Earliest Clues to Disease Progression “ADNI GO”Looking for Healthy Volunteers with Memory Concerns (NAPSA)—Today, 5.3 million Americans are suffering from Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and every 70 seconds, another person develops this devastating disease. These numbers will continue to increase with our aging population unless new prevention and treatment strategies are discov- ered. A study funded by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) may help provide some answers. This two-year, $24 million study—the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative Grand Opportunity (ADNI GO)— focuses for the first time on people experiencing the very earliest complaints of memory problems that affect their daily activities. ADNI GO expands on the groundbreaking Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) and will continue efforts to identify biomarkers that can help build a greater understanding of the progression of AD. “ADNI GO is helping us determine the sequence and timing of events at the initial onset of mild symptoms,” said Paul Aisen, M.D., director of the Alzheimer’s Disease Cooperative Study (ADCS). “Tt is our hope that this research will enable us to better identify whois at risk, as well as the effec- tiveness of potential prevention and treatmentstrategies.” Many people view memory loss as an unavoidable aspect of aging, but memory loss that disrupts daily life is not a normal part of growing older. ADNI GO researchers are i lp 7 (as ff. Whi > Mh Dr. Paul Aisen is the lead researcher for ADNI GO and the director of the Alzheimer’s Dis- ease Cooperative Study (ADCS). looking for participants between the ages of 55 and 90 who are otherwise healthy, but may be experiencing signs of early stage amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), a condition that may lead to Alzheimer’s disease. “We cannot end this terrible disease unless we know more about it,” said Dr. Aisen. “That is where the amazing volunteers, their friends and their families can make the difference in our success.” For more information about the study and to learn howto participate at one of the 50 research sites across the U.S., contact the NIA Alzheimer’s Disease Education and Referral (ADEAR) Center at (800) 438-4380 or www.adcs.org/ Studies/ImagineADNI.aspx or follow Alzheimer’s Disease Research on Facebook.
