Associate feature: Scotland's pioneering work in Brain Health

This summer, researchers added two more risk factors to the growing list of things that may lead to people developing dementia. 

To a list that includes uncontrolled blood pressure, lack of exercise, smoking, mental ill health and loneliness, the 2024 report of the Lancet commission on dementia added high cholesterol and uncorrected eyesight problems. The commission now believes some 45% of cases of dementia are potentially preventable by addressing 14 modifiable risk factors.

Scotland put early recognition of the avoidable causes of dementia into action in 2020 with the creation of Brain Health Scotland. This partnership between Alzheimer Scotland and the Scottish Government focuses on public education, early diagnosis, and the promotion of brain-healthy lifestyles to reduce the risk of neurodegenerative diseases. By encouraging activities that promote cognitive resilience, such as physical exercise, social engagement, and a balanced diet, Brain Health Scotland hopes to reduce the overall incidence of dementia in the population.

Dementia is one of Scotland’s most pressing public health challenges. Around 90,000 people in Scotland live with dementia, an estimated 3,000 of whom are under 65. Around a third of them are in residential care, making up two thirds of Scotland’s overall care home population.

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, caused by a complex combination of genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors. A hallmark of Alzheimer’s is the accumulation of amyloid plaques and tau tangles in the brain. These proteins disrupt communication between brain cells and trigger inflammation, leading to premature cell death. Two medicines that target amyloid-beta, the main components of amyloid plaques, have been approved by UK regulators with more in the pipeline. Meanwhile tau-targeting therapies are in late stages of development.
Another area of research is into treatments for neuroinflammation – an immune response implicated in Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis.

Scotland is playing both a central role in clinical research into treatments and in deepening understanding of the avoidable risk factors so that more people can keep their brains healthy. 
A meeting of the Cross Party Group on Life Sciences in the Scottish Parliament heard from several of the people driving Scotland’s collaboration-driven brain health research movement. 

The University of St Andrews’ Professor Frank Gunn-Moore – who has convened the so-called St Andrews Group meetings of academics, industry, global health organisations and funders to discuss dementia – talked about the work underway to translate discoveries in biology, medicine, chemistry, physics and social sciences into possible treatments, and to attract global funding for research at Scottish universities.

Former NHS psychiatrist and founder of research company Scottish Brain Sciences, Professor Craig Ritchie explained how his team’s programme to establish a long-term cohort of people at risk from dementia – people aged over 50 and athletes – will deepen understanding of new risk factors and open the door for more people to take part in clinical trials.

Glasgow University’s Professor Terry Quinn presented on Brain Health ARC – an Alliance for Research Challenges, working across disciplines and sectors to make Scotland the ‘go to’ destination for brain health research.

The brain health movement in Scotland is driven by a strong conviction that Alzheimer’s and other dementias can become preventable and treatable conditions – in the coming years rather than decades.

This article is sponsored by The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry

www.abpi.org.uk