Founded in 2005, the Accelerate Cure/Treatments for All Dementias (ACT-AD) Coalition is a group of more than 50 national nonprofit organizations, chaired by the Alliance for Aging Research, urgently working to speed up the development of potential cures and more effective treatments for all dementias.
Individuals Encouraged to Learn More about Brain Health
Published November 14, 2006
Individuals Encouraged to Learn More About Brain Health
First one million users receive free cognition test
November 14th 2006, Washington, D.C. – The Alliance for Aging Research (the Alliance) and the Brain Resource Company (BRC) launch their brain health education program and offer the BRC WebNeuro cognition test free beginning Tuesday, November 14th – National Memory Awareness Day. The first one million users will receive the cognition test free through the Alliance website at www.agingresearch.org.*
New research has shown that while some aspects of general cognition decrease with age (for example memory), other processes actually improve with age (for example emotion processing). With all of the recent promising discoveries about the brain’s capacity to improve its functions, the Alliance and BRC are excited to bring the WebNeuro test of general cognition and emotion function, free to consumers. By offering easy access to the test, the groups aim to raise awareness about brain cognition and health.**
WebNeuro is a 30 minute test that can be taken anonymously and in the privacy of the user’s home, via the Internet. Users receive a personalized report at the completion of the test. The report provides indications of the user’s performance compared to age and gender matched peers in a normative database.** WebNeuro is particularly well suited for monitoring change in brain function over time, and in this regard, users are encouraged to monitor their brain function every six months. For more information on BRC and the WebNeuro test, visit www.brainresource.com/personalized-medicine/webneuro. Users will also be directed to the Brain Health pages on the Alliance website to learn more about what they can do to improve their brain health – www.agingresearch.org.
In addition to getting consumers thinking about the health of their minds in the same way they do the health of their bodies, the anonymous results will be added, with the users consent, to a database that will allow researchers and clinicians to learn more about cognition and aging. Users will also learn about the crucial role that they will play in this important research.
*WebNeuro will be free to the first million users through May 14, 2007. After that date, and for subsequent tests, a fee will be charged.
**The WebNeuro test is only a cognitive screening tool and is not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any health problems. Users concerned about their results will be instructed to contact their primary care physician for a comprehensive clinical assessment.
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Founded in 1986, the Alliance for Aging Research is a nonprofit, independent organization dedicated to improving the health and independence of aging Americans through public and private funding of medical research and geriatric education. The Alliance combines the interest of top scientists, public officials, business executives, and foundation leaders to promote a greater national investment in research and new technologies that will prepare our nation for the coming senior boom, and improve the quality of life for today’s older generation
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The Brain Resource Company (BRC, www.brainresource.com) has set up the first global standard for Brain Testing. BRC provides evidence-based reports about brain function and cognition for a wide range of users. It is being used commercially in drug development and clinical management and is also being made available to brain scientists for non-commercial scientific research. BRC’s standardized international database, with thousands of subjects, brings together behavioral and biological measures that are normally examined in isolation (including Personal History, Cognition, Electrical Brain Function, Brain Structure and Genetics). The methodology is used in over 100 sites, in the USA, Europe, South Africa and Australia. Additionally, over 100 scientific publications have emerged from the database.