HOW A ROBOT VOICE TRANSFORMED LIFE OF A SUFFERER

A WIDOWER diagnosed with dementia after his wife was run down in a fatal car accident said the latest technology has given him a new lease of life.

David Stace, 84, now has smart speakers in every room of his house.

And whenever he is missing his wife Pamela, he can now call up pictures of her on a screen.

Retired printer salesman David is visited daily by a council-funded carer.

He developed signs of dementia soon after seeing 69-year-old Pamela, his partner of more than 40 years, killed while they can prevent dementia would be a huge breakthrough.

“With the British Heart Foundation uniting with us against dementia and funding the next stage, we could have an answer in a matter of years.

“We are focusing on a whole range of common drugs, in the hope we’ll find new dementia treatments in half the time it would take to develop a drug from scratch.”

In the trial 400 patients will take Fun…David Stace and one of his smart speakers either cilostazol, isosorbide mononitrate or a combination of both.

Researchers think the drugs may help reduce damage to arteries which can cause clots to form, leading to strokes and cognitive decline.

Participants will be given MRI scans to see what effect the medications have on the small blood vessels that supply the tissues of the brain.

If successful, it could lead to new ways to treat lacunar strokes and walked home from a shopping trip. David, of Eastbourne, East Sussex, discovered Google Home after being inspired by a TV advert.

He said: “After the accident I was completely lost. But you shouldn’t let dementia stop you doing anything. With modern technology you can do anything you like.” Of his dementia, he added: “It’s essential people know that you can live with it.”

Carer Jason Nicholls was initially dubious, fearing the gadget would be too complicated, but was converted after seeing the improvement in David.

He said: “David has become really good at it. He has started to have fun.” prevent some cases of dementia. Dr Shannon Amoils, of the British Heart Foundation, said: “Lacunar strokes can cause brain damage, affecting the way people walk and think, so there is a strong link to dementia.”

Approximately 38,000 people die from a stroke every year in Britain and it is a major cause of disability, with more than a million UK stroke survivors.