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Prevent Alzheimer's disease by 2020: A national strategic goal
Author(s) -
Khachaturian Zaven S.,
Khachaturian Ara S.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
alzheimer's and dementia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.713
H-Index - 118
eISSN - 1552-5279
pISSN - 1552-5260
DOI - 10.1016/j.jalz.2009.01.022
Subject(s) - dementia , citation , library science , psychology , gerontology , disease , medicine , computer science
This editorial is a call to arms, advocating a national strategic goal to prevent Alzheimer’s disease (AD) by 2020. The vision articulated in this issue of Alzheimer’s & Dementia is based on the overall tenor of the deliberations of three thinktank meetings: the Leon Thal Symposium on the Prevention of Dementia 2007 (LTS’07), the Webinar on Prevention of Dementia October 2008, and the Leon Thal Symposium on the Prevention of Dementia 2008 (LTS’08). The culmination of these three think-tank meetings is an array of specific recommendations for action, ‘‘A roadmap for the prevention of dementia II: Leon Thal Symposium 2008’’ [1]. The reports published in this issue represent the collective thoughts of over 70 worldwide leaders in dementia research. These meetings were convened by the Lou Ruvo Brain Institute to bring about radical changes in current paradigms of therapy development for the prevention of dementia, and to honor the memory of Dr. Leon Thal, a scientist and physician. He was an influential leader in the field of AD research before his untimely death in 2007. The LTS’08 was organized in collaboration with the Alzheimer Study Group (ASG), and the webinar was a joint coventure with Alzforum and the ASG. The national strategic goal to prevent AD within a decade is no more difficult, ambitious, or premature than the 1960s Apollo space program. The vision of preventing AD by 2020 is an attainable scientific objective. However, success will require: