Photo opportunity 11.30am, Saturday 21st September, Baxter conference suite, 1st floor, Tower Building, University of Dundee.
The first prototype of Dr Norman Alm and his team's CIRCA communication system to prompt conversation between Alzheimer's sufferers and their relatives and carers will be shown to patients and relatives at the University of Dundee this weekend.
To mark World Alzheimer's day the Alzheimer Disease Research Centre at the University of Dundee is holding a tea and talks session to bring sufferers and carers up to date on the latest advances in research into Alzheimer's.
Dr Alm will show participants the video footage of famous Dennis Law goals, clips from old films with film stars such as Clark Gable, Marylin Monroe, Vivian Lee and old songs and pictures from old Dundee - berry picking and jute mills which he has compiled to be used on the communication system to encourage conversation between Alzheimer sufferers and their friends.
The team of researchers from the University of Dundee's division of applied computing and Duncan of Jordanstone and the University of St Andrews have taken the CIRCA - computer interactive reminiscence conversation aid out to day care centres in Fife and Dundee to see if it helps people with Alzheimer's. The feedback they have had has been very positive.
Dr Alm explains: "People who have Alzheimer's have difficulty with short term memory but their long term memories are relatively well preserved. The CIRCA system assists them to have a conversation by giving them the means to easily access these long term memories."
First prototype is for everyone but the next level is to include personal material. The team plans to take this more personalised system out into the community to assess if it helps aid conversation.
Dr Brenda Gilles form the department of social work at the University of Dundee will explain the recent developments in dementia care followed by Dr Peter Connelly from Murray Royal Hospital in Perth who will talk on the recent advances in diagnosis.
Dr Neil Prentice will explain how the researchers use brain imaging as an investigative tool showing pictures of brain scans to illustrate the differences in a healthy brain and a brain with dementia.
Talks will run from 10am till 11.30am with an opportunity to chat with the speakers and try out the CIRCA system at 11.30am.
The CIRCA project runs in association with Dundee social work department and Alzheimer's Scotland.
Contact Susan Simpson 01382 496589
By Jenny Marra, Press Officer 01382 344910 j.m.marra@dundee.ac.uk