What’s new in CognoSpeak project? Brain Health Workshop in the Israac Somali Community Association.

dabraun
Jun 19, 2023
2 min read

Today, clinicians from Sheffield visited Israac to deliver a workshop about Brain Health. This was a second workshop from the ‘Co-evaluation of working together’ project - a sister project to CognoSpeak that we talked about in our last blog post.

First, our clinicians gave a presentation about brain health. Dr Dan Blackburn, Consultant Neurologist and the Principal Investigator of the CognoSpeak study, introduced participants to dementia and its most common types. He talked about the brain changes that may be observed in Alzheimer’s Disease using MRI and PET - two of the brain scanning techniques that are used in dementia diagnosis. He also briefly explained what CognoSpeak is and how it could reduce the wait time patients currently experience in memory clinics.

Pictured: Dr Blackburn discusses different brain scanning techniques.

This was followed by a talk from Dr. Ladan Rastgar, a junior doctor and a Clinical Neurology master student who explained brain anatomy and function, and how they are affected by Alzheimer’s Disease. She talked about the differences between long- and short-term memory and introduced participants to the case of HM who lost the ability to form new memories after he had his hippocampi removed.

Pictured: Normal vs. H.M’s brain - hippocampus removed. Photo credits: BrainFacts.com

Lastly, a researcher and Occupational Therapist Dr Becky Field talked about actions we can undertake to keep our brain healthy. She mentioned twelve identifiable factors that could be attributable to 40% dementia cases, which among others included hearing loss, smoking, and diabetes. She also discussed points of help that are available to those living in Sheffield.

After the presentation, some of the project members gave more detailed one-to-one interviews while the rest had a chance to discuss what they have learned over delicious food.

Pictured: Dr Becky Field talking about her expertise

Thank you everyone for their attendance. Thank you to our Israac Community Associates Sahra Abdi and Muse Jama for spreading awareness about the workshop. Thank you to Dr Dan Blackburn, Dr Becky Field and Dr. Ladan Rastgar for presenting and engaging with the community. Lastly, thank you to Lise Sproson and Sarah Goodwin from NIHR Devices for Dignity Med Tech Cooperative for organising the event.

We will see you during our next workshop at Israac - this time about heart health. Until then - please remember - It is never too late and it’s never too early to take steps to improve your own health.

CognoSpeak team

@CognoSpeak