In the UK , it’s Dementia Action Week – and I’m a volunteer for a relevant study
The Alzheimer’s Society has designated this as Dementia Action Week.
There are currently around 850,000 people in the UK with dementia. It mainly affects people over the age of 65 (one in 14 people in this age group have dementia), and the likelihood of developing dementia increases significantly with age. However, dementia can affect younger people too. There are more than 42,000 people in the UK under 65 with dementia.
As I explained in this blog posting, I have been invited to volunteer for a study examining the risk factors for dementia. At the time that I did that posting, I had just spent almost four hours at the Imperial Research Hub at Charing Cross Hospital in London where I was subjected to a whole battery of physical and mental tests.
Since that last blog posting, I have had a brain MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) scan and a PET (Positron Emission Tomography) scan. The MRI checked if there are any existing mental problems. The PET measured the concentration of beta-amyloid in my brain since the study is all about whether the level of amyloid is an indicator of the likelihood of developing dementia.
I’m now waiting to hear if I am judged eligible for the study and, if so, I will then have visits and tests every three months for three and a half years.