Page 35 - Annual Report 2018

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 Sofia Foundation. The main exponent of this mentia need to be taken into account and be
project is the Queen Sofia 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 La actividad científica de la UIPA se estructura alre-
and related diseases as well as a Training Center, in dedor de cinco áreas de investigación con funcio-
addition to the UIPA. This Unit began its activity in nes complementarias:
April 2007, while the healthcare activity began at full
capacity in the second half of that year. • Department of Neurology
• Department of Neuropsychology
Currently, the UIPA consists of five departments with • Department of Neuroimaging
a clear multidisciplinary approach and with specific • Department of Neuropathology
objectives, among which are the following: the mo- • Department of Molecular Genetics
nitoring and periodic evaluation of patients at the
Alzheimer Center; the development of clinical, epi- From the clinical perspective, the UIPA counts with
demiological, genetic, research projects as well as personnel from the Departments of Neurology and
on biomarkers in biological samples or neuroima- Neuropsychology, who are in daily contact with pa-
ging, in the field of neurodegenerative diseases, with tients who come to the Queen Sofia Foundation Alz-
special focus in Alzheimer's disease and related de- heimer Center (CAFRS, for its acronym in Spanish)
mentias. and with the staff at the healthcare Residence, as
well as with the cohort of volunteers from the Valle-
Through this series of studies, new knowledge in ge- cas Project (see section 4), playing a role of media-
netics and molecular biology that have different ap- tion between basic researchers, relatives and
plications is generated, that teach the researchers caregivers. This role is critical in making patients, re-
about the pathogenic mechanisms of the disease latives and caregivers aware of the research pur-
which can be in turn implemented into the field of pose of the UIPA, give consent and collaborate with
diagnosis and, desirably, can result in the develop- the research projects. One of the research activities
ment of better treatments. of these departments consists in carrying out a clini-
cal, syndromic and etiological diagnosis of the pa-
However, far from promising a simple solution to the tients from the CAFRS, either in the resident regime
problem of neurodegenerative dementias, these (Units of Life) or in daycare (Day Center). In addition,
advances anticipate an increasingly complex pic- a set of clinical data is obtained that will be very use-
ture, in which the remedies will be achieved through ful for the other UIPA scientific areas studies.

CIEN Foundation Annual Report 2018 / 35