A celebration was held for the participants in a key research project which seeks to apply successful therapies used with dementia sufferers to assist people with intellectual disabilities to boost memory and overall quality of life.
The research undertaken saw 11 participants take part in Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST) to determine if it could improve the cognition and well-being of adults with intellectual disabilities over a 16-month period.
Taking some time out ahead of the first and eagerly anticipated Autumn International game against New Zealand this Friday, Irish Rugby’s Second Row star, Joe Mc Carthy said he was delighted to be able to support his brother in what has been an amazing project for people with Down Syndrome.
“Andrew participated in the research from the start, attending assessment sessions and a CST programme over a 12-month period. It’s been amazing to see the impact on his confidence and interactions over the time of his involvement. I hope that programmes like this become mainstream for Andrew and his friends to ensure best possible cognitive health is maintained as they get older.”
Andrew Mc Carthy added “I loved being part of the Brain Busters Project. The activities were fun, and I made new friends. I feel more confident talking to people now, and I’m excited to keep my brain healthy as I get older!”
Dr Sharon Hardiman, Senior Clinical Psychologist, of St. John of God Intellectual Disability Services, Dublin South East (SJOG ID DSE) says “We had huge interest and enthusiasm from people involved in our services and were thrilled to have received funding from SJOG Research to carry out this randomised control trial pilot study of CST for people with Down Syndrome. CST has a strong evidence base for boosting memory and quality of life for older people with dementia. We wanted to see if we could adapt this programme for younger adults with Down Syndrome who are at ultra-high risk of developing memory problems and dementia as they get older. Our pilot study results have shown that these adults made significant gains in memory and independence following attendance at our CST programme”.
These are exciting results, that SJOG ID DSE, UCD, and SJOG Research hope will inspire national initiatives in the future. The next study in this research project is a randomised control trial pilot study examining the benefits of robust weekly exercise classes for these adults.
The St John of God Brain Busters Project, in collaboration with University College Dublin (UCD) was conceptualised by Dr Sharon Hardiman (SJOG ID DSE) and Dr Flavia H Santos of UCD and funded by St John of God Research. Dr Lesley O’Hara, CEO of SJOG Research, said ‘this piece of research shows the importance of embedding research within our service delivery. We are delighted to see the individuals who attend all SJOG services have the opportunity to take part in research and contribute to knowledge’.
About Brain Busters Project
The Brain Busters Project is an innovative research initiative that aims to evidence base healthy aging interventions for people with Down Syndrome and intellectual disabilities. Dr Sharon Hardiman is a Senior Clinical Psychologist at St. John of God Intellectual Disability Services (Dublin South East) and Principal Investigator of the Brain Busters Project. Sharon leads the Brain Busters Project in close collaboration with Dr Flavia H Santos from University College Dublin. Their first randomised control trial pilot study measured the feasibility and benefits of proactive cognitive stimulation for younger adults with Down Syndrome. Their second randomised control trial pilot study will measure the feasibility and benefits of a robust exercise programme for this population. The Brain Busters Project has been funded by the St John of God Research Foundation.
It won numerous awards this past year including:
Best Overall Presentation – Dementia Research Network Ireland National Conference Mercer’s Institute for Successful Ageing, St. James’s Hospital, Dublin 8; October 2023.
Best Presentation in Theme: Dementia Prevention and Reduction – Dementia Research Network Ireland National Conference. Mercer’s Institute for Successful Ageing, St. James’s Hospital, Dublin 8; October 2023.
Perpetual Research Trophy for Best Oral Presentation – Saint John of God 33rd Annual Research Conference, Talbot Hotel, Stillorgan, Co Dublin. November 2023.
About St John of God Community Services
St John of God Community Services clg operates HSE (Health Service Executive) funded services to children and adults with intellectual disability, and to children, adolescents and adults with mental ill health. The organisation has its intellectual disability services spread across four different regions.
St. John of God Intellectual Disability Services (Dublin South East)
St. John of God Intellectual Disability Services (Liffey)
St. John of God Intellectual Disability Services (Kerry)
St. John of God Intellectual Disability Services (North East)
St. John of God Community services provides Mental Health Services in Dublin and Wicklow for Children and Adults under the banner of St. John of God Community Mental Health.
About St John of God Research: The Saint John of God Research Foundation clg works to promote and support research in the areas of intellectual disability, mental health, and old age, in line with the mission and values of our organisation and in keeping with national and international health priorities. We provide a research support service, training and access to up-to-date peer-reviewed research. A competitive funding stream enables research projects across all our service areas in Ireland and Malawi.
