Scientist Hopes to Improve Diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's Association
Friday, 20 March 1998

Alzheimer's Association Announces Winner of Hatfield Research Award

The Alzheimer's Association granted its 1998 Senator Mark Hatfield Award for Clinical Research in Alzheimer's Disease to Michelle Papka, Ph.D. for a project to improve the diagnosis of the Lewy Body variant (LBV) of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Papka, of the Department of Neurology at the University of Rochester Medical Center, will receive a total award of $222,020 over three years.

"The Lewy Body variant of Alzheimer's disease has been estimated to account for 20 percent of age-related dementias, however clinical diagnosis of this disease remains a challenge," Papka wrote in her grant application. Papka and her team plan to study 20 people with LBV and 20 with Alzheimer's to determine if neuropsychological testing can distinguish between the two disease types and learn if the groups differ with respect to genetics and markers in cerebrospinal fluid.

According to Papka, the study results, "may be useful in improving the diagnosis, treatment, management and support services for patients with LBV."

The award was announced Monday at a special luncheon during the Association's 10th annual Public Policy Forum. The event, titled "People, Power & Politics," continues through March 24 in Washington, D.C. Hundreds of Alzheimer family members and volunteers from across the country are in the nation's capitol to meet with legislators. They will advocate for a $100 million increase in federal funding for Alzheimer research and a redesign of the Medicare system to better serve the needs of people with Alzheimer's disease and their families.

When Senator Hatfield announced his retirement from the United States Senate in 1996, the Association established the Hatfield Award to honor his long commitment to Alzheimer's disease research in general, and clinical research in particular. The award is designed to focus on the Senator's interests: clinical research and support of new investigators. The award is presented during the Association's Public Policy Forum every spring.

"It is absolutely crucial that we provide scientists with the resources they need to help us create a world without Alzheimer's disease," said Edward Truschke, Association president and CEO. The Association will award approximately $9.5 million in research grants during fiscal year 1998. Research grant funding will focus on early detection of Alzheimer's disease.

"There is an urgent need to develop the technologies for early and accurate detection of Alzheimer's disease, and to discover biological and chemical markers for the disease," Truschke said. "There is strong evidence that the brain degeneration associated with Alzheimer's disease may begin up to 40 years before the first clinical symptoms appear. Early detection tools are needed, not only for diagnosis of presymptomatic cases, but also to enable us to better track the progression of the disease and evaluate drugs in clinical trials."

For more information, or to contact Alzheimer's Association, see their website at: www.alz.org