Revealing the brain in dementia

An interactive virtual brain was developed to help people understand what happens to the brain of someone living with dementia

Dementia is the greatest cause of disability in older Australians. Over 400 000 people are currently living with dementia in Australia, and this number is expected to rise. Understanding how the brain is affected and the symptoms people can experience allows strategies to be adopted that help the affected person and their carers cope.

In collaboration with Dementia Australia, SensiLab developed an interactive brain app that illustrates what the brain looks like and how it functions. It will allow people to explore the brain regions, highlighting which areas are affected by different types of dementia and illustrates how this damage may impact on everyday life. It also will explain how to deal with the effects of dementia.

People can use the app to explore different parts of the brain in health or disease
It is also possible to explore the content by selecting a type of dementia

Dementia Australia are currently using the application in education and counselling sessions, as well providing health professionals access to it via their online learning hub.

Project members

Jon McCormack
Elliott Wilson
Kingsley Stephens
Melanie Huang