
The Alzheimer Society Research Portal connects researchers with Canadians looking to participate in research studies. On this website, find active studies that you can participate in to help advance research on dementia.
This study is testing a digital reminder system for people living with dementia. The system sends alerts when daily routines change and collects feedback from caregivers. The goal is to improve the system’s design and usefulness. Results will help make reminder tools more supportive for people living with dementia and their caregivers.
You are eligible to participate if you are a person living with dementia and you:
- Have a clinical diagnosis of mild to moderate dementia
- Were diagnosed within the past 2 years
- Speak and understand English
- Are able to give informed consent
- Have internet access at home
- Are part of a caregiver-participant pair (dyad)
You are eligible to participate if you are a caregiver and you:
- Are an informal caregiver (family member or friend)
- Provide at least 30 hours of care per week to a person living with dementia
- Speak and understand English
- Are able to give informed consent
- Can participate in a home setup session and follow-up interview
We are conducting three separate studies to explore the effects of transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) in individuals with Alzheimer’s Disease or Primary Progressive Aphasia. tDCS is a non-invasive therapy that uses low electrical currents to stimulate specific areas of the brain. Previous research has suggested that tDCS can improve symptoms such as language difficulties and may help slow the progression of Alzheimer’s.
Our studies aim to investigate these effects in different contexts, including language therapy and overall mental abilities. Upon completion, participants will receive their study results to help guide their decisions about whether tDCS could be part of a long-term therapy plan.
Person living with Alzheimer's disease
The study involves a primary session of paper-and-pencil tasks, and a second session of a computer task, while your heart rate and brain activity is monitored. The aim of the study is to examine how signals are affected from the body to the brain.
- You are between the ages of 18-30 or 60-85
- Free from conditions (other than amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI)) which affect cognition or cardiac health
- Fluent in the English language
- Have normal or corrected-to-normal vision
Increasing evidence shows that listening to music from childhood and early adulthood can help recall meaningful events from the past. Importantly, people with dementia have shown to benefit from listening to personally meaningful music, suggesting that musical memory remains preserved. However, the underlying mechanisms by which music improves memory remains unclear.
My research addresses the impact of an autobiographically salient music listening program on memory and brain activity in mild cognitive impairment. Understanding how brainwave activity in this population may differ, will help elucidate mechanisms of music listening that lead to cognitive improvements, ultimately providing insight into musical memory preservation and how it can be leveraged.
Participants will undergo cognitive testing and measure brainwave activity via EEG, a non-invasive neuroimaging method. Participants will be provided an online link (or CD if they do not have wifi) to access their personalized music playlist and will be asked to listen for two weeks at home (20 mins/day, minimum 5 days/wk). Repeated cognitive and EEG assessment will help determine changes in brain function.
- are 60 years of age and over
- have received a diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment
- are English speaking
- have a minimum of high school education
- have adequate hearing and vision
- can identify 15 English vocal/lyrical songs that are associated to your personal memories
- can commit to listening to your personal playlist (20 mins) at-home for 2 weeks (minimum 5 days/week)
The aim of this study is to develop a large, ethically sources, and diverse database of voice recordings to determine whether voice has biomarkers for particular disease categories, including neurological and neurodevelopmental conditions. The data that is collected will be used to develop a full open-access database to fuel artificial intelligence research related to voice.
McMaster University, in partnership with Ressam Gardens Memory Care Community, is conducting a study on the effects of brain stimulation in individuals aged 50 and older with dementia or memory loss. The research focuses on using repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), a non-invasive technique that delivers magnetic pulses to the brain, to enhance cognitive function and balance. The goal is to extend the positive effects of brain stimulation in improving cognition and balance in individuals with dementia.
You are eligible to participate if you…
1.) Diagnosed with Dementia and/or memory loss by a clinician
2.) Exhibit adequate oral communication skills and cognitive function sufficient to obtain a score ranging between 10-27 on the Mini-Mental State Exam
3.) Walk or stand with or without personnel or assistive devices
4.) Individuals must be greater than or equal to 50 years of age
This study will uncover how bilingualism supports healthy cognitive aging by examining the influence of different language experiences on the timing and location of brain network activity. We will examine the timing of brain activity using electroencephalography (EEG; i.e., recordings of electrical brain activity) and the location of brain activity using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI; i.e., images of activity in different parts of the brain). Different language experience factors will additionally be explored. By measuring multiple factors (e.g., the age of second language learning, language proficiency) the effect(s) of different language experiences on the brain and cognition will become clearer.
You are eligible to participate if you:
- are a French-English bilingual over the age of 65
- have mild cognitive impairment
- have Alzheimer's disease
- are a healthy older adult (i.e., have no cognitive conditions)
Please note that you do not need to be completely fluent in both English and French, just to have some familiarity, experience or training with both languages to be eligible to participate.
Thank you for your consideration!
The purpose of this study is to assess the efficacy of an oral medication, IGC-AD1 that is a natural THC-based (Tetrahydrocannabinol) formulation, administered in micro doses, twice a day, on symptomatological Agitation, in patients with mild to severe dementia from Alzheimer's.
60+
Diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease
Must have a study partner
It is expected that the information collected during this study will be used in analyses and will be published/presented to the scientific community at meetings and in journals. This information may also be used as part of a submission to regulatory authorities around the world to support the approval of the study intervention for agitation in AD.
You are eligible to participate if you meet the following criteria:
• Age ≥ 55; females must be post-menopausal
• DSM-5 criteria for Major Neurocognitive Disorder due to AD; multiple etiologies (AD and vascular)
• sMMSE ≤ 24
• Clinically significant agitation based on IPA definition
• Stable cognition-enhancing medication for at least 3 months prior to study enrolment
• Availability of a caregiver to accompany participant to study visits and to participate in the study
• Ability to speak English
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