Four thousand scientists are meeting at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference in Washington, to share the latest research about dementia -- prospects for a cure or treatment, best ways of managing the disease or, if possible, delaying it. Five million Americans already suffer from Alzheimer's, a number predicted to double as baby-boomers age in the next couple of decades.
Much of the research discussed this week is aimed at identifying people most likely to develop Alzheimer's years before symptoms appear, aiming to stall the disease if not completely prevent it. Several specialists from Johns Hopkins are working to develop such screens.
Dr. Paul Rosenberg is associate director of the Memory and Alzheimer's Treatment Center of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. He specializes in symptoms people show before dementia shows up and in measurements to understand the diagnostic criteria of the disease. Dr. Rosenberg joins us by phone.
