Researchers at Rush University Medical Center in the US have found that people who report having greater purpose in their lives appear less  likely to develop Alzheimer's disease. Their findings are published in the March issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, a JAMA/ Archives journal.

Here Rebecca Wood, Chief Executive of the Alzheimer’s Research Trust, responds to the findings.

At a time when the nation faces an unprecedented rise in numbers of people suffering from dementia, new figures released by Alzheimer’s Research Trust show that Government investment in dementia research actually fell last year by over seven per cent.

A major new report on the ethics of dementia by the Nuffield Council of Bioethics has criticised the “Cinderella status” of dementia research funding when compared to other major medical challenges. The Alzheimer’s Research Trust, which provided evidence used in the report, described its publication as “a call to arms” for the government.

Sir Michael Parkinson, Tony Robinson and Sir Terry Pratchett are among  the celebrities joining party leaders Gordon Brown, David Cameron and  Nick Clegg in launching the Alzheimer’s Research Trust campaign, Memories Matter.

Some of the UK’s leading scientists have signed an open letter calling on the government to end “years of underfunding” into dementia research.  The move, which coincides with today’s ministerial summit on dementia research, calls for a threefold increase in investment into efforts to find new treatments, preventions and cures for Alzheimer’s and other dementias.

Following the death of his mother with  Parkinson's disease, broadcaster and journalist John Stapleton has supported the Parkinson's Disease Society. Here's what John had to say about the soceity's latest campaign; 'Fair Care for Parkinson's'

The UK’s leading dementia charities today (30 June) united with eminent scientists to urge the government to commit to a national dementia research strategy and triple annual investment to £96 million within five years.