Dementia & the Ageing Brain 

Work on Dementia and brain ageing shares the common strategic theme to develop new biomarkers in order to facilitate early and differential diagnosis. 

We are developing a novel combined approach to testing brain activity by resting state Electroencephalography (EEG), acquiring brain imaging data and tailored neuropsychological tests for early diagnosis of dementia. 

Working with bioinformatics and INSIGNEO colleagues, we will explore automation to extract biomarkers from these combined data with the aim that they can be used widely in specialist and non-specialist services, including primary care settings.

We wish to participate in, and initiate, trials using repurposed compounds to test for effects on brain neuropathology and symptoms of vascular dementia, a condition for which no treatment is currently available. 

We have a strong clinical and research Neuropathology group and work with the Sheffield Brain Tissue Bank to validate outcomes from clinical studies.