The prospect of future generations having access to effective drug treatments for Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia cannot come soon enough (UK on verge of new dawn for dementia treatments, says taskforce chair, 26 April). Indeed, Alzheimer’s Society first funded Prof John Hardy’s amyloid research back in 1989, and it is only now that we are seeing the first amyloid-targeting treatments that show evidence of slowing the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.
While we await these new drugs, we need to improve the lives of people living with dementia so they can continue to live independently and remain in their own homes for as long as possible. We need new assistive technologies that use recent advances such as artificial intelligence to learn about people living with dementia and adapt to their changing conditions to help them keep doing the things that bring them fulfilment. To succeed, they must be designed with people living with dementia and their carers to truly meet their needs.
