Saskatchewan Research

“To our research teams – thank you. We need you.
  We need your dementia research. We need you listening to us.”

– Merle Wiley, Spouse and care partner of a person living with dementia and dementia advocate 

The Alzheimer Society of Saskatchewan works with provincial and national funding partners to  support and advance local research opportunities.

Below are several Saskatchewan researchers whose work we are proud to be co-funding throughout 2024.

Alzheimer Society Research Program Funding Recipients

Andrew McLennan

Andrew McLennan from the University of Regina is the recipient of the Doctoral Award for his research study, "Evaluation of Observational Pain Assessment Tools in a Sample of Older Adults with Severe Dementia in Collaboration with Caregivers."

Unassessed pain can cause severe health problems, reduced quality of life, and even death for older adults with dementia. The American Geriatric Society (AGS) recommends that a pain assessment for older adults with severe dementia should include the use of an observational tool and input from informal caregivers. Most observational pain tools have not undergone sufficient psychometric testing and that could improve their ability to detect pain.

The purpose of this study is to conduct a rigorous psychometric evaluation of some of the best performing observational pain tools for older adults with dementia in collaboration with local caregivers in an urban Canadian setting. Local caregivers will work with the research team to provide their insight on matters of pain identification and knowledge translation. 

This study is also funded by the Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation.

Darrell Mousseau

Dr. Darrell Mousseau from the University of Saskatchewan has been awarded the Proof of Concept Grant for his study, "Using patient-derived brain organoids to support a diagnosis of sporadic, late-onset Alzheimer disease." 

Late-onset Alzheimer disease (LOAD; symptoms emerge after age 65) accounts for the vast majority of cases of AD but remains difficult to diagnose. LOAD is influenced by sex and environment and is highly variable in age-at-onset, clinical presentation, and rate of progression of neuropathological marker. There is a critical need for a tool that can accurately diagnose LOAD, regardless of patient-to-patient variability.

We developed a protocol that can generate human brain organoids― ‘brains-in-a-dish’―from a blood sample. In a preliminary test, we were able to detect markers of pathology that confirmed a diagnosis of LOAD in a female donor. We will test more patient-donors to demonstrate the broader impact of our technology. We will also test whether we can identify any drug treatment that could delay the expression of these markers of pathology.

Having a tool that combines diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities and overcomes any patient-to-patient variability is unprecedented for LOAD. 

This study is also funded by the Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation.

Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation Funding Recipients 

Changiz Taghibiglou, Sara Mardanisamani, Andrew Kirk, and Kerry Bishop

Changiz Taghibiglou, Sara Mardanisamani, Andrew Kirk, and Kerry Bishop from the University of Saskatchewan are the researchers who have been awarded the Solutions Program - Impact Grant in the focus area of Alzheimer's Disease & Other Dementias.

Early detection of Alzheimer’s disease provides valuable time to deal with the disease progression and slow it down through adjusting lifestyle factors and supportive medications, but Alzheimer’s disease has no clinical symptoms in early stages. Existing laboratory diagnostic tools for early detection of Alzheimer’s disease are very invasive.

This project will work with optometrists, using artificial intelligence and optical coherence tomography imaging to examine the eyes of Saskatchewanians living with Alzheimer’s disease and healthy counterparts. Since the eye is the most accessible route to assess the central nervous system through the optic nerve, this technique will be used to identify eye patterns in those people who developed Alzheimer’s disease. A combination of the eye imaging data analysis algorithm, input from ophthalmologists, optometrists and neurologists and patient history will assist to identify pre-clinical patients at risk with a new minimally invasive early detection tool.

Jennifer O'Brien and Peter Hedlin

Jennifer O'Brien and Peter Hedlin from the University of Saskatchewan are the researchers who have been awarded the Solutions Program - Innovation Grant in the focus area of Alzheimer's Disease & Other Dementias. 

Older adults, especially those with Alzheimer's’ disease and related dementias, are at an increased risk of experiencing adverse outcomes after surgery, including postoperative delirium. Postoperative delirium is a sudden temporary change in mental status after surgery.

This study aims to co-develop, implement, and evaluate a multidisciplinary, patient-centred clinical pathway to reduce the risk of postoperative delirium in older surgical patients in Saskatchewan. This multidisciplinary pathway will include pre-operative screening, anesthetic protocols, increased identification of postoperative symptoms by family members, and other strategies that can be adopted by the healthcare team and patient’s loved ones. The success of the pathway will be measured using clinical, health system, and patient-oriented outcomes.