Brain Health Scotland, a new initiative developed in partnership with Alzheimer Scotland, and funded by the Scottish Government, was launched on 14 September 2020. Brain Health Scotland aims to inspire and empower people to protect their brain health and reduce their risk of diseases, including dementia. It will do this by providing:
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expert advice about brain health research, policy and healthcare
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promotion of positive brain health in collaboration with Public Health Scotland and other partners
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support to ensure health professionals in Brain Health Services can provide personalised protection plans
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opportunities to join brain health research programmes in Scotland.
Their work falls into two main strands. The first is focused on engaging the public with the concept of brain health. They are developing a suite of partnerships to embed positive brain health behaviours in all walks of life – including in nutrition, fitness, stress management and lifelong learning. One of their first activities is to design educational resources for a variety of audiences from primary schools through to health care professionals so everyone can join the effort to better understand brain health and disease. They are also working with supermarket and food producers to explore ways of providing clear advice about which foods keep brains healthy. A nationwide survey will shortly be launched, also, to help them to understand more about how people in Scotland think about their brain health.
Their other main strand of work will be to collaborate with healthcare partners and they are actively developing Scotland’s first brain health clinics, at which patients will be able to access the information and interventions they need to protect their brains. The Scottish Brain Health Register - a national register of people keen to join research programmes and trials of new treatments – is also underway. The hope is that these Brain Health Services will help to detect and manage the most common brain health problem faced today – namely Alzheimer’s disease. The expectation is that in future fewer people in Scotland will develop Alzheimer’s disease, but for those who do, Brain Health Scotland will work to ensure they access the best assessments, treatments and care of anywhere in the world.
Twitter handle: @brainhealthscot
Website: www.brainhealth.scot
Email: brainhealth@alzscot.org