In Conversation at Christmas is a fascinating discussion, covering some of the progress made in research in 2023, and looking ahead to 2024.

Hear the insights from Prof Paresh Malhotra and Dr Fiona McLean discussing amyloid, including how this tiny protein has shaped our understanding of Alzheimer’s disease and why is it important that we also look beyond amyloid for treatments for dementia.

Hosted by our Head of Communications, Henry Scowcroft, the speakers also explored new dementia treatments on the horizon.

00:00 – Welcome and introductions
07:03 – What is amyloid? How was it first discovered?
09:37 – How does amyloid appear in the brain and how does it affect the cells surrounding it?
11:35 – What is tau? How are amyloid and tau related? What is the amyloid cascade hypothesis?
15:22 – When does brain shrinkage happen? Is this at the same time as the build up of amyloid plaques?
16:44 – How are lecanemab and donanemab related to amyloid and how do these drugs work?
20:28 – How effective are these potential drugs?
23:25 – How early can we detect the presence of amyloid in the brain?
27:13 – Current situation for emerging treatments in the UK (accurate as of Monday 18 December 2023)
27:45 – How is the media coverage and excitement around new drugs influencing perceptions? And what do the drugs mean for people with dementia today?
30:04 – Challenges around new treatments
31:00 – What are the side effects of the new drugs?
32:15 – What do we know about the links between amyloid and ARIA?
34:58 – Is amyloid found on the brains of people without dementia?
36:15 – What do MRI scans show?
37:19 – How are the new drugs changing perceptions of dementia?
39:53 – What are other possible avenues for treatments for dementia and Alzheimer’s disease?
45:02 – Where do you see things in 5-10 years time?
47:20 – The importance of researching beyond amyloid
49:00 – Closing statements – What do we hope to see over the next year in dementia research?
52:52 – Summary
55:26 – Closing slides

Our Dementia Research Infoline can answer questions about dementia research and signpost you to other sources of information and support. You can contact them on 0300 111 5 111 or by email [email protected]

If you would like to find out about taking part in dementia research studies, check out Join Dementia Research www.joindementiaresearch.nihr.ac.uk

This event was recorded on Monday 18 December 2023. All information presented was accurate at the time of recording.