Dear Friends,
 This is a very special edition of our Newsletter, focused on what’s happening in the
Alzheimer’s scientific and medical communities. We know that increasing numbers of pharmaceutical
companies, biotechs, hospitals and independent laboratories are investing more
resources in finding effective treatments and, hopefully a cure. As a consequence, the need
for participation in clinical trials is growing—including control studies with healthy brains.
So, to “walk the talk,” I signed up for as many clinical trials as would have me. To date, I
have enrolled in two: Columbia University Medical Center and a joint venture with New
York University and Weill Cornell Medical College. As I share my experiences with you
through this column, I hope to de-mystify clinical trials and, in doing so, encourage many
of you to enroll.
My first trial was at Columbia University’s Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s
Disease and the Aging Brain. I enrolled in a double blind clinical trial that studies Alzheimer’s.
A few words about the process itself. Everything was completely confidential and anonymous.
The tests were performed in comfortable examining rooms by professional and courteous
doctors and researchers. After I gave complete family medical histories, I underwent a series
of non-invasive physical examinations and batteries of cognitive and memory tests. The
whole process took under four hours.
For the most part, I was relaxed, although I confess that there were moments when I felt
anxious, particularly when I had trouble remembering a very long series of numbers.
At the end of the process, I was asked, “Would you be willing to donate your brain to us?”
The specter of my own death was startling. But the question was not surprising—and points
out the importance of our participation in the research process. Who knows: the study I
participated in may one day lead to a cure.
We’ll have a terrific discussion about the search for the cure on September 25th at our 2007
Annual Meeting, entitled, “Competing Paradigms in Alzheimer’s Research.” If you are able
to join us, I can promise you an informative evening.
On another subject, I am happy to report that we are now completely at home in our new
headquarters and are serving more people than ever before in our state-of-the art facility.
We have launched our Capacity Building Program to allow our friends and supporters to
name rooms and exhibition space in honor of a loved one.
Finally, don’t forget to dust off your baseball glove and your walking shoes. Our 3rd annual
Alzheimer’s Awareness game at Shea is on the evening of June 26th and believe it or not,
Memory Walk is October 21st, just around the corner. I hope to see you there!
In closing, I thank our very good friends at Forest Laboratories, Inc. for their ongoing
support and for generously underwriting this issue of our Newsletter.
— Lou-Ellen Barkan
President & CEO
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