Page 55 - Memora anual Fundación CIEN 2017
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3. SCIENTIFIC ACTIVITY
▄▀ 3.1. Overview
On January 18, 2006, the CIEN Foundation signed an small goals, and only by the complementary and
agreement with the Queen Sofia Foundation, under synergistic work of many research groups. This com-
which the former assumes the management of the plexity is the main feature of neurodegenerative di-
Alzheimer Project Research Unit (UIPA, for its seases since they affect both the biological aspect
acronym in Spanish). The context in which the UIPA as well as the clinical and personal level. Thus, the
is framed is the Alzheimer Project, promoted by the psychological and social aspects involved in de-
Queen Sofía Foundation. The main exponent of this mentia need to be taken into account and be
project is the Queen Sofía Foundation Alzheimer aware that ethical and legal issues such as the right
Center (Alzheimer Complex), located in the Valle- to information and participation in medical decisions
cas neighborhood (Madrid), which in 2017 has cele- are increasingly gaining prominence every day.
brated its 10th Anniversary. One of the most
outstanding aspects of the Alzheimer Complex is ▄▀ 3.2. Department Structure
that there is a Healthcare Center (formed by a Resi-
dence and a Day Center) for Alzheimer's patients The scientific activity of UIPA is structured around four
and related diseases as well as a Training Center, in complementary research areas:
addition to the UIPA. This Unit began its activity in
April 2007, while the healthcare activity began at full • Department of Neurology
capacity in the second half of that year. • Department of Neuropsychology
• Department of Neuroimaging
Currently, the UIPA consists of five departments with • Department of Neuropathology
a clear multidisciplinary approach and with specific • Department of Molecular Genetics
objectives, among which are the following: the mo-
nitoring and periodic evaluation of patients at the From the clinical perspective, the UIPA counts with
Alzheimer Center; the development of clinical, epi- personnel from the Departments of Neurology and
demiological, genetic, research projects as well as Neuropsychology, who are in daily contact with pa-
on biomarkers in biological samples or neuroima- tients who come to the Queen Sofia Foundation Alz-
ging, in the field of neurodegenerative diseases, with heimer Center (CAFRS, for its acronym in Spanish)
special focus in Alzheimer's disease and related de- and with the staff at the healthcare Residence, as
mentias. well as with the cohort of volunteers from the Valle-
cas Project (see section 4), playing a role of media-
Through this series of studies, new knowledge in ge- tion between basic researchers, relatives and
netics and molecular biology that have different ap- caregivers. This role is critical in making patients, re-
plications is generated, that teach the researchers latives and caregivers aware of the research pur-
about the pathogenic mechanisms of the disease pose of the UIPA, give consent and collaborate with
which can be in turn implemented into the field of the research projects. One of the research activities
diagnosis and, desirably, can result in the develop- of these departments consists in carrying out a clini-
ment of better treatments. cal, syndromic and etiological diagnosis of the pa-
tients from the CAFRS, either in the resident regime
However, far from promising a simple solution to the (Units of Life) or in daycare (Day Center). In addition,
problem of neurodegenerative dementias, these a set of clinical data is obtained that will be very use-
advances anticipate an increasingly complex pic- ful for the other UIPA scientific areas studies.
ture, in which the remedies will be achieved through
CIEN Foundation Annual Report 2017 / 55
