ABOUT DEMENTIA TRIALS IRELAND

About

About Dementia Trials Ireland

Dementia Trials Ireland aims to improve the lives of individuals at risk of, or living with, dementia. We will do this by conducting high quality, internationally recognised, clinical trials throughout Ireland addressing important and common problems.

Dementia Trials Ireland (DTI) has been funded for five years by the Health Research Board (HRB).

The objective of DTI is to significantly develop and expand the current small dementia clinical trials portfolio to include studies of diverse types.  These trials will include proof of concept to implementation; non-pharmacological to pharmacological approaches, suitable for all stages and all sub-types of dementia.

Our studies will apply different methods, including imaging, biomarkers and neuropsychological methods to assess healthy volunteers, carers and people with dementia.

Goal

The ultimate goal is to enable every person at risk of, or living with dementia in Ireland, the opportunity to access clinical trials.  This will entail upskilling the workforce to conduct trials, attracting more international trials (including industry-sponsored trials) and competing for funding for investigator-led trials within and beyond Ireland.

Patient and Public Involvement (PPI)

A cornerstone of the work in DTI will be the inclusion of people with lived experience and their caregivers in the day-to-day development of DTI.  A PPI panel has been hand-picked from all parts of Ireland to reflect different stages and different types of dementia, and also different experiences of living with dementia.  The PPI panel will help to raise public and professional awareness of dementia and dementia trials throughout Ireland.

Current Portfolio

The current portfolio is a combination of investigator-led (i.e. www.sense-cog-eu) and industry sponsored studies.  Current research focuses on Alzheimer’s and other dementias, mild cognitive impairment, brain-injury and healthy volunteers.

Other HRB-supported Clinical Research Entities

DTI will work closely with and be aligned with a number of other HRB-supported clinical research entities including the HRB-Clinical Research Coordination Ireland  HRB Trials Methodology Research Network (www.hrb-tmrn.ie) the Clinical Research Facilities (Dublin, Galway and Cork websites?) and the HRB’s national PPI network IGNITE (www.ppinetwork.ie)

Additional partners include universities and hospitals in Dublin (The Mater, St Vincent’s, St James’, Tallaght), Cork (CUH and MUH), Galway (NUIG) and Sligo.

What We Do

 

1) Provide access and support to those interested in conducting dementia trials in Ireland, including industry sponsors to ensure trials are delivered on time and to target.

2)  Support multidisciplinary education in dementia trials methodology, with support from the HRB-Trials Methodology Research Network (TMRN) and support early career professionals through a network of ‘DTI Fellows’.

3)  Foster public and patient involvement in research.

4)  Grow the Network portfolio and ensure a business case of sustainable activity.

5)  Develop and nurture a supportive network of dementia professionals throughout Ireland, working in close collaboration with people who have dementia and their caregivers.