Researchers, developers, engineers, and professionals work together in Dementia Networks

Researchers at Imperial College London are to develop technologies to enable people with dementia to live independently for longer.

The ‘ZeDTech’ dementia network, developing zero burden and sustainable technologies to support independent living with dementia, aims to bring together teams of researchers, developers, engineers, and health and social care professionals.

It is one of four new Dementia Networks announced across the UK, funded by a total investment of £6 million from the UKRI Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Each network will focus on a different challenge facing people with dementia.

There are currently estimated to be 982,000 people with dementia in the UK. The number is expected to rise to 1.4 million by 2040, according to a survey by the Alzheimer’s Society. The Alzheimer’s Society is a partner in the Dementia Networks initiative, and also revealed 85 percent of people would want to stay at home for as long as possible, if diagnosed with dementia, in a survey.

The ZeDTech network aims to develop technologies to advance independent living for people with dementia and to support their families and carers.

The researchers are planning to develop, validate, and deploy wearable and contactless sensors to gather more data from patients with minimal disruption to daily life. One example is remote sensing with radar to observe people’s health and wellbeing.

Researchers have stated that they also want to explore issues around care inequalities and digital exclusion, with the help of machine learning. They aim to develop affordable technologies that can be easily implemented across the UK.

Professor David Sharp from Imperial’s Department of Brain Sciences, who is also Director of Care Research & Technology Centre at the UK Dementia Research Institute, is leading the network.

He said: “This is a really exciting opportunity that will bring together UK scientists and partners from health and social care, industry, third sector and lived experience, to develop new technologies that will help people affected by dementia to live independently for as long as possible.”

Professor Tim Constandinou, from Imperial’s Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, co-leads the ZeDTech team.

Professor Professor Tim Constandinou commented: “Individuals with dementia are often vulnerable, with cognitive impairments that limit their ability to engage with technologies that become burdensome.

“So they need to be at the heart of future technology development. Our network will assemble multidisciplinary teams to develop, validate and integrate new technologies with existing dementia care, with the aim of improving the quality of life of those affected.”

The other networks include teams at the University of Sheffield, Northumbria University, and Heriot-Watt University.

EPSRC Executive Chair Professor Charlotte Deane, added: “Dementia is a major challenge in the UK and globally. As people are living longer, the number of people living with dementia is increasing. With most people wishing to remain at home, we are investing in research that could lead to new technologies and innovations that will help keep people safe and independent.”