Dementia research gets 13 times less funding than cancer, figures show

Despite the huge burden of dementia far less money is spent research a cure for the devastating condition than researching cancer treatments.

Dementia research gets 13 times less funding than cancer even though the cost to society is far greater, Oxford University has found.

Treating and caring for cancer patients currently costs Britain around £5 billion a year, but the bill for dementia is £11 billion.

Yet despite the huge burden of dementia just 8p is spent on researching new treatments for each £10 spent looking after people with the condition. In contrast, cancer research receives £1.08, more than 13 times more.

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Take the Alzheimer's test: Could your loved one be at risk?

To take the test click + or - depending on whether you think the question represents your loved one. Some questions are worth more than one point.

Click here to take the test.

The 21-question test was developed by the Banner Sun Health Research Institute in Arizona, which specialises in the Alzheimer's, to try and distinguish between normal forgetfulness and the more worrying memory lapses that could signal the early stages of dementia.

Doctors who have developed the test say it is almost 90 per cent accurate, but stress that a diagnosis is up to a GP.

The questions are answered with a simple 'yes' or 'no'. A 'yes' is given a score of one or two and a 'no' always scores zero, giving a maximum possible score of 27.

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