The Great Outdoors - Benefits of Nature in Dementia & Tech Help

12/09/22 • 30 min

Recorded at the Dementia Research Charity #Chatathon 2022 - Adam Smith interviews Dr Esme Wood, Senior Lecturer in Occupational Therapy, at University of Gloucestershire and Dr Steven Owen & Dr Stephan Price, Knowledge Exchange Officers at University of Exeter working on the ENLIVEN Project.

Dr Esme Wood - My research explores the lived experience of people with early stage dementia who use GPS navigation technologies to enable them to engage in meaningful outdoor occupation. The findings explored both the technologies used and the experience of users, identifying that such technologies can support quality of life through engagement in occupations that define identity, connections to nature and the outdoors and promoion of independence.

Dr Stephan Price - Working on the ENLIVEN project to find on ways to improve opportunities for people living with cognitive impairment to get outdoors into nature. Collaborating with a range of business and organisations in the outdoor visitor economy to develop new innovations that will be co-produced with people with cognitive impairment. I am focusing on issues of organisation and economy.

Dr Steven Owen - Our research aims to help older people living with dementia experience a better quality of life through increased contact with the natural environment. Working with people living with dementia, business, and third sector organisations we explore the barriers they face in accessing nature and innovative practices that will help businesses in the visitor economy reduce these barriers.

The 2022 Dementia Research Charity Chatathon LIVE was held on Friday 2nd December - A non-stop 12.5 hours livestream hosted by Adam Smith interviewing 68 Dementia Researchers and Special Guests working across all areas of discovery to beat Alzheimer's disease and all forms of dementia. Raising money for research and providing insights into the latest research taking place across the UK and Worldwide.

This year we are raising money for four amazing charities who all fund research - Alzheimer's Research UK, Alzheimer's Society, Race Against Dementia and The Lewy Body Society.

For more information and to donate visit http://www.chatathon.uk

This year we are raising money for four amazing charities who all fund research - Alzheimer's Research UK, Alzheimer's Society, Race Against Dementia and The Lewy Body Society.

For more information and to donate visit http://www.chatathon.uk

Previous Episode

Dementia Essentials - Hydration, Good Lighting & Great Care

Recorded at the Dementia Research Charity #Chatathon 2022 - Adam Smith interviews Ellice Parkinson, PhD Student at University of East Anglia, Dr Terry Quinn, Reader & Consultant in Older Adult Medicine from University of Glasgow and Kate Turley, Computer Scientist & PhD Student in digital health for dementia at Ulster University.

Ellice Parkinson - My research is concerned with drinking and low-intake dehydration amongst older people, particularly those living with dementia in care homes. Prior to undertaking the PhD, I worked as a Research Fellow specifically on Huntington’s Disease Research.

Kate Turley - I am undertaking my PhD at Ulster University, focused on improving the wellbeing for people living with dementia, and reducing pressure on care staff. My research explores the use of therapeutic lighting technology for care homes and tracking resident activity to support care staff in their daily routines.

Dr Terry Quinn - My team has a research focus on dementia assessment and the cognitive consequences of cardiovascular diseases. I also hold leadership roles in groups such as Cochrane Dementia and Scottish Dementia Research Consortium. I was vice chair on the recent SIGN guidelines on dementia and can speak to how we translate research data into guideline recommendations.

This year we are raising money for four amazing charities who all fund research - Alzheimer's Research UK, Alzheimer's Society, Race Against Dementia and The Lewy Body Society.

For more information and to donate visit http://www.chatathon.uk

Next Episode

Biomarkers - Diagnosing Dementias with a Drop of Blood

Recorded at the Dementia Research Charity #Chatathon 2022 - Adam Smith interviews Dr Amanda Heslegrave, Senior Research Fellow at the UK Dementia Research Institute, UCL, Dr Nicholas Ashton, Assistant Professor of Neurochemistry at University Gothenburg & King's College London and Dr Aitana Sogorb-Esteve, Race Against Dementia / ARUK Fellow at University College London.

Dr Amanda Heslegrave - I collaborate with clinical researchers to measure biomarkers of neurodegeneration in a variety of biofluids, most topical right now are blood biomarkers which we are able to measure with the use of super sensitive assay technology - overall I focus on Fluid Biomarkers, diagnostics, prognostics, response to therapeutics.

Dr Nicholas Ashton - I have over decade of experience in biofluid analysis and assay development for Alzheimer’s disease and related disorder which ranges from discovery mass spectrometry methods to ultra-sensitive immunoassays development. Recently, this has seen the success of assays specific for phosphorylated tau and neurofilament light, which being evaluated for clinical routine across Europe and inclusion criterion for clinical trials targeting dementia. I have published over 100 original research articles in fluid biomarker for neurogenerative diseases.

Dr Aitana Sogorb-Esteve - My expertise is in fluid biomarkers and specifically I am looking for novel markers to assess synaptic dysfunction in genetic FTD. I have had promising results in Cerebrospinal fluid and my aim now is to measure such synaptic markers in blood by extracting neuronal-derived extracellular vesicles from plasma samples in the GENFI cohort.

This year we are raising money for four amazing charities who all fund research - Alzheimer's Research UK, Alzheimer's Society, Race Against Dementia and The Lewy Body Society.

For more information and to donate visit http://www.chatathon.uk