The aim of the Dementia Collaborative Research Centres (DCRCs) is to facilitate and undertake quality dementia research and to translate positive research findings into clinical practice.
The DCRCs are an Australian Government funded initiative. They are a network of teams across three research centres – sharing expertise by collaborating between centres and with other stakeholders in dementia research. The three centres each focus on a different area of dementia research:
- Assessment and Better Care
- Early Diagnosis and Prevention
- Carers and Consumers
Dementia Australia Vic is a partner in the DCRC-EDP (early diagnosis and prevention), which is led by Professor Kaarin Anstey at the Australian National University, and includes research teams based in Canberra, Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane. DCRC-EDP researchers are focusing on early detection and diagnosis of dementia, and risk reduction and prevention of dementia.
Dementia Australia Vic Research Fellow, Dr Maree Farrow, leads our DCRC-funded research program. This program has involved:
- Development and evaluation of resources and interventions to motivate and help people to take up dementia risk reduction strategies (including the Australian National University Alzheimer’s Disease Risk Index)
- Development of a dementia risk reduction guide for general practitioners and other health professionals, including current evidence and practical strategies
- Reviewing the evidence for health and lifestyle factors that contribute to the risk of developing dementia
For more information about our projects and those of our collaborators, visit the DCRC website.
Some of the publications from our DCRC-funded research program:
- Randomized Comparison of Mobile and Web-Tools to Provide Dementia Risk Reduction Education: Use, Engagement and Participant Satisfaction. Published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research – Mental Health, 2014. (PDF, 2.18 MB)
- User Perceptions of a Dementia Risk Reduction Website and Its Promotion of Behavior Change. Published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research – Research Protocols, 2013. (PDF, 461 KB)
- Dementia risk reduction: A practical guide for general practitioners, 2nd edition. Published by Dementia Australia, 2011. (PDF, 572 KB)
- Dementia risk reduction: What do Australians know? Dementia Australia Paper 14, 2008. (PDF, 237 KB)