Top Ten Research Priorities

Dementia and other brain health challenges are global issues, but they benefit from local, context-specific solutions. With limited resources, and an almost overwhelming number of potential research directions, how do we decide which research projects to support in Scotland?

With the help of Fenna Lunter, a fantastic visiting researcher from Netherlands, and a steering board of professionals and experts through lived experience, we asked the people of Scotland to help us define the most important questions for future research.

Between April and July 2025, 706 people submitted 2,677 potential research questions. We received responses from people living with dementia, caregivers, clinicians, researchers, the third sector, and beyond. Using surveys, and priority ranking, we eventually agreed on a ‘top ten’ list of priority research questions for brain health and another ‘top ten’ for dementia.

How to facilitate earlier diagnosis led the dementia priorities, while improving risk reduction was the primary brain health priority. In terms of potential impact, research questions around understanding brain resilience and redesigning dementia care pathways were selected.
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We hope that some of the questions will become commissioned research calls. Perhaps some of our Brain Health ARC community want to tackle the questions in the top ten - get in touch for guidance!

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Top 10 Research Priorities in Brain Health

1. How much can people – especially those with high genetic or other risk for dementia – reduce their risk?

2. What brain stimulating and lifelong learning activities are beneficial for brain health? (including amount, types, variety, and suitability for different ages/abilities)

3. How can we financially prepare our health care system for the future, considering the ageing population?

3. How can we financially prepare our health care system for the future, considering the ageing population?

5. What is the role of diet in brain health and how can we intervene (during different stages of the life course and specific types of food/drink - olike ultra processed food)

6. What is the role of sleep in brain health and how can we intervene?

7. What is the role of physical activity in brain health and how can we intervene? (including amount and types of exercise)

8. What is the role of stress and anxiety in brain health and how can we intervene? (including different sources, amounts and length of exposure)

9. What are population-wide interventions to benefit brain health that can be done during childhood, mid-life and old age populations?

10. Why do some people – especially those with high genetic or other risk on paper – keep good brain health in reality? (including brain resilience)

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Top 10 Research Priorities in Dementia

1. What are ways to diagnose dementia earlier than in current practice? (including identifying key early symptoms and biomarkers)

2. What new treatments for preventing or stopping dementia can be developed? (including acceptable side effects, optimal timing, applicability for subtypes of dementia)

3. How can we optimise the brain health and dementia care path in Scotland? (including personalisation, ensuring follow-up, designing new 'memory clinics', and cross-disciplinary links)

4. Are there existing drugs that can be repurposed to help prevent dementia?

5. What support can be given to let people live independently and/or at home as long as possible?

6. How can we improve care for people living with advanced dementia in order to maintain their quality of life?

7. What support do caregivers need and do the current services meet their (different) needs?

8. How can we ensure that all health and social care professionals, not just dementia specialists, provide dementia friendly care?

9. How can brain scans best be used in brain health care? (including predicting dementia risk and following brain changes over time)

10. What can we learn from other countries' dementia and brain health care systems? (including assisted dying law)