MOPEAD, a European project on Alzheimer's early detection

.

Fundació ACE - Barcelona Alzheimer Treatment & Research Center has been selected by the IMI (Innovative Medicines Initiative) -a public-private partnership between the EU and the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industry Associations (EFPIA)- to lead the MOPEAD project, a novel research that aims to consolidate an early diagnosis system for Alzheimer's. The MOPEAD (Models of Patient Engagement for Alzheimer's Disease) project is a European initiative that wants to give the citizen an active role in the early detection of the disease. The IMI will allocate 4 million euros to evaluate the systems of involvement and participation of the patient that may be effective for the early diagnosis of the disease. The objective of the MOPEAD project is to sensitize citizens and increase their participation in the diagnosis. This will also help identify unknown cases. The results will provide new clinical data on the disease at an early stage, which will contribute to the definition of novel therapeutic interventions to arrest Alzheimer's disease. People who are diagnosed precociously live at a time when their cognitive abilities still allow them to decide on their heritage, their legal guardians, or on how and where they want to live in the advanced stages of the disease. According to Dr. Octavio Rodríguez, a neurologist from Fundació ACE, "early diagnosis is cost-effective for the health system because it saves the state money and can reduce suffering, additional costs and burden of disease for families." For approximately 3 years, the research will contrast the effectiveness of four models of citizen participation: an online questionnaire, the ACE Foundation Open Days, a 10-minute test conducted by Primary care physicians and a neuropsychological test for patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, considered a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease. The results of the MOPEAD will allow to identify and establish, at European level, the most appropriate model to facilitate citizens' access, with mild cognitive impairment or memory complaints, to a diagnosis of the disease at a very early stage.