National Health and Medical Research Council

Alzheimer’s disease affects the brain, gradually causing confusion and disorientation and impairing short-term memory and cognition. It is the most common form of dementia. Even though Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias do not often cause fatalities by themselves, they are a leading cause of significant chronic disability, particularly among older Australians, and a heavy burden on carers and health and aged care services. [1]

NHMRC funding for Alzheimers disease research

In the period 2004-09, NHMRC contributed $80.8 million to Australian research into Alzheimer’s disease.

Some NHMRC-funded research projects into Alzheimers disease

Treatment of Alzheimer's disease with a novel method

Chief Investigator Associate Professor Xin-Fu Zhou, Flinders University

Alzheimer's disease is the most common brain disease which has huge social and economical burdens for the modern society. It is caused by accumulation of the toxic peptides, called amyloid beta, in the brain. There is no treatment for this devastated condition. We have identified a fragment of antibody specifically recognizing amyloid beta peptides which dissolves and remove the plaques from the brain. This project is to further test this novel drug in mouse model of the disease.

NHMRC Project Grant

Novel therapeutic approaches for Alzheimer's disease

Chief Investigator Professor Colin L Masters, University of Melbourne

There are currently no effective treatments for Alzheimer's disease. In this application we will develop a novel class of compound to assess their potential as AD therapeutics. These compounds will be tested in vitro and in vivo models of Alzheimer's disease. The successful conclusion of the work described here would provide new leads suitable for further development as therapeutics for […]

NHMRC Project Grant

How many urban dwelling Indigenous people have dementia? How is it defined? And what problems does it cause?

Chief Investigator Professor Gerald A (Tony) Broe, University of New South Wales

The main aim of this research project is to determine what proportion of Aboriginal people aged 45 years and older who live in urban areas of NSW, have dementia. We hope to establish what types of dementia occur amongst Aboriginal people, what the causes are, and how we can best measure dementia. We will also focus on what types of problems dementia causes for both people with the condition and their carers. What is the meaning of "dementia" for Aboriginal people themselves?

NHMRC Project Grant

Evaluation of new imaging approaches in Alzheimer's disease

Chief Investigator Dr Victor L Villemagne, University of Melbourne

Alzheimer's disease is the most common age-related neurodegenerative disease, and the most common cause of dementia. It is estimated that 212,000 Australians suffer from dementia and this will rise to approximately 730,000 by 2050. Currently there are no definitive diagnostic methods for AD. The research proposed in this application describes the evaluation of a new imaging radiotracer that would be suitable for widespread non-invasive diagnosis of AD.

NHMRC Project Grant

Dementia knowledge and beliefs in Greek, Italian and Chinese Australians

Chief Investigator Dr Lee-Fay Low, University of New South Wales

The dementia knowledge and beliefs of persons from Italian, Greek and Chinese backgrounds will be compared to third generation Australians. Five hundred persons from each group will be randomly selected from around Australia to be surveyed by telephone. Questions will assess whether dementia symptoms are recognised, what these persons think causes dementia, where they would go for help, how likely they are to use aged care services and stigma towards persons with dementia. Focus groups will be conducted to identify barriers to service use and identify methods to improve dementia knowledge in Italian, Greek and Chinese groups. This information will be used to improve community education and service delivery for persons with dementia from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. The Primary Dementia Collaborative Research Centre at the University of NSW, NSW Multicultural Health Communication Service and Alzheimer’s Australia are partners in this research.

NHMRC Strategic Award - Dementia Research Grants Program

Person-centred environment and care for residents with dementia: a cost-effective way of improving quality of life and quality of care

Chief Investigator Professor Lynn Chenoweth, University of Technology Sydney

Improving the quality of life (QOL) and quality of care for persons with dementia are important areas of Australian health research. A growing body of evidence shows that QOL in dementia can be improved by relatively simple and inexpensive modifications to nursing care practices and the physical environment. Most studies in these areas are observational, few have utilized a randomized control group design, and none has included economic evaluation. This study will address these deficiencies. This is the first time that a randomized controlled trial of Person-Centred Care (PCC) and Person-Centred Environment Design (PCD) will be undertaken. The study will be conducted in 40 residential aged care services in New South Wales, to determine the efficacy and cost effectiveness of implementing PCC and PCD separately, and in combination, in improving resident quality of life and quality of care.

NHMRC Strategic Award - Dementia Research Grants Program

Apathy in patients with Alzheimer's Disease

Chief Investigator Professor Sergio E Starkstein, University of Western Australia

Behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia have been consistently associated with increased patients’ distress, and are considered by caregivers as the most difficult symptoms to manage. Apathy is the state of loss of motivation and emotional withdrawal that occurs in a high proportion of patients with Alzheimer’s disease. These patients require more management and support, given their reliance on others to schedule their activities and initiate behaviours even when they are still capable of performing the activities. In spite of the high frequency of apathy in dementia and the high potential of negative effects on patients and caregivers, little is known about the cause of this phenomenon, its potential influence upon the long-term progression of Alzheimer’s disease, and on its impact upon caregivers’ emotional well-being. The main aim of our proposal is to examine the mechanism, clinical relevance and impact of apathy in Alzheimer’s disease. More specifically, we will determine whether apathy predicts more severe depression, increasing motor problems, and a faster progression of cognitive and functional problems. Using state-of-the-art neuroimaging techniques we will examine the association between apathy and abnormalities in specific brain regions. Finally, we will examine whether caregivers of patients with apathy have relatively more  severe emotional problems, a higher care giving burden and poor quality of life.

NHMRC Strategic Award - Dementia Research Grants Program

Developing a new diagnostic method for Alzheimer's disease

Chief Investigator Associate Professor Kevin J Barnham, University of Melbourne

Alzheimer's disease is the most common age-related neurodegenerative disease, and the most common cause of dementia. It is estimated that 212,000 Australians suffer from dementia and this will rise to approximately 730,000 by 2050. Currently there are no definitive diagnostic methods for AD. The research described in this application seeks to identify and validate a range of biomarkers identified in the blood of patients that would be suitable to use for diagnostic purposes.

NHMRC Project Grant

An investigation into the mechanisms of how dietary fats influence  Alzheimer's disease risk

Chief Investigator Professor John C Mamo, Curtin University of Technology

There is some evidence to suggest that diet may influence the risk for developing Alzheimer's Disease. This project will explore if dietary fats that are 'bad-for-the-heart', are also 'bad-for-the-head'. Conversely, these researchers will test whether heart-healthy-oils are brain-healthy. The researchers will investigate the mechanisms by which dietary fats influence risk and hope to be able to develop nutritional guidelines for the prevention or slowing of Alzheimer's Disease.

NHMRC Project Grant

A new drug for Alzheimer's disease

Chief Investigator Dr Brett Garner, University of New South Wales

Alzheimer's disease (AD) prevalence is rising and there is currently no curative treatment. Production of neurotoxic amyloid-beta peptide (Abeta) in the brain is thought to be one causative factor in AD. We have recently discovered a new drug that alters lipid levels in cell membranes and potently inhibits Abeta production by neurons. We will define precisely how this drug works and examine its potential to reduce Abeta accumulation in the brains of mice genetically engineered to mimic AD.

NHMRC Project Grant

Sources

1. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2008. Australia’s health 2008. Cat. no. AUS 99. Canberra: AIHW