Latest news with #LoughboroughUniversity
News18
3 days ago
- Health
- News18
Will You Develop Dementia? Your Eyes Can Tell You 12 Years In Advance, Says Study
Last Updated: Researchers in Norfolk observed more than 8,600 healthy individuals over several years. By the end of the study, 537 of them had developed dementia They say the eyes are a window to the soul. But a groundbreaking study from the UK now suggests they may also offer an early glimpse into the onset of dementia, up to 12 years before symptoms appear. In a revelation that has stunned the scientific community, researchers in Norfolk observed more than 8,600 healthy individuals over several years. By the end of the study, 537 of them had developed dementia. What linked them all was something subtle, yet potentially revolutionary, that how their eyes reacted to a simple visual test years earlier. Participants were initially asked to complete a 'visual sensitivity" task. They had to quickly spot a triangle formed by three moving dots on a screen and press a button in response. It seemed like a routine test, but researchers found a pattern. Those who would later develop dementia consistently responded more slowly than others. What does vision have to do with memory loss? Experts at Loughborough University, who led the study, believe the answer lies deep in the brain's architecture. In Alzheimer's disease, toxic amyloid plaques first target regions associated with visual processing, long before they attack the memory centers. That means the eyes may register subtle neurological changes years before the mind starts forgetting. 'These results are forcing us to rethink the earliest signs of Alzheimer's," said Dr Martyn Gould, one of the lead researchers. We've always looked to memory tests to catch this disease, but our eyes might tell the story long before we forget our own, he added. The implications are vast. If this visual delay is a reliable early warning sign, it could change the way doctors screen for cognitive decline. And since vision-related symptoms – such as difficulty focusing, trouble recognising faces, or poor perception of outlines and colours – are already common in dementia patients, the findings add to a growing body of evidence that Alzheimer's begins its quiet assault long before memory fades. For instance, people with dementia often struggle to distinguish blue and green hues, or they find it hard to filter out visual distractions. Their eye movements can become erratic, making everyday activities like reading, watching television, or driving far more dangerous. In fact, Loughborough scientists are now examining whether impaired eye coordination contributes to road accidents among elderly drivers. Another striking observation was that patients with dementia don't process faces the same way others do. While most people instinctively scan the eyes, nose, and mouth to recognise someone, dementia patients' gaze often drifts toward unrelated background objects, leading to an inability to 'imprint" new faces. This wandering gaze has even become a subtle diagnostic clue for seasoned neurologists. 'We can sometimes tell something's wrong just by how a patient's eyes move," said one clinician involved in the study, 'They look around, but it's like they're not really seeing." There's even growing speculation that purposeful eye movement might aid memory retention. In a separate study, rapid horizontal eye movements, about two per second, appeared to improve autobiographical memory in right-handed people. Other research suggests that the simple act of scanning a page or screen repeatedly may stimulate memory-forming pathways in the brain. Still, eye-tracking technology remains largely confined to research labs. The equipment is expensive, and interpreting the data requires expert training. Until cheaper, user-friendly systems emerge, using eye movement as a standard diagnostic tool remains a challenge.
RTÉ News
4 days ago
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Homeward-bound Daniel Wiffen primed for tilt at world title in Singapore
Daniel Wiffen will plot his path to the Los Angeles Olympics from a home base following his graduation from Loughborough University. The two-time Paris Games medallist prepared for the 2024 Olympics while based at the renowned English college, but now, having ended his academic assignments, Wiffen is eyeing a move back home this summer. But first, the Olympic champion is fully focused on the upcoming 2025 World Aquatics Championships, which are taking place in Singapore from 11 July to 3 August. And the Magheralin man will be looking to repeat the feat of the last edition of the world championships, where he secured double gold in his main events of the 800m and 1500m freestyle. "Training is going great," said Wiffen, speaking to RTE Sport. "We've been doing some crazy sets, which I've been really fast, so I'm really looking forward to the world championships. "I want to win gold, which is an easy one to say because I have already won the world championships twice, so for me that's what it is going to be, re-win the medals I've already won, it's that simple." The 23-year-old said that outside the pool, he has been immersed in the business of sports analytics, with the help of sponsors Deloitte, aiming for ways to go faster and become more efficient in racing scenarios. And he believes that he is identifying factors, which will help him to bring additional strengths to his swimming as he progresses towards the LA Games in three years' time. "I'm looking at what I did wrong in Paris, not obviously winning the gold medal, but there are actually quite a lot of areas where I can improve, so that's what I am looking at," said Wiffen. "I'm looking at the analytics side of it. Maybe if I did that turn faster, or maybe if I didn't breathe at that point or reduce my breathing time, something like that, it's all looking at those little details and if I can refine them, that's how I keep progressing every year. "I wasn't perfect at all, far from it, and that's what makes it exciting for me going towards LA, because if I can win gold in a race when I was 80% there, when I have 20% left in the tank where I can actually improve from." Wiffen won the gold medal in the 800m freestyle in Paris and followed it up with a bronze in the 1500m, and admitted that he struggled with the aftermath of such a high. However, it did not take too long to rediscover his competitive streak, thanks to his lifelong sibling rivalry with twin brother Nathan. "Motivation was maybe a bit low after Paris, because obviously you have come off this giant high and then I went on holiday for so long. "But when I went back training, Nathan had been back a month and he was beating me in training, so as soon as I started losing, honestly I'm the worst loser, I hate it. "So I switched back on and started winning again, and that's me. I just have that personality and that rivalry I have with my brother makes me want to go faster again." And it all sets things up perfectly for a run at making it back-to-back successes at the upcoming Worlds as Wiffen goes after that top spot on the podium, despite coming into the championships without the favourite tag. "I was number one in the world for a while, but we've had some pretty fast Germans who had some quick times, so I'm just looking forward to racing them," said Wiffen. "I think I'm sitting second and third in the world at the moment so I just want to progress one or two spots. "I'm looking forward to the challenge and it's kind of nice not going in as favourite for the season because I like looking for a better story for when I win." And while Wiffen is fully expecting to come home with some medals from Singapore, he is also challenging himself to bring home a personal accolade from the championships, at least, in the form of a PB, and perhaps something even more prestigious. "I'm definitely going for it (the world record)," he said. "I feel you can't not go to a race being only a second off the world record and not be going for it, so that's my goal. "I've PB'd at every major international competition that I've done, so I aim to PB one more time before I break that world record. Time will tell." In absentia for the official university graduation next month, the college will accommodate an early exchange of formalities and obligatory photo opportunities before heading off to Singapore, as Wiffen signs off from what has been a perfect partnership with the highly regarded sporting institution. And once the Worlds are completed, Wiffen will pack up his belongings in England, complete with his ever-growing medal collection, and head home to start plotting that path to the America Games in 2028, while looking forward to an off-season traipsing the great golfing links of Ireland to help recharge for next season. "I'm moving back to Ireland," confirmed Wiffen. "My rent is up in August and I'll be moving back. "I haven't actually appointed my coach yet, I'm still deciding, so I'm looking forward to that, and more than likely it will be based in Dublin," he addd, confirming that Andi Manley is no longer his coach. "So Dublin based, but a lot of prolonged training periods in different countries with different people. Obviously, we don't have the training partners in Ireland I want to train with, so I'll have to take camps away in America or Italy, but based in Ireland. "And I'll be taking my off-season in Ireland, going around the country golfing. Last year it was surfing, this year it's golf."
Irish Independent
4 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Daniel Wiffen splits with coach and set to return to Ireland as main base
Manley, Loughborough University's director of swimming, coached Wiffen to success like his gold medal in the 800m freestyle and bronze in the 1500m freestyle at last summer's Paris Olympics as well as his double gold medals at last year's World Championships. With his twin Nathan set to move to the University of California in the autumn, Wiffen plans on spending training camps stateside as part of his prep for LA '28. 'I'm definitely moving back to Ireland as my main training base. And I will be doing stints in America because the Olympics are going to be there so you have to get ready for that way of life, that time zone,' Wiffen (23) confirmed yesterday. 'Main training base will be Ireland, where the coaching and sports science will be and then I'll do extended training camps in different places around the world. 'It's going to be hard. I only decided four weeks ago that I was going to be leaving Loughborough, maybe actually two weeks ago we had the conversation. [Manley] thinks it's beneficial for my career that I need a new start because being in a university programme, you get 18-year-olds, 17-year-olds coming in every year who are a lot lower level than what I am at this point in my career and you want to strive to be better than the people. 'It's trying to progress in other areas and a university programme isn't probably the best place for me at this point in my career.' Wiffen says his time with Manley has finished on amicable terms. 'We're really good friends, we chat all the time. He wants what's best for me, he's not a selfish coach, he's not going to tell me to stay just for his own benefit.' Meanwhile, Wiffen says he never experienced bullying and was not directly coached by Jon Rudd, the former national performance director for Swim Ireland. In a BBC Panorama programme broadcast last month, Rudd was accused of bullying, a toxic training environment and weight shaming by 12 swimmers he previously coached in Plymouth, England before he joined Swim Ireland in 2017. A statement issued by Swim Ireland last month said there was 'no suggestion or indication of welfare issues' during Rudd's eight-year term with Swim Ireland. The Englishman had stepped down from his role with Swim Ireland earlier last month to take up a new position with Saudi Arabia. Wiffen was never coached by Rudd. 'For me with Swim Ireland, and with Jon, it's all about the high performance mindset we've got and honestly I've only got good things to say about Swim Ireland and how they supported me,' Wiffen said. 'Jon was obviously not a performance director for me, he wasn't my coach, so I've only got high performance questions to answer. He just answered emails for me and was never on poolside coaching so I would have no idea.' Did Wiffen ever experience bullying or any of the issues raised in the BBC programme? ADVERTISEMENT 'No,' Wiffen replied. Wiffen has a hat-trick of targets at next month's World Aquatic Championships in Singapore. He will defend the gold medals he won in the 800m and 1,500m freestyle in Doha in February 2024 and will also compete in the 400m freestyle. 'I've been told a couple of times by a lot of different world champions that apparently the hardest world championships to win is the one after winning the Olympics. I'm up for the challenge. Obviously my goal is to stay undefeated in the 800m. I haven't lost in the 800m freestyle since 2023. For me that's the goal just to keep undefeated and win another gold medal. 'I would say we're aiming for three gold medals. 400m is maybe a bit of a stretch because it's a new event but definitely two.'
Irish Examiner
4 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Sharing his journey on YouTube comes with pros and cons for Daniel Wiffen
It won't be long coming around, a date that has such special resonance for Daniel Wiffen – July 30. That was when he etched his name into Olympic history with his 800m freestyle gold in Paris last year, and it's also the date of the 800m final at this year's World Championships in Singapore. So, some sweet synchronicity? Wiffen hopes so. The Magheralin native, who turns 24 next month, will contest the 400m, 800m and 1500m freestyle in Singapore and he has a straightforward goal: 'To come away with at least one gold medal.' Wiffen has never been shy about calling his shot and few Olympic champions are as open about their routine, documenting his training on YouTube over the past several years. Isn't he worried about giving his rivals an edge? 'Maybe it's not the best idea to show everything you do when you are training for Olympic gold, but I'm not just here to swim for myself,' he says. 'We're trying to inspire a new generation of swimmers.' Wiffen notes that as a kid, he struggled to find much insight into how champions operated and he wants to document his path for the next generation. 'Being open about different attributes that I do differently to everybody else comes with its weaknesses,' he admits. 'But I know in my head that I'm the number one athlete in the world. I know people can't do what I do and even my competitors can't do it, otherwise I wouldn't be winning. So that's why I'm happy to share it.' Ever since slicing through the pool at La Défense Arena last July, Wiffen has seen the ripples of his achievement spread far and wide. 'I get a lot of messages about people saying they turn up every morning to swim because they watched my race in Paris, it makes it a lot more motivational for me. When I see a lot of the population getting in, going for a swim, that makes me want to keep striving for better to see more and more people (swimming).' Before his final training camp in Malaysia in mid-July, Wiffen will be at his usual base at Loughborough University, where he and coach Andi Manley are fastidious in their search for fractions. Having studied computer science, Wiffen loves to dive into the data of his sport and one metric he focused on in the last Olympic cycle was his turn time, utilising a high-tech camera system at Loughborough to optimise it. 'We went from 100th in the world at turn time to number one in the world and that is one of the attributes that helped me win. If you watch the last 100m of that 800m, it's the turn that made the difference. I made up about half a metre and then was able to carry that speed off the wall to win that Olympic gold medal.' Every Monday, Wiffen does testing to track progress in various areas and he and Manley have a meeting to plot out what they want from the week's training. 'That's where the confidence comes from, to make sure I'm going to be the best at each competition,' he says. With his studies now complete, Wiffen has more time on his hands but his daily routine is much the same. He gets up at 5:45am, has two slices of toast then hits the pool for 6.15, warming up for half an hour before doing an 8km session. After that he spends 90 minutes in the gym, followed by lunch and a nap. Then he's back to the pool at 5:30pm for two more hours of swimming. Then he has dinner and is in bed at 9pm. 'I never get sick of (the routine) because I've done it for so many years and I enjoy it so much,' he says. Even when his head hits the pillow, the preparation goes on. 'I dream about the race, I dream of scenarios that are going to happen.' One of his visualisation techniques is to submerge himself in water and go through the race in his mind as a friend times him. 'I always come up at the right time. If it's 54 seconds for the 100m, I come up with 54 seconds on the stopwatch. Over the years the visualisation piece gets stronger and stronger (so) you're able to pinpoint what is going to happen in the race, and 99% of the time what I visualise is what happens.' After a well-earned break following the Olympics, he resumed training last December and says things have gone 'quite well' since. He's confident of launching a stout defence of his 800m and 1500m world titles in Singapore. 'I'm sitting second and third on the rankings so we're in with a shot for this gold medal,' he says. 'And I'm ready to produce a swim for it.'
BBC News
20-06-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Japanese university triumph in second UK Ekiden on Thames Path
Japan's Ritsumeikan University have won the second annual UK Ekiden race after frontrunners from the University of Oxford were disqualified for an illegal sash 70-mile (114km) mixed-gender relay race takes place along the Thames Path in Berkshire and Oxfordshire. The race started at Maidenhead and travelled though Bisham Abbey, Henley-on-Thames, Sonning and Reading before retracing the route to the start. Oxford finished four minutes and 28 seconds ahead of the Ritsumeikan team but organisers stepped in after spotting them pass their relay sash outside of the designated area. Under traditional Ekiden rules an illegal sash pass sees the offending team University came second and St Mary's University were third. A total of 15 corporate teams and 16 from universities competed. "It's really exciting to see so many young athletes out on the route" said founder of the UK race Anna Dingley. "This is year two. Last year we launched it when there was a state visit from the Emperor and Empress of Japan to the UK - and it also coincided with the 100th Ekiden of one of the most famous ones in Japan, called the Hakone Ekiden."We've got more universities involved and we're making it a little bit more competitive for the athletes because Ekiden in Japan is a very serious running race." You can follow BBC Berkshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
