2014 Report on the Milestones for the US National Plan to Address Alzheimer's Disease

Abstract

With increasing numbers of people with Alzheimer's and other dementias across the globe, many countries have developed national plans to deal with the resulting challenges. In the United States, the National Alzheimer's Project Act, signed into law in 2011, required the creation of such a plan with annual updates thereafter. Pursuant to this, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released the National Plan to Address Alzheimer's Disease in 2012, including an ambitious research goal of preventing and effectively treating Alzheimer's disease by 2025. To guide investments, activities, and the measurement of progress toward achieving this 2025 goal, in its first annual plan update (2013) HHS also incorporated into the plan a set of short, medium and long-term milestones. HHS further committed to updating these milestones on an ongoing basis to account for progress and setbacks, and emerging opportunities and obstacles. To assist HHS as it updates these milestones, the Alzheimer's Association convened a National Plan Milestone Workgroup consisting of scientific experts representing all areas of Alzheimer's and dementia research. The workgroup evaluated each milestone and made recommendations to ensure that they collectively constitute an adequate work plan for reaching the goal of preventing and effectively treating Alzheimer's by 2025. This report presents these Workgroup recommendations.

Computerized Cognitive Training Is Beneficial for Older Adults

“…The Alzheimer's Association urges rapid development and testing of cognitive training given its potential as an effective and accessible cognitive intervention to delay and potentially prevent clinical dementia . Well‐designed training programs can deliver significant benefits to cognition, daily function, and psychological well‐being .…”

Targeting the HDAC2/HNF-4A/miR-101b/AMPK Pathway Rescues Tauopathy and Dendritic Abnormalities in Alzheimer’s Disease

“…1 Neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) composed of abnormally hyperphosphorylated tau proteins 2 are the major neuropathological hallmarks of AD and correlate with cognitive decline. 3 This tau-induced pathology may promote dendritic abnormalities, synaptic dysfunction, and memory impairment.…”

Vascular and Metabolic Factors in Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias: Introduction

“…There are ≈40 million people suffering from dementia in the world, a number estimated to triplicate by 2050 due to the aging of the world population and the lack of effective treatments (Prince et al, 2013). The realization that the world will soon be faced with a dementia epidemic has led to national and international efforts to develop strategies to curb its devastating socioeconomic impact (Alzheimer’s Association National Plan Milestone Workgroup et al, 2014; World Health Organization, 2012). …”