Campaign marks World Alzheimer’s Month

The theme of the campaign is “Everything you wanted to know about research but were too afraid to ask”.

Each week in September the campaign will tackle a misconception about dementia research or common query about being involved in studies:

• Week one: Types of research – it’s not all drugs trials
• Week two: The research pathway (and why it takes so long)
• Week three: Access to investigational drugs
• Week four: Research into rarer dementia types – with a focus on frontotemporal dementia (FTD)
• Week five: Ways to engage in research

World Alzheimer’s Month is the international campaign every September to raise awareness and challenge the stigma that surrounds dementia. World Alzheimer’s Month was launched in 2012. World Alzheimer’s Day is on 21 September each year.

Dementia affects 850,000 people in the UK and numbers are increasing, with over one million people estimated to have dementia by 2025; there is currently no cure. Alzheimer’s is the most common type of dementia so this World Alzheimer’s Month we are highlighting how research is the only way to beat this and other dementias.

The NIHR is dedicated to funding and supporting world class research into dementia and raising awareness of how people can get involved in research. There are a number of ways you can support the campaign, for example as a research participant, researcher or a reviewer of research.