2022 has been the busiest year yet for the clinic, with a record number of volunteers applying to take part in our Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s current studies – making it one of the most successful years ever. We’ve welcomed volunteers from all walks of life; some as young as 40 years old with the introduction of the Orchestra Parkinson’s study earlier this year. This is a testament to how far we have come in understanding Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, and how much progress we can make when people put themselves forward to volunteer in vital research.

APOLLOE4 Study

The APOLLOE4 study has been a major success since its launch in 2021 and has contributed to a large part of our Alzheimer’s research this year. Overall thousands of volunteers globally were screened to identify just over 300 suitable study participants who carry two copies of the APOE4 gene – a genetic marker associated with Alzheimer’s disease, which about 1-2% of the population have Those who were screened and found to carry only a single copy of the APOE4 gene were not suitable for this particular program but may be eligible for future studies. Our participants understood that by being screened for this study, they were helping us collectively gain better understanding about Alzheimer’s and how it affects individuals.

The results of the APOLLO E4 study are now eagerly awaited by the international research community, and the findings could help doctors in the future assess an individual’s risk much earlier on and provide tailored treatments accordingly. There is also increased focus on important lifestyle changes and early diagnosis that could prevent the onset of Alzheimer’s in those at risk. Overall, the success of all our programs would not be possible without the dedication and enthusiasm of our volunteers who apply to be screened for studies running at the clinic

Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month

In June, to mark Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month, our fantastic team got together to take part in a collective step challenge throughout the month to walk 900,000 steps, in recognition of the 900,000 people living with dementia in the UK and to raise funds for Alzheimer Scotland. They walked their socks off and raised £1000 for the charity, which was doubled to £2000, with a matched contribution from Glasgow Memory Clinic.

Intern Programme

This summer we also launched our first ever Intern Programme, providing opportunities for four new university graduates to experience the research environment first-hand. The interns each spent a month at the clinic and you can learn more about their individual experiences in our ‘Diary of an Intern’ blogs. The programme was a positive success and we are looking forward to announcing future intern opportunities for 2023 and beyond.

Glasgow Memory Clinic is now a NeuroClin centre

In September we announced the clinic has now become a NeuroClin centre, furthering our research into Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s as well as other neurological diseases. The diversification into other neurological diseases is one of the many achievements we are celebrating this year, and this will allow us to make even more progress in understanding Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s on a deeper level – helping us move closer towards finding potential treatments or cures for these conditions.

Lecanemab

News of the Alzheimer’s vaccine Lecanemab broke at an international congress towards the end of November – the results of the CLARITY AD study of Lecanemab showed the ability of this drug to remove toxic amyloid protein from the brain and also slow functional decline in Alzheimer’s and these results were hailed a momentous breakthrough. Work on Lecanemab continues with the new AHEAD study – an Early Detection study that is currently running at the clinic and has generated even more interest, Volunteers, who have no or minimal memory complaints can be screened for amyloid and those who are suitable then enter this four year program. Recruitment for this pioneering program is ongoing.

There are many potential benefits associated with volunteering for research studies; not only do people get the satisfaction of contributing to vital research, they can also gain access to better care and potential new treatments . There is a growing consensus that with such promising results from the Lecanemab study, it is clear that we are on the right track towards finding a cure for Alzheimer’s.

Looking to 2023

2023 marks our 20th year of providing ground-breaking research into Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s and we are looking forward to welcoming even more volunteers in the year ahead as we get ready to launch our next Parkinson’s study in early Spring which will be open to those as young as 30 years old.

If you are interested in registering for a current or upcoming study, or would like to apply on behalf of someone else, please complete our short pre-screener and a member of our patient liaison team will be in touch as soon as possible. There is no charge to take part in any study and volunteers who are suitable to take part will be provided with lunch and reimbursement of travel expenses for any visits to our clinic.

To keep up to date with what’s happening at the clinic and the introduction of new studies, please consider registering for our monthly newsletter.