The University of Edinburgh’s Centre for Open Learning and Centre for Dementia Prevention have teamed up to present a series of open public lectures to improve understanding of dementia.
The Dementia Prevention Open Lectures will highlight the centre’s vision to:
- advance understanding of biomarkers in clinical and preclinical human populations
- drive global efforts to deliver new medicines that could act before clinical symptoms of dementia appear
- improve the experience of living with dementia by developing strategies that increase the quality of life
- empower people to understand and protect their brain health, for a future without dementia.
The lecture series runs 13th February – 6th March. Free tickets are available online here
What is Neurodegenerative Disease? Part 1
In our first lecture, Prof. Craig Ritchie provides an introduction to the Dementia Prevention Open Lecture Series, discussing how, when and where dementia occurs, its symptoms and an overview of research into preventing dementia and cognitive decline.
What is Neurodegenerative Disease? Part 2
In our second lecture, Prof Karen Ritchie, Prof Tara Spires-Jones and Prof Adam Waldman discuss the biology of neurodegenerative disease, it’s biomarkers, how brain imaging can aid diagnosis and how cognitive features, such as memory, reasoning and problem-solving present across the disease spectrum.
Treatments for Neurodegenerative Disease
For our third Lecture, Prof Craig Ritchie and Dr Tom Russ cover the pharmacological (drug) treatments we currently use for dementia and how these act in the brain. They also explore how environmental factors may influence dementia risk and look towards new targets for the development of future treatments – both pharmacological and non-pharmacological.
Future Directions – What needs to be done?
In our fourth and final lecture, Prof Craig Ritchie discusses the future for dementia prevention through large scale research programmes and shifting the way we currently deliver key healthcare services.
