Notice: NIH State-of-the-Science Conference: Preventing Alzheimer's 
Disease and Cognitive Decline; Notice

Federal Register: January 20, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 12)            
                  Page 3243-3244

Agency:  DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
         National Institutes of Health


    Notice is hereby given by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) 
of the ``NIH State-of-the-Science Conference: Preventing Alzheimer's 
Disease and Cognitive Decline'' to be held April 26-28, 2010, in the 
NIH Natcher Conference Center, 45 Center Drive, Bethesda, Maryland 
20892. The conference will begin at 8:30 a.m. on April 26 and 27 and at 
9 a.m. on April 28, and it will be open to the public.
    For many older adults, cognitive health and performance remain 
stable over the course of their lifetime, with only a gradual and 
slight decline in short-term memory and reaction times. But for others, 
this normal, age-related decline in cognitive function progresses into 
a more serious state of cognitive impairment or into various forms of 
dementia, including Alzheimer's disease. Such loss of cognitive 
function--the ability to think, learn, remember, and reason--
substantially interferes with everyday function. As researchers 
continue to explore changes in the brain that take place possibly 
decades before cognitive decline and dementia symptoms appear, they 
also hope to discover more about the relationship between normal age-
related cognitive decline and the development of cognitive impairment 
or Alzheimer's disease.
    Alzheimer's disease was first described in 1906, when German 
psychiatrist and neuropathologist Alois Alzheimer observed the 
hallmarks of the disease in the brain of a female patient who had 
experienced memory loss, language problems, and unpredictable behavior: 
abnormal clumps of protein (now called beta-amyloid plaques) and 
tangled bundles of protein fibers (now called neurofibrillary tangles). 
Today, an estimated 2.5 to 4.5 million Americans are living with 
Alzheimer's, the most common form of dementia, and those numbers are 
expected to grow with the aging of the baby boomer population. Age is 
the strongest known risk factor for Alzheimer's, with most people 
diagnosed with the late-onset form of the disease over age 60. An 
early-onset, familial form also occurs, but is very rare. The time from 
diagnosis to death with Alzheimer's ranges from as little as 3 years to 
10 or more, depending on the person's age, sex, and the presence of 
other health problems.
    In addition to investigating the causes and potential treatments 
for Alzheimer's and other dementias, researchers are focused on finding 
ways to prevent cognitive decline. Many preventive measures for 
cognitive decline and for preventing Alzheimer's--mental stimulation, 
exercise, and a variety of dietary supplements--have been suggested, 
but their value in delaying the onset and/or reducing the severity of 
decline or disease is unclear. Questions also remain as to how the 
presence of certain conditions, such as high cholesterol, high blood 
pressure, and diabetes, influence an individual's risk of cognitive 
decline and Alzheimer's disease.
    To examine these important questions about Alzheimer's and 
cognitive decline in older people, the National Institute on Aging and 
the Office of Medical Applications of Research of the NIH will convene 
a State-of-the-Science Conference from April 26 to 28, 2010, to assess 
the available scientific evidence related to the following questions:
     What factors are associated with the reduction of risk of 
Alzheimer's disease?
     What factors are associated with the reduction of risk of 
cognitive decline in older adults?
     What are the relationships between the factors that affect 
Alzheimer's disease and the factors that affect cognitive decline?
     What are the therapeutic and adverse effects of 
interventions to delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease?
     What are the therapeutic and adverse effects of 
interventions to improve or maintain cognitive ability or preserve 
cognitive function? Are there different outcomes in identifiable 
subgroups?
     If recommendations for interventions cannot be made 
currently,

[[Page 3244]]

what studies need to be done that could provide the quality and 
strength of evidence necessary to make such recommendations to 
individuals?
    An impartial, independent panel will be charged with reviewing the 
available published literature in advance of the conference, including 
a systematic literature review commissioned through the Agency for 
Healthcare Research and Quality. The first day and a half of the 
conference will consist of presentations by expert researchers and 
practitioners and open public discussions. On Wednesday, April 28, the 
panel will present a statement of its collective assessment of the 
evidence to answer each of the questions above. The panel will also 
hold a press telebriefing to address questions from the media. The 
draft statement will be published online later that day, and the final 
version will be released approximately six weeks later. The primary 
sponsors of this meeting are the NIH National Institute on Aging and 
the NIH Office of Medical Applications of Research.
    Advance information about the conference and conference 
registration materials may be obtained from the NIH Consensus 
Development Program Information Center by calling 888-644-2667 or by 
sending e-mail to consensus@mail.nih.gov. The Information Center's 
mailing address is P.O. Box 2577, Kensington, Maryland 20891. 
Registration information is also available on the NIH Consensus 
Development Program Web site at http://consensus.nih.gov.

    Please Note: The NIH has instituted security measures to ensure 
the safety of NIH employees, guests, and property. All visitors must 
be prepared to show a photo ID upon request. Visitors may be 
required to pass through a metal detector and have bags, backpacks, 
or purses inspected or x-rayed as they enter NIH buildings. For more 
information about the security measures at NIH, please visit the Web 
site at http://www.nih.gov/about/visitorsecurity.htm.


    Dated: January 11, 2010.
Raynard S. Kington,
Deputy Director, National Institutes of Health.
[FR Doc. 2010-858 Filed 1-19-10; 8:45 am]
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