Men who experience behaviour changes including apathy or having false beliefs and perceptions in later life are at risk of faster cognitive decline than women, according to new research.
A study led by Charles University, in collaboration with the University of Exeter and King’s College London, looked at changes in behaviour in cognitively healthy people aged 50 and older, which have previously been linked to a higher risk of developing brain problems.
These behavioural changes are collectively known as mild behavioural impairment (MBI), and encompass symptoms across...
The University of Plymouth is conducting innovative new research that is revolutionising the way in which we understand cycling and providing a blueprint for how we can better plan our cities.
Researchers at the Environmental Futures and Big Data Impacts Lab are using new sensor data insights gathered from Co Bikes - Exeter's e-bike share fleet - to shine a light on cycling in the city, helping to improve the fleet service and providing insights that will help the Council plan to support cycling.
The insights used for this exciting new research are being collected...
The Royal Osteoporosis Society (ROS) has announced the successful applicants of its largest ever research grants round , after reviewing a record number of applications.
Half of women and one fifth of men will break a bone due to osteoporosis. The charity’s research grants programme aims to change that, by offering researchers at various stages in their careers the opportunity to apply for funding that will allow them to undertake pioneering research and improve our understanding of osteoporosis.
One of the successful applicants from this year’s research grant round, Dr...
Two new research programmes are helping find new ways to support people with dementia who experience problems with sleep.
Across the world, around 55 million people have dementia. Up to 90 per cent of them experience problems sleeping.
Both too much and too little sleep are common, and can have significant impacts on health, leading to falls, or worsening existing symptoms and increasing death rates. Commonly used sleeping tablets can also be particularly harmful to people with dementia .
Two research programmes led by the University of Exeter are now seeking to...
An innovative clinical trial will investigate how drinking beetroot juice impacts brain function in older adults, via the bacteria that live in our mouths.
A donation from University of Exeter alumnus Tom Morgan (Business Economics 1999) is supporting the new research. It seeks to investigate how the hundreds of species of bacteria and other organisms that colonise our mouths – known as the oral microbiome - impact on processes key to the development of major diseases, including brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.
The quest to discover how some people can compare or “match” the intricate details of faces, fingerprints and even firearms only by sight has taken a new, exciting twist.
While TV programs like CSI show computer algorithms performing forensic science tasks – like fingerprint-matching – they are actually performed by forensic scientists who train for many years. However, new research led by Dr Bethany Growns, a cognitive psychologist from the University of Exeter, suggests there may be ordinary people with a natural talent in this task.
Skateboarding in middle age helps people navigate depression, bond with their children and cope with personal trials, a new study shows.
Older people who take part in the sport say it has a “spiritual meaning” in their lives and boosts their wellbeing and happiness. Physical benefits are a by-product.
Skateboarding allows them access to a community and gives them an identity separate from other parts of their lives.
One reason could be because the measure of success in skateboarding is more fluid compared to other sports, and failure is seen as part of the...
Poor sleep in the over 50s is linked to more negative perceptions of ageing, which in turn can impact physical, mental and cognitive health, new research has revealed.
A study led by the University of Exeter and found that people who rated their sleep the worst also felt older, and perceived their own physical and mental ageing more negatively.
Lead author Serena Sabatini, of the University of Exeter, said: “As we age, we all experience both positive and negative changes in many areas of our lives. However, some people perceive more negative changes than others. As we...
Families affected by dementia in Exeter, Torbay and Teignbridge are being invited to take part in an award-winning programme, to help train the healthcare professionals of tomorrow and improve dementia care.
Supported by Alzheimer’s Society, the project Time for Dementia pairs families affected by dementia with undergraduate students, to better educate the students about life with dementia and the challenges that come with it. From September, the University of Exeter’s incoming Medical Imaging and Nursing students will be taking part in the programme, and are now seeking families...
National charity Heart Research UK is to fund three new research projects to investigate how COVID-19 affects the heart and circulatory system – an investment of over half a million pounds. Research has shown that people with cardiovascular conditions, including high blood pressure, have a higher risk of developing severe COVID-19. COVID-19 can also cause ‘new’ damage to the heart and blood vessels in people who have no pre-existing disease. Heart Research UK’s new grant scheme was designed to fund pioneering research to investigate these links and improve outcomes for patients suffering...
