Scientists at Penn State, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, the University of Southern California and other institutions have formed a new research network to detect the earliest signs of dementia years before symptoms emerge. The Open Measures Network Initiative for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementia Research and Prevention (OMNI ADRD), made possible by a five-year, $39 million grant from the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) National Institute on Aging, aims to reduce the financial, interpersonal and health impacts of Alzheimer's disease and related dementia.
The worldwide annual cost of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias is estimated to reach $2 trillion dollars a year by 2030 and continue rising after that. People with Alzheimer's disease often experience memory loss, impaired judgement, personality changes, anxiety and - eventually - complete dependence on others. These changes pose deep costs that go beyond finances not only for individuals but also for their families and loved ones.
