Project details

Summary

What is the study about?

Vascular dementia, a debilitating condition that impairs memory due to a lack of blood supply to the brain, shares several similarities with Alzheimer’s disease. This makes it difficult for doctors to distinguish between these two diseases. Therefore, a more reliable diagnostic test is urgently required before effective treatment for vascular dementia can be developed. 

What are you trying to find out?

We want to find out if measuring sodium using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can help better distinguish between earlier stages of these diseases. To investigate this, we will need participants with early-stage vascular dementia (also known as vascular cognitive impairment), early-stage Alzheimer’s disease, or those with no form of dementia. We intend to recruit 19 participants per group (57 participants in total).

Who is it for?

We are looking for participants over 50 years old with one of the following:

• no form of dementia
• a diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment
• a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease / vascular dementia 

What does taking part involve?

You can find out more information about taking part in this study by downloading the key documents at the top of this page.

You’ll need to come in for two visits, roughly one week apart.

Participants will need to:

• Have a blood test
• Undergo an MRI scan
• Complete two cognitive tests
• Have a lumbar puncture (optional)

Why is it important? 

You will be helping to change the lives of people with dementia by contributing to important research that could improve how dementia is diagnosed.

How can I find out more?

You can find out more information about taking part in this study by downloading the key documents at the top of this page.

If you are interested in taking part in this study, or have questions for the research team, click the button below to email us:

Email the research team