FAQs

In the race to find treatments for dementia, researchers require volunteers on a range of different studies. Some studies are observational studies looking to understand cause-and-effect relationships. Others are experimental medicine, which investigate the mechanisms that cause the disease or evidence of the validity of experimental treatments. There are also clinical trials where volunteers are offering an intervention to evaluate the effects on health outcomes.

All studies Great Minds offer have ethical approval. This means they have been checked to make sure they protect the rights, safety and wellbeing of the people involved.

You can choose which dementia studies interest you, which additional tests you'd be willing to take and how we should contact you. We'll then match you with a relevant study. These will be selected from a group of studies screened by the Great Minds.

Some people find completing questionnaires on mood and anxiety or memory testing distressing. If you are affected we have a helpline (01865 613113) that operates from 9 am to 5 pm Monday to Friday or you can contact your GP or NHS Direct on 111 for advice.

Each different study or trial you may be invited to join will have information about any risks specific to the study. Before you join a trial the researcher will give you full information, including any risks so you can decide whether you wish to take part.

When researchers review Great Minds member data they will select participants based the level of risk of developing dementia in the future. Great Minds will not share with your information about your level of risk of developing dementia.

You will not be reimbursed for joining Great Minds. Individual studies may have different procedures for reimbursing costs depending on the study's duration and level of inconvenience.

We will publish findings in journals and present papers at conferences. The studies you choose to join will tell you how they will release their results before you join their study.

By joining Great Minds you may become involved in a number of different, ethically approved, research studies. Many people enjoy the research experience and contact with research teams.

Taking part in a research may not directly benefit to you, but it will improve our understanding of the development of dementia and help us fast-track prevention and treatments.

All studies involved with Great Minds will have been approved by a Research Ethics Committee. This means that they have been reviewed to make sure that they protect the rights, safety and wellbeing of people involved in research.

We intend to match our volunteers to relevant studies as they are approved. Studies will be selecting volunteers based on specific criteria so we cannot guarantee a timescale of each volunteer. We will be in regular contact with news about Great Minds and reminders to complete your regular tests. The more up-to-date you information is, the easier it will be for researchers to link you to a study.

Academic and industry partners are the driving force behind developing Great Minds, as it enables them to innovate trials and medical studies. In order to test the newest ideas, researchers in academia and the pharmaceutical industry are working in close collaboration. This enables more rapid identification of drug targets, facilitates drug discovery and provides innovation in clinical trial design.