DIADEM: Early Diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementia (completed)

A project funded by the EU under the programme "Quality of Life and Management of Living Resources", Key Action 3 "Cell Factory": QLK3-CT-2001-02362

Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related dementia are irreversible degenerative disorders of the brain characterised by progressive cognitive decline, the loss of personality and finally death. Because of the impact on individuals and due to the enormous costs for health care and for society, these disorders present a major health problem to the EU. Treatment that can prevent, arrest and reverse degeneration and death of neurons is therefore urgently required. Prerequisite is the development of diagnostic tools that identify patients at an early pre-symptomatic stage. A consortium of 18 of the most experienced AD laboratories from Europe and beyond carried out a research project integrating data from studies with tissue cultures and genetically modified animals into a clinical investigation of demented patients. 

Funding (in Euro) between October 2001 and September 2004 was as follows: EU 3.384.342, Swiss Government 424.726, VERUM Foundation 247.637.

The Project Summary and the Final Report are documents on which the members of the DIADEM consortium and the EU Commission unanimously agreed. The electronic file of the DIADEM Final Report can be requested from them VERUM Foundation.