A TEAM of Scottish scientists have received a cash boost to fund research into the causes of dementia.

The group, at Aberdeen University, has secured £15,000 of funding from Alzheimer’s Research UK to delve deeper into the causes of Alzheimer’s disease and highlight new targets for treatments.

Dementia, which affects nearly 70,000 people in Scotland alone, is a condition associated with memory loss, behavioural changes, communication difficulties and problems with day–to-day tasks.

It is caused by diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, which damage nerve cells and lead to a breakdown in vital communication in the brain.

Current treatments only go as far as boosting nerve cell communication and alleviating some symptoms, and their are no drugs capable of halting nerve cell damage.

The money will fund a study exploring what may be behind the death of nerve cells among those suffering from Alzheimer’s.

Dr David Koss, a Research Fellow at the University of Aberdeen, said: “We needed this funding boost to add some more pieces to the complex puzzle of Alzheimer’s disease.

"It is only through gaining a clearer picture of the molecular changes that take place in the disease that we’ll be able to slow or stop it in its tracks. "I’ll use generously donated brain tissue to learn more about how nerve cells die in Alzheimer’s, the biological step that underpins the symptoms people experience.

"We know that there are drugs in development targeting these key processes in other diseases like cancer and diabetes, so it is important that we highlight new approaches where existing drugs could be used to tackle dementia.”

Dr Emma O’Brien from Alzheimer’s Research UK, added:

“Dementia is an incredibly complex condition, caused by diseases that attack the brain and rob people of memories and independence.

"Alzheimer’s Research UK is committed to funding pioneering research that sheds new light on the causes of disease like Alzheimer’s, so that we can develop treatments to halt the devastating spread of damage through the brain.

"It is a long road from eureka moment in the laboratory to a drug in the clinic, but by investing in research at every stage of this process, we will find a way to help all those affected by dementia, including 3,000 in Aberdeenshire alone.”