On Monday 40 bridge players from the Camden Haven (LUSC) Bridge Club used their heads to raise funds for Alzheimer's and dementia research.

They were taking part in the Bridge for Brain Research Challenge - a national event that supports research at Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA), one of the nation's leading medical research institutes.

Funds raised by Camden Haven Bridge Club will support NeuRA researchers working on improving early diagnosis of dementia and developing treatments to prevent the disease altogether.

The players will raise funds for the research by donating a $5 per person table fee, plus any extra donations players might like to make, the club's chief director (of bridge technicalities) Terry McKenna said. With an additional donation from the club, the researchers should receive around $500 from the bridge event, he said.

As a nationwide event, if every bridge club in Australia contributes a similar amount, it begins to add up to a significant sum, he said. 

Over 30,000 people have participated in the the Bridge for Brain Research Challenge since it started in 2004, and $250,000 has been raised for brain research, NeuRA said. This is the biggest year to date in terms of players and clubs involved. At the same time, the players may also be helping prevent dementia by keeping their brains fit.

"As a game, bridge requires a lot of thinking, you have to strategise, plan ahead, and remember what cards have been played," Neuroscience Research Australia CEO Professor Peter Schofield said.

" It's also a social game (you sit at a table with three others). We know that being social is good for the brain, and new challenges force our brain to make new connections. We cannot say that playing bridge prevents dementia, however bridge is an ideal activity to keep the mind active."

NeuRA's research includes: 

* key studies in early-onset Alzheimer's disease and other dementias - including clinical trials of new drug treatments; 

* tools for earlier diagnosis for Parkinson's disease; and 

* understanding the role of the immune system in Alzheimer's disease.