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What is Alzheimer's
Alzheimer's is a brain disease that causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior. Symptoms usually develop slowly and get worse over time, becoming severe enough to interfere with daily tasks.
Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia, a general term for memory loss and other intellectual abilities serious enough to interfere with daily life. Alzheimer's disease accounts for 60 to 80 percent of dementia cases.
Alzheimer's is not a normal part of aging, although the greatest known risk factor is increasing age, and the majority of people with Alzheimer's are 65 and older. But Alzheimer's is not just a disease of old age. Up to 5 percent of people with the disease have early-onset Alzheimer's (also known as younger-onset), which often appears when someone is in their 40s or 50s.
Alzheimer's worsens over time. Alzheimer's is a progressive disease, where symptoms gradually worsen over a number of years. In its early stages, memory loss is mild, but with late-stage Alzheimer's, individuals lose the ability to carry on a conversation and respond to their environment. Alzheimer's is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. Those with Alzheimer's live an average of eight years after their symptoms become noticeable to others, but survival can range from four to 20 years, depending on age and other health conditions.
Alzheimer's is not the only cause of memory loss.
Many people have trouble with memory — this does NOT mean they have Alzheimer's. In fact, most do not. There are many different causes of memory loss. If you or a loved one is experiencing symptoms, it is best to visit a doctor so the cause can be determined.
Alzheimer's has no current cure, but treatments for symptoms are available and research continues. Although current Alzheimer treatments cannot stop Alzheimer's from progressing, they can temporarily slow the worsening of symptoms and improve quality of life for those with Alzheimer's and their caregivers. Today, there is a worldwide effort under way to find better ways to treat the disease, delay its onset, and prevent it from developing.
The Alzheimer's Association funds independent investigators worldwide through our International Research Grants Program. Since awarding our first grants in 1982, the Association has grown into the largest private, nonprofit funder of Alzheimer research. Over the life of our grants program, we have awarded in excess of $279 million to more than 1,900 projects.
We fund investigations that advance our understanding of Alzheimer's disease, identify new treatment strategies, improve care for people with dementia, optimize services for their families, and further our knowledge of brain health and disease prevention. Our funding is peer reviewed by a vast international network of volunteer scientists and quality-assured by our Medical and Scientific Advisory Council, a group of distinguished professionals who represent a range of dementia research, including bench research, clinical care, community health and support services.
A future without Alzheimer's
The race is on. Alzheimer research is a dynamic field, and momentum builds each year. This site is for professional researchers and anyone interested in following the progress in research. The Alzheimer's Association has been involved in every major advancement in Alzheimer research since the 1980's and is a leader in the global fight for a world without Alzheimer's.
The Alzheimer's Association is committed to accelerating the global effort to eliminate Alzheimer's disease. We are the largest private, nonprofit funder of Alzheimer research. We connect with scientific, academic, government and industry thought-leaders and key stakeholders worldwide. We believe in the value of collaboration and are a catalyst toward the time when we will have disease-modifying treatments, preventive strategies and gold-standard care for all people affected by Alzheimer's disease.
We connect and convene
As the world's leading Alzheimer nonprofit, the Alzheimer's Association provides premier global forums for the greatest minds in Alzheimer science to collaborate, connect across disciplines, address common challenges and share new discoveries:
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The Alzheimer's Association International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease (AAICAD), is the world's largest gathering of Alzheimer's researchers and professionals. This annual conference brings together thousands of professionals to share information and findings.
- The Alzheimer's Association Research Roundtable is a consortium of scientists from the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, diagnostics, imaging and cognitive testing industries, and senior staff and advisors from the Association, who seek to facilitate the development and implementation of new treatments. Members meet twice yearly.
- Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association provides a single publication for the global scientific community to share its diverse knowledge.
- Alzheimer's Association International Society to Advance Alzheimer Research and Treatment (ISTAART) is the only professional society designed exclusively for individuals dedicated to Alzheimer and dementia science, and fosters a continuous exchange of ideas.
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Our Commitment to Accelerate Global Research
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The Alzheimer's Association is committed to accelerating the global effort to eliminate Alzheimer's disease. We are the largest private, nonprofit funder of Alzheimer research. We connect with scientific, academic, government and industry thought-leaders and key stakeholders worldwide. We believe in the value of collaboration and are a catalyst toward the time when we will have disease-modifying treatments, preventive strategies and gold-standard care for all people affected by Alzheimer's disease.
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We fund
The Alzheimer's Association funds independent investigators worldwide through our International Research Grants Program. Since awarding our first grants in 1982, the Association has grown into the largest private, nonprofit funder of Alzheimer research. Over the life of our grants program, we have awarded in excess of $279 million to more than 1,900 projects.
We fund investigations that advance our understanding of Alzheimer's disease, identify new treatment strategies, improve care for people with dementia, optimize services for their families, and further our knowledge of brain health and disease prevention. Our funding is peer reviewed by a vast international network of volunteer scientists and quality-assured by our Medical and Scientific Advisory Council, a group of distinguished professionals who represent a range of dementia research, including bench research, clinical care, community health and support services.
Learn more about the guiding principles of our grants program.
Catalyst to progress
We have funded some of the most exciting advances in Alzheimer's research, including the development of Pittsburgh Compound B (PIB), the first radiotracer capable of showing beta-amyloid in the living brain during a PET scan. Learn more about studies we have funded.
We connect and convene
As the world's leading Alzheimer nonprofit, the Alzheimer's Association provides premier global forums for the greatest minds in Alzheimer science to collaborate, connect across disciplines, address common challenges and share new discoveries:
- The Alzheimer's Association International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease (AAICAD), is the world's largest gathering of Alzheimer's researchers and professionals. This annual conference brings together thousands of professionals to share information and findings.
- The Alzheimer's Association Research Roundtable is a consortium of scientists from the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, diagnostics, imaging and cognitive testing industries, and senior staff and advisors from the Association, who seek to facilitate the development and implementation of new treatments. Members meet twice yearly.
- Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association provides a single publication for the global scientific community to share its diverse knowledge.
- Alzheimer's Association International Society to Advance Alzheimer Research and Treatment (ISTAART) is the only professional society designed exclusively for individuals dedicated to Alzheimer and dementia science, and fosters a continuous exchange of ideas.
Back to top
We collaborate
No single organization can surmount a challenge as great as Alzheimer's disease. To help achieve our vision of a world without Alzheimer's, the Association partners with dozens of key government, industry and academic stakeholders in the global race to end Alzheimer's.
One of our most notable partnerships is with the National Institute on Aging (NIA), the primary federal Alzheimer research agency within our National Institutes of Health. The Association has worked closely with the NIA since our founding in 1980. We have collaborated in funding and recruiting participants for several flagship clinical trials.
Another of our strongest partnerships supports the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative ("ADNI"), a groundbreaking investigation to identify and standardize strategies for earlier diagnosis and disease monitoring, to which the Association has awarded $3.1 million in grants. The Association also funded the European Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (E-ADNI), a supplemental program with the potential to significantly broaden ADNI's biomedical database and international applicability.
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Our Commitment to Accelerate Global Research
|
The Alzheimer's Association is committed to accelerating the global effort to eliminate Alzheimer's disease. We are the largest private, nonprofit funder of Alzheimer research. We connect with scientific, academic, government and industry thought-leaders and key stakeholders worldwide. We believe in the value of collaboration and are a catalyst toward the time when we will have disease-modifying treatments, preventive strategies and gold-standard care for all people affected by Alzheimer's disease.
|
|
|
We fund
The Alzheimer's Association funds independent investigators worldwide through our International Research Grants Program. Since awarding our first grants in 1982, the Association has grown into the largest private, nonprofit funder of Alzheimer research. Over the life of our grants program, we have awarded in excess of $279 million to more than 1,900 projects.
We fund investigations that advance our understanding of Alzheimer's disease, identify new treatment strategies, improve care for people with dementia, optimize services for their families, and further our knowledge of brain health and disease prevention. Our funding is peer reviewed by a vast international network of volunteer scientists and quality-assured by our Medical and Scientific Advisory Council, a group of distinguished professionals who represent a range of dementia research, including bench research, clinical care, community health and support services.
Learn more about the guiding principles of our grants program.
Catalyst to progress
We have funded some of the most exciting advances in Alzheimer's research, including the development of Pittsburgh Compound B (PIB), the first radiotracer capable of showing beta-amyloid in the living brain during a PET scan. Learn more about studies we have funded.
We connect and convene
As the world's leading Alzheimer nonprofit, the Alzheimer's Association provides premier global forums for the greatest minds in Alzheimer science to collaborate, connect across disciplines, address common challenges and share new discoveries:
- The Alzheimer's Association International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease (AAICAD), is the world's largest gathering of Alzheimer's researchers and professionals. This annual conference brings together thousands of professionals to share information and findings.
- The Alzheimer's Association Research Roundtable is a consortium of scientists from the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, diagnostics, imaging and cognitive testing industries, and senior staff and advisors from the Association, who seek to facilitate the development and implementation of new treatments. Members meet twice yearly.
- Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association provides a single publication for the global scientific community to share its diverse knowledge.
- Alzheimer's Association International Society to Advance Alzheimer Research and Treatment (ISTAART) is the only professional society designed exclusively for individuals dedicated to Alzheimer and dementia science, and fosters a continuous exchange of ideas.
Back to top
We collaborate
No single organization can surmount a challenge as great as Alzheimer's disease. To help achieve our vision of a world without Alzheimer's, the Association partners with dozens of key government, industry and academic stakeholders in the global race to end Alzheimer's.
One of our most notable partnerships is with the National Institute on Aging (NIA), the primary federal Alzheimer research agency within our National Institutes of Health. The Association has worked closely with the NIA since our founding in 1980. We have collaborated in funding and recruiting participants for several flagship clinical trials.
Another of our strongest partnerships supports the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative ("ADNI"), a groundbreaking investigation to identify and standardize strategies for earlier diagnosis and disease monitoring, to which the Association has awarded $3.1 million in grants. The Association also funded the European Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (E-ADNI), a supplemental program with the potential to significantly broaden ADNI's biomedical database and international applicability.
|
|
|
|
|
Our Commitment to Accelerate Global Research
|
The Alzheimer's Association is committed to accelerating the global effort to eliminate Alzheimer's disease. We are the largest private, nonprofit funder of Alzheimer research. We connect with scientific, academic, government and industry thought-leaders and key stakeholders worldwide. We believe in the value of collaboration and are a catalyst toward the time when we will have disease-modifying treatments, preventive strategies and gold-standard care for all people affected by Alzheimer's disease.
|
|
|
We fund
The Alzheimer's Association funds independent investigators worldwide through our International Research Grants Program. Since awarding our first grants in 1982, the Association has grown into the largest private, nonprofit funder of Alzheimer research. Over the life of our grants program, we have awarded in excess of $279 million to more than 1,900 projects.
We fund investigations that advance our understanding of Alzheimer's disease, identify new treatment strategies, improve care for people with dementia, optimize services for their families, and further our knowledge of brain health and disease prevention. Our funding is peer reviewed by a vast international network of volunteer scientists and quality-assured by our Medical and Scientific Advisory Council, a group of distinguished professionals who represent a range of dementia research, including bench research, clinical care, community health and support services.
Learn more about the guiding principles of our grants program.
Catalyst to progress
We have funded some of the most exciting advances in Alzheimer's research, including the development of Pittsburgh Compound B (PIB), the first radiotracer capable of showing beta-amyloid in the living brain during a PET scan. Learn more about studies we have funded.
We connect and convene
As the world's leading Alzheimer nonprofit, the Alzheimer's Association provides premier global forums for the greatest minds in Alzheimer science to collaborate, connect across disciplines, address common challenges and share new discoveries:
- The Alzheimer's Association International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease (AAICAD), is the world's largest gathering of Alzheimer's researchers and professionals. This annual conference brings together thousands of professionals to share information and findings.
- The Alzheimer's Association Research Roundtable is a consortium of scientists from the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, diagnostics, imaging and cognitive testing industries, and senior staff and advisors from the Association, who seek to facilitate the development and implementation of new treatments. Members meet twice yearly.
- Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association provides a single publication for the global scientific community to share its diverse knowledge.
- Alzheimer's Association International Society to Advance Alzheimer Research and Treatment (ISTAART) is the only professional society designed exclusively for individuals dedicated to Alzheimer and dementia science, and fosters a continuous exchange of ideas.
Back to top
We collaborate
No single organization can surmount a challenge as great as Alzheimer's disease. To help achieve our vision of a world without Alzheimer's, the Association partners with dozens of key government, industry and academic stakeholders in the global race to end Alzheimer's.
One of our most notable partnerships is with the National Institute on Aging (NIA), the primary federal Alzheimer research agency within our National Institutes of Health. The Association has worked closely with the NIA since our founding in 1980. We have collaborated in funding and recruiting participants for several flagship clinical trials.
Another of our strongest partnerships supports the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative ("ADNI"), a groundbreaking investigation to identify and standardize strategies for earlier diagnosis and disease monitoring, to which the Association has awarded $3.1 million in grants. The Association also funded the European Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (E-ADNI), a supplemental program with the potential to significantly broaden ADNI's biomedical database and international applicability.
|
|
|
|
|
Our Commitment to Accelerate Global Research
|
The Alzheimer's Association is committed to accelerating the global effort to eliminate Alzheimer's disease. We are the largest private, nonprofit funder of Alzheimer research. We connect with scientific, academic, government and industry thought-leaders and key stakeholders worldwide. We believe in the value of collaboration and are a catalyst toward the time when we will have disease-modifying treatments, preventive strategies and gold-standard care for all people affected by Alzheimer's disease.
|
|
|
We fund
The Alzheimer's Association funds independent investigators worldwide through our International Research Grants Program. Since awarding our first grants in 1982, the Association has grown into the largest private, nonprofit funder of Alzheimer research. Over the life of our grants program, we have awarded in excess of $279 million to more than 1,900 projects.
We fund investigations that advance our understanding of Alzheimer's disease, identify new treatment strategies, improve care for people with dementia, optimize services for their families, and further our knowledge of brain health and disease prevention. Our funding is peer reviewed by a vast international network of volunteer scientists and quality-assured by our Medical and Scientific Advisory Council, a group of distinguished professionals who represent a range of dementia research, including bench research, clinical care, community health and support services.
Learn more about the guiding principles of our grants program.
Catalyst to progress
We have funded some of the most exciting advances in Alzheimer's research, including the development of Pittsburgh Compound B (PIB), the first radiotracer capable of showing beta-amyloid in the living brain during a PET scan. Learn more about studies we have funded.
We connect and convene
As the world's leading Alzheimer nonprofit, the Alzheimer's Association provides premier global forums for the greatest minds in Alzheimer science to collaborate, connect across disciplines, address common challenges and share new discoveries:
- The Alzheimer's Association International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease (AAICAD), is the world's largest gathering of Alzheimer's researchers and professionals. This annual conference brings together thousands of professionals to share information and findings.
- The Alzheimer's Association Research Roundtable is a consortium of scientists from the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, diagnostics, imaging and cognitive testing industries, and senior staff and advisors from the Association, who seek to facilitate the development and implementation of new treatments. Members meet twice yearly.
- Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association provides a single publication for the global scientific community to share its diverse knowledge.
- Alzheimer's Association International Society to Advance Alzheimer Research and Treatment (ISTAART) is the only professional society designed exclusively for individuals dedicated to Alzheimer and dementia science, and fosters a continuous exchange of ideas.
Back to top
We collaborate
No single organization can surmount a challenge as great as Alzheimer's disease. To help achieve our vision of a world without Alzheimer's, the Association partners with dozens of key government, industry and academic stakeholders in the global race to end Alzheimer's.
One of our most notable partnerships is with the National Institute on Aging (NIA), the primary federal Alzheimer research agency within our National Institutes of Health. The Association has worked closely with the NIA since our founding in 1980. We have collaborated in funding and recruiting participants for several flagship clinical trials.
Another of our strongest partnerships supports the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative ("ADNI"), a groundbreaking investigation to identify and standardize strategies for earlier diagnosis and disease monitoring, to which the Association has awarded $3.1 million in grants. The Association also funded the European Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (E-ADNI), a supplemental program with the potential to significantly broaden ADNI's biomedical database and international applicability.
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