In these last few years, there has
been a growing consensus in Europe
and beyond on the need of increasing
research on neurodegenerative
diseases including Alzheimer's
disease and other related dementias.
The societal impact and financial
consequences of these diseases are
already being felt and will continue
to grow with the projected rise in the
elderly population. Currently, there
are over 35 million individuals with
dementia worldwide, a figure that will
treble by the year 2050. It has been
estimated that formal and informal
dementia care costs a total of €445
billion (2009 data),' equivalent to 1 %
of the global gross domestic product.
It is therefore not surprising that the
European Union supports various
funding programmes in the hope of
enhancing diagnosis, provide better
treatment and improve care pathways
and support for individuals with
dementia, their caregivers and relatives.peer-reviewe
