A New Approach to Dementia: Examining Attention Impairment

This groundbreaking work specifically focuses on attention impairments of the dementias to improve both early recognition of dementia and clinical diagnosis, as well as interventions and care.

Unlike the majority of research that focuses on memory dysfunction, this volume examines the significant evidence supporting the existence of many types of attention-related changes/abnormalities at the early stages of the disease and throughout its progression. This book provides a brief overview of attention and its different types and then explores what happens when these various aspects of attention become dysfunctional. It considers how attentional dysfunction is associated with various aetiologies of dementia and how attentional change is experienced by people living with dementia and the impact this has upon everyday life and diagnosis. This book also examines how attentional function is measured clinically and discusses the existing dichotomy between research evidence and clinical practice. It finally considers how limitations in the public’s general understanding of attention contribute to attention dysfunction being rarely reported as an early sign of dementia.

With both scientific and clinical relevance, this book is essential for clinicians and researchers in ageing and dementia as well as for students of neuropsychology/neurocognition, medicine, and health and social care.

Andrea Tales (BSc. Hons, MSc (Oxon), PhD, DCR[T], FBPsS, FLSW) holds a Personal Chair in Neuropsychology and Dementia Research at Swansea University. Andrea has a particular interest in raising public awareness of, and understanding of, many aspects of dementia-related research, which she initiated with her first book in A New Approach to Dementia: Examining Sensory and Perceptual Impairment. For almost exactly 30 years now, Andrea has examined many aspects of attention-related processing in cognitively healthy ageing, subjective cognitive decline, mild cognitive impairment, vascular cognitive impairment and dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Her research started with her PhD looking at pre-attentive visual processing in Alzheimer’s disease, and it now focuses on how such changes may affect real-life, and the importance of taking into consideration attention and sensory function when designing SMART and assistive technology for older adults and individuals living with cognitive impairment or dementia.

Clive Thomas (DNursSci, RN (Mental Health), SPMHN, AFHEA) is Programme Manager for the Welsh Government’s Strategic Programme for Mental Health, helping to deliver its vision of open-access, recovery-focused services across Wales. A Specialist Practitioner in Community Mental Health Nursing, he brings a person-centred perspective shaped by years of working alongside people with mental health conditions and their families. His Professional Doctorate in Nursing Science at Swansea University focused on improving dementia care pathways in primary and community settings, with a particular interest in how technology can support earlier identification of changes to memory and attention. He has also contributed to academic research through a UKRI/Innovate UK-funded project that developed wearable technologies to support vulnerable people living independently at home. As a Fellow of the Bevan Commission, Clive champions prudent health innovation, applying systems thinking and co-design principles to reimagine services for the future. He is also an Associate Fellow of Advance HE and continues to develop his expertise in structured project management through Public Health Wales.

Kimberley Littlemore (MA (Oxon), Dip Journ.) is an award-winning documentary filmmaker, communication specialist, and Creative Director of eHealth Digital Media. Educated at Christ Church, Oxford University and City University, London, she spent over two decades at the BBC producing acclaimed documentaries on international development and health, including record-breaking Comic Relief broadcasts. Driven by a passion for impactful storytelling, Kimberley founded eHealth Digital Media, creating the “PocketMedic” film library – over 100 evidence-based short films commissioned by NHS networks to support self-management of chronic conditions. Her work has been recognised by academic and medical communities, including features in The Lancet Neurology and contributions to the Patient Information Forum. Her commitment to improving understanding of dementia is both personal and professional. Following her parents’ Alzheimer’s diagnoses, she collaborated with Swansea University and the Assistive Technologies Innovation Centre to document their lived experience, producing ten educational films supported by Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board and dementia expert Teepa Snow. A second series is underway with the University of Gloucestershire and Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board. Kimberley is also developing a sensory assessment tool for carers, supported by the Alzheimer’s Society, exemplifying her mission to bridge lived experience, research, and digital innovation.

Rowan Brown is an associate Professor in Biomedical engineering at Swansea University, where he explores how complex systems evolve and interact across different spatiotemporal scales, from microscopic cellular behaviour to human movement patterns and group dynamics. Utilising mathematical techniques and innovative technologies – from high-resolution imaging to networks of sensors – he investigates underlying patterns and emergent behaviour that shape how complex systems evolve and adapt over time.

His research applies this framework to understand human performance and wellbeing across multiple contexts, for example in sports, he quantifies how individual and collective behaviours emerge to influence performance outcomes, while in healthcare, he applies these same mathematical principles to develop innovative monitoring systems for people with dementia. This unified approach bridges mathematical theory with practical applications, advancing our understanding of complex systems while delivering real-world impact in both performance optimisation and healthcare innovation.