Scientists say USA’s national Alzheimer's plan milestones must be strengthened to meet goal by 2025

The US government has initiated a major effort to prevent and effectively treat Alzheimer's disease by 2025. However, a workgroup of nearly 40 Alzheimer's researchers and scientists says the research milestones in the US government's National Plan to Address Alzheimer's Disease must be broadened in scope, increased in scale, and adequately funded in order to successfully achieve this goal.

A series of proposals by the workgroup to enlarge and strengthen the Plan are published today in Alzheimer's & Dementia: the Journal of the Alzheimer's Association.

According to the authors of the newly-published article, who include USA-based academic and industry scientists across all disciplines of Alzheimer's research, "Many prominent investigators believe the prospect of delaying the onset of disabling symptoms within a decade is an attainable goal, provided we can surmount several scientific, administrative, and most importantly, financial impediments." The authors continue: "Inadequate funding remains the single most important impediment to progress in achieving the research goal of the National Plan."