How the public can participate in dementia research

Learn more about clinical studies, observational studies, brain donation and how you can get involved to help advance dementia research in Canada.

A doctor explaining something to a patient

There are many different reasons that someone in Canada might want to join a dementia research study.

For people living with dementia, participating in a study can offer connections to peers, therapies, advanced scientific expertise and more. Many people also find it satisfying to be contributing to advancement of knowledge about dementia generally.

For people who are in family and/or caring roles, participating in a study can bring access to increased supports, new approaches and the sense that one's experiences are helping to make others' better.

For healthy individuals, participating in dementia research can be a way of giving back to community. And for health-care workers, participating in research can help improve dementia care systems and care-system sustainability.

In late June 2022, the Alzheimer Society of Canada launched a new research portal to help people from coast to coast to coast navigate the vast range of dementia research studies that are looking for participants.

The portal is open anytime nationwide at alzheimer.ca/find-studies.

Visit the portal now, visit one of the sections below for more information about different types of studies and about joining dementia research.

Learn more about observational studies

When you join an observational study, you help researchers learn more about dementia and its impacts. You can expect interviews, tests, questionnaires or other kinds of information-gathering.

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Learn more about clinical trials

Some dementia research studies take the form of clinical trials. Clinical trials try to figure out how a drug, therapy or behaviour change will impact somebody's health. Here's what to know if you are thinking about joining one.

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Brain donations and dementia research

Some people living with dementia choose to help to advance research by arranging to donate their brain tissue to science. And this material can be very helpful in learning how dementia changes the brain. Here is some information about this process in Canada.

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Find participants for your study

Through the Alzheimer Society Research Portal, you can get connected to people living in Canada who want to do their part in advancing dementia research – and want to participate in a study like yours!

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More useful links and resources

The world of dementia research is vast. And there are a few different things to think about before joining a dementia research study. Here are a few links and resources that can help.

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