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.
In the past, frailty and dementia were treated as distinct entities; however, it is now recognized that they share a complex relationship. As a result, there is an urgent need for the joint investigation of frailty and dementia. Our survey aims to bring together perspectives from stakeholders worldwide who share an interest in frailty and dementia. We are collecting data over the next several months, via various promotional "waves." Once we reach adequate participation and thematic saturation, we anticipate that data analysis and knowledge dissemination will take approximately six months.
The aim of this study is to develop a new psychological questionnaire that measures compassion fatigue – emotional and physical exhaustion that involves a decreased ability to experience empathy and compassion for others – and captures experiences unique to individuals acting as care partners for their family members who suffer from dementia. The results of this study will be disseminated through scientific publications and conference presentations.
You are eligible to participate if you:
• Are older than 18 years old
• Are a part- or full-time caregiver for a family member diagnosed with dementia
• Speak English
This study measures how well an online assessment measures brain health on mobile devices. The assessment includes different memory and attention tasks completed on a mobile device or tablet. We are also looking for volunteers for a one-session study to support the development of the desktop version of the Brain Health Assessment.
This study explores men’s thoughts and beliefs about unpaid caregiving for older adults in Canada in a 25-minute online survey. The findings will improve our understanding of men in Canadian society. This will help us to improve support and education opportunities for individuals with family members with long-term care needs.
You are eligible to participate if you:
- Identify as a man
- Have and support a family member with long-term physical or mental ill health issues, disability, or problems related to old age
- Are 18 years of age or older
- Speak English
This study will explore how online group singing can contribute to participants' sense of wellbeing, meaning, social connection, and learning. Participants are people living with memory concerns or dementia and their care partners, and must still live at home (i.e. not in long-term care). This mixed methods study will measure participants' (voluntary) responses to brief questions about their feelings before and after each rehearsal through visual analogue scales (quantitative). Participant engagement will be observed using the Group Observational Method of Engagement during rehearsals. Participants' (voluntary) verbatim narratives will be captured through interviews (qualitative) and analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings will form the basis of the choir facilitator's doctoral dissertation and may be included in academic journals or community workshops so that programming can be developed and improved for people living with dementia and their care partners.
You are eligible to participate if you:
- have memory concerns (whether or not diagnosed dementia) and still live at home (i.e. not in long-term care)
- are a care partner of someone with memory concerns (whether or not diagnosed dementia)
- are able to participate in the choir together in a pair
- have internet access
- have an interest in singing or music
This study examines how Black family caregivers in the Greater Toronto Area experience and access social support while caring for a relative living with dementia. Using Straussian Grounded Theory informed by Critical Theory and Intersectionality, the research explores how factors such as race, culture, gender, and community shape caregiving experiences and support-seeking behaviours. Findings will be used to develop theory grounded in the lived experiences of Black caregivers, and to inform more culturally responsive dementia care policies, services, and supports across Canada. This study has been approved by the York University Research Ethics Board (Protocol 130, April 2026).
You are eligible to participate if you:
This study looks at how an at-home nature-based virtual reality (VR) program may help people living with Alzheimer’s Disease manage behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD), such as depression. Caregivers and/or study partners will have the option of taking part in the study and providing feedback regarding the VR intervention. This project will explore how virtual reality can be used as a non-pharmacological approach to prolong aging in place for individuals with BPSD, as BPSD contributes to rates of institutionalization.
This research study focuses on resilience, defined as a trajectory in which an individual can not only adapt but enhance and grow in challenging circumstances. This research aims to: 1) explore resilience-related behaviours in the context of informal Plwd caregiving by examining which behaviours are related to resiliency and how these behaviours are meaningful to caregivers and 2) determine the role of environmental and individual factors in resiliency of caregivers of Plwd. I gave begun the first part of this study, will involved forming a caregiver research partner team to help to identify potential behaviours, characteristics and resources that promote resiliency in caregivers. They have worked with me in further developing research questions and methodology for a large-scale survey study, which I am recruiting for now. Choice of survey measures will be guided by both previous literature and research partner input. This research also includes a cognitive component in order to ascertain the role of cognitive abilities in resiliency. The results of this research will assist in determining the most appropriate social and community supports for caregivers of Plwd and the individual, cognitive, psychological, and social factors that need to be considered when determining suitability between specific supports and individual caregivers. Improving supports for caregivers will improve both caregiver and PlwD health and well-being, and allow Plwd to live at home for longer.
- You are currently an unpaid caregiver for someone living with dementia in Canada
- You have been in this caregiving role for at least 1 year
- The person you care for may live with you, in their own home or in long-term care
- You must be able to complete an online questionnaire in English
- You have access to an internet connection and device
Compass-ND is a research study designed to assess individuals with different sorts of cognitive and movement changes seen in older adults. We will look at the usefulness of imaging studies, clinical assessments and biomarker tests, together with measurements of memory, thinking and daily functioning, for distinguishing these changes from each other and from healthy aging.
- are between the ages 60-90
- have up to grade 12 education
- have an individual (spouse, friend, or relative), called a “study partner,” who is willing to:
- Accompany you to the study visits
- Communicate to the study staff of changes in your health status over the period of this study
Follow us: