share some of the compelling progress our researchers have made, including the breakthrough discovery of QBI Clem Jones Centre for Ageing Dementia Research Director Professor Jürgen Götz and his team, involving ultrasound as a potential treatment for dementia.”

“They have found ultrasound could one day be used to better deliver Alzheimer’s drugs into the brain and reduce disease symptoms.”

The Brain: Dementia, published on World Alzheimer’s Day, is available on theQueensland Brain Institute website.

“By combining expert knowledge from researchers with information from Alzheimer’s Australia, we hope The Brain: Dementia will serve as a comprehensive update as our researchers work towards a world free from dementia,” Professor Sah said.

“Dementia’s tendrils reach far and wide - nearly all of us know somebody affected by the condition, whether it be a family member, friend or colleague.

Topics covered include types of dementia and their causes; risk factors including genetics and lifestyle choices; and diagnosing and living with dementia

“The publication includes profiles of prominent Australians including media legend Ita Buttrose who shares her experience of caring for her father while he had vascular dementia.”

Television and radio presenter Rachel Corbett also opens up about her harrowing personal experience of her mother’s younger-onset dementia, and Alzheimer’s Australia CEO Maree McCabe discusses the national support services that the organisation provides, Professor Sah said.

The publication is the third issue in a series. The second issue, on learning and memory, was published earlier this year.

About the Queensland Brain Institute
QBI is a leading neuroscience institute based at The University of Queensland, home to more than 450 scientists and Australia’s first centre devoted solely to dementia: theClem Jones Centre for Ageing Dementia Research. In 2015, CJCADR researchers, led by Professor Jürgen Götz, made a breakthrough in finding that ultrasound technology cleared toxic plaques and reduced symptoms in mice models of Alzheimer’s disease. In 2017, they built upon that discovery with a new study that showed ultrasound enhanced the effectiveness of a potential Alzheimer’s therapeutic. Work is underway to translate the research into clinical trials within the next five years.

ENDS

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