needed to see if it can help. new uk wide concussion rules are due to be drawn up later this year building on what is in place in scotland. the aim is letting people play their favourite sports while keeping them safe. hugh pym, bbc news. joining us is craig ritchie, professor of psychiatry of ageing at the university of edinburgh and director at brain health scotland. he is also leading the prevent project, a major initiative to identify mid life risks for later life dementia. really interesting. a bit of a mouthful, professor, but let s start off first with the prevent study. what is it exactly? it off first with the prevent study. what is it exactly? what is it exactly? it started in 2013 funded what is it exactly? it started in 2013 funded by what is it exactly? it started in 2013 funded by the what is it exactly? it started in | 2013 funded by the alzheimer s society, and it was, you know, looking at people of the edges
happens? what do you see as - project. so what is the link? what happens? what do you see as a l happens? what do you see as a professor of brain health, for example? what changes take place in the brain that eventually will lead you to a early onset dementia? that is a treat you to a early onset dementia? that is a great question you to a early onset dementia? trust is a great question and that s the question underpinning the research because we don t know exactly what is the link between that trauma you may have had fun playing contact sport and the decades and years passing and then developing cognitive symptoms. so what is happening at a biological level, if you like, within the brain between the head injury itself and the symptoms emerging? within the prevent programme already we have been seeing related to family history and other risks some subtle changes in areas of the brain involved in memory, particularly involving spatial memory, and we also seeing differences in some pro
40-59, looking at people of the edges 40 59, somebody with a strong family history of dementia with a control group who don t, to really try and understand what changes are taking place in the brain decades before dementia develops, because if we are able to do that it gives us the opportunity to intervene command as the title of the project prevent dementia. so the title of the pro ect prevent dementia. the title of the pro ect prevent dementiah the title of the pro ect prevent dementia. , . , dementia. so it isn t necessarily connected dementia. so it isn t necessarily connected to dementia. so it isn t necessarily connected to brain dementia. so it isn t necessarily connected to brain injury - dementia. so it isn t necessarily - connected to brain injury symptoms of concussions? connected to brain in ury symptoms of concussions? connected to brain in ury symptoms of concussions? over the last two or three years of concussions? over the last two or three years we of concu