The Disconnected Mind
The Disconnected Mind is a historic research project that aims to combat the increasing threat of cognitive decline and dementia.
Perhaps the single greatest fear associated with ageing is that one day our minds might fail us.
800,000 people are currently diagnosed with severe cognitive decline in the UK, and this figure is projected to double in the next 20 years.
The Disconnected Mind is funded by the Help the Aged biomedical Research into Ageing programme. The research team, based at the University of Edinburgh, includes scientists of international renown and is led by Professor Ian Deary.
In 1947, over 70,000 Scottish children took the same intelligence test: the Scottish Mental Survey. It provided a unique record of the mental ability of a cross-section of society at the age of 11.
Professor Ian Deary realised that this data could provide a crucial benchmark for measuring cognitive decline by testing members of the same group 60 years later.
The Disconnected Mind research programme aims to:
- determine the risk factors for healthy mental ageing; and
- define the changes taking place in the brain during mental decline.
This information will be used to provide:
- Health advice for preventing mental decline.
- The rationale for designing and testing new treatments.
Donate to this appeal
Help us raise the £12.5 million needed to fund this eight-year research programme.
Donate to The Disconnected Mind
Your support is vital for this once-in-a-lifetime research opportunity. Visit the appeal website to find out more
