Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has supported research into the potential link between concussions and dementia.

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including research into the potential link between concussions and dementia. The usual practice of NIHR is not to ring-fence funds for expenditure on particular topics. All applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality.

The NIHR is currently supporting research into the potential link between concussions and dementia, such as the PROTECT study which seeks to understand the causes of dementia. The study has found that experiencing three or more concussions is linked with worsened brain function in later life, including memory. The NIHR Brain Injury MedTech Co-operative has also undertaken a study focusing on the detection of prodromal dementia symptoms in former professional footballers.

Government responsibility for delivering dementia research is shared between the Department for Health and Social Care, with research delivered by the NIHR, and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with research delivered via UK Research and Innovation, mainly by the Medical Research Council and Economic and Social Research Council. The Government spent nearly £420 million on dementia research from 2016/17 to 2020/21. As of 2021/22, the NIHR had £16.8 million funding allocated to research on concussion and traumatic brain injury.