On the shores of Lac Leman, Alzheimer Europe held its 34th Conference this month. During this busy event, current dementia research and the voices of people living with dementia were showcased at a packed gathering. We asked Dr Patrick Pflanz to share his own highlights and reflect on trends which emerged.
An interdisciplinary approach to dementias
There is an overall trend toward an integrative approach in dementia research that crosses the boundaries of separate research disciplines. This became evident in the broad scope of the conference, which featured biological, psychosocial, and phenomenological/qualitative research. This highly interdisciplinary approach is paramount for improvements in dementia care and treatment. It not only addressed medical aspects but also takes the lived experiences of patients into account. Breakthroughs in dementia research in the future will be driven by the development of novel, disease-modifying treatments AND by improving the lived experience of patients within society.
The patient’s perspective
Throughout the conference, the voices of patients and their caregivers were prominent with the ambition to improve care, policy, and research. Patients struggled with their dementia diagnosis: “It can’t and mustn’t be, not me!”. These patients were eager to share personal experiences with researchers, contributing towards an improvement in the lives of patients in future.
A dementia diagnosis leads to challenges, not only for the patient but also for their caregivers and for the entire family. A shift in focus from the patient alone in research to their ‘social circle’ is much needed in dementia research. Patients felt isolated, even abandoned, with their diagnosis and resorted to the internet, an oftentimes untrustworthy source, to discover more about dementias. Better patient education about their dementias and reducing the stigma around diagnosis will be needed to improve patients' experience.
Novel treatments – new challenges
The advent of disease-modifying therapies for Alzheimer’s disease, including anti-amyloid-β monoclonal antibodies, was initially welcomed with unwavering enthusiasm. This enthusiasm has waned as these treatments provide new challenges. Economic factors and financial viability provide a major obstacle to widespread clinical applications. The treatments may only be effective for 10% of patients with Alzheimer’s disease. More recent research has also challenged the role of amyloid-β plaques as the neuropathological hallmark feature of Alzheimer’s disease. Clearly, further research is needed to develop better treatment options for this devastating disease.
DPUK at the conference
DPUK’s research team was strongly represented at Alzheimer Europe 2024. Pippa Watson brought a positive focus to research on ageing by presenting her recent research on super-agers. Super-agers outsmart the effect of aging on cognition and maintain high levels of cognitive performance into old age. Pippa’s research identified various factors that characterize superchargers in the Whitehall cohort.
Dr Benjamin Tari presented a poster on his planned research to investigate the cognitive benefits of passive exercise in healthy and chronically ill individuals in real-world and clinical contexts. Exercise is a key modifiable risk factor for dementia, but some people may not be able to complete regular exercise; passive exercise may be an appropriate alternative.
Dr Morgane Künzi and Prof. Sarah Bauermeister shared their research on the effects of early adverse experiences on coping strategies, mental health, brain health, and cognition.
Last but not least, I (Dr Patrick Pflanz) presented a poster on the association between hearing loss and emotional vulnerability in the UK Biobank study, a large UK-based cohort study.
A final insight
One research finding from the conference was particularly striking. Centenarians were found to be characterized by lower levels of neuroticism and higher levels of extraversion. So, on a personal level and for my life as a scientist, these findings suggest that if I want to live to 100, I probably should spend less time worrying about grant applications or research funding and invest far more time in networking and sharing my research at conferences. So, the DPUK team is already looking forward to being at Bologna next year to hear still more about impactful research.