17 Amendments of Frédérique RIES related to 2010/2084(INI)
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the number of people suffering from neurodegmenerative diseasestia in Europe is estimated to be 8.67.3 million, with Alzheimer's accounting for the vast majority of those cases; whereas neurodegenerativthose diseases represent one of the main causes of disability and dependence in the elderly, and whereas the number of people suffering from these diseases is expected to rise dramatically by 2020, owing to increased life expectancy and a decreasing ratio of working to retired, whereas this number of people affected almost trebles when one takes into account the number of informal carers of peopulationsle with dementia,
Amendment 18 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the number of people suffering from neurodegenerative diseases in Europe is estimated to be 8.6 million, with Alzheimer's accounting for the vast majority of those cases; whereas neurodegenerative diseases represent one of the main causes of disability in the elderlyolder people, and whereas the number of people suffering from these diseases is expected to rise dramatically by 2020, owing to increased life expectancy and a decreasing ratio of working to retired populations,
Amendment 24 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas the population of Europe is ageing, with persons aged over 80 constituting the fastest-growing cohort in most European countries, and whereas dementia is therefore expected to be one of the main challenges for the sustainability of national healthcare systems, including informal care and long-term care facilities, in the coming decades,
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F b (new)
Recital F b (new)
Fb. whereas this European initiative is not intended to replace existing national plans to combat Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia, but instead should be used as a means of coordinating European research in this area more effectively and giving proper consideration to the establishment of a European centre of excellence which would facilitate cross-disciplinary exchanges among researchers,
Amendment 73 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H h (new)
Recital H h (new)
Hh. whereas, further, the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease delivered in almost 70% of cases of dementia fails to take full account of the variety of cerebral lesions encountered in sufferers and of the fact that young and elderly sufferers do not show the same pathological and clinical picture,
Amendment 88 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Suggests that the Council and the Commission consider launching a European Year of the Brain, complementing World Alzheimer's Day on 21 September, in order to raise awareness of brain-related diseases associated with ageing, and measures to prevent them;
Amendment 96 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Underlines the relevance of early diagnosis for preventive interventions, and the need for epidemiological and clinical data to help direct research and action, in particular during the asymptomatic phases and before patients become disabled;
Amendment 97 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Notes that at present there is no specific policy on the prevention of Alzheimer's disease, and calls, therefore, for the establishment of such a policy, including at European level, which would be based on the need to maintain an environment conducive to patients' physical and intellectual activity and a diet consistent with that recommended by the European Platform for Action on Diet, Physical Activity and Health and on the promotion of all policies to reduce smoking, both active and passive;
Amendment 110 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Points to the importance of a multidisciplinary approach on ways in which cooperation and coordination in the field of research at European level can improve knowledge, diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and social research into the welfare of patients and their families and carers; believes that early diagnostic tests, research into risk factors and criteria for early diagnosis are crucial; this being the case, sees clear added value in conducting large-scale epidemiological and clinical studies in transnational collaboration;
Amendment 115 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Recognises the current importance of the European Union’s support, totalling EUR 159 million, for 34 projects on neurodegenerative diseases; considers it essential, nevertheless, in the context of the forthcoming 8th RDFP, to address the fragmented nature of research, particularly that on Alzheimer’s, and to concentrate on a few major projects, including those in the insufficiently explored fields of non-drug, behavioural and cognitive therapies;
Amendment 122 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Invites the Member States to develop a Strategic Research Agenda establishing medium- to long-term research needs and objectives in the area of neurodegenerative diseases, especially Alzheimer's; takes the view that the strategic research agenda should be further developed towards an implementation plan establishing priorities and timetables and specifying the actions, instruments and resources required for its implementation; Recommends to foster the development of centres of excellence for specific research areas and to involve representatives of patients, carers organisations and public/ private healthcare providers;
Amendment 125 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 c (new)
Paragraph 6 c (new)
6 c. Invites European Institutions to support as far as possible Alzheimer Europe's Dementia Research Observatory as a useful tool for the dissemination of best practises and research results to patients and their carers;
Amendment 130 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Points to the importance of research into the connection as well as the distinction between the ageing process and dementia and between dementia and depression in the elderlyolder people; encourages the Member States, furthermore, to promote research programmes that give great importance to patient choice and perspective;
Amendment 139 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Calls onInvites Member States, in close cooperation with the Commission, to draw up common guidelines for the training of staff who work in whatever capacity with Alzheimer's patients (medical and paramedical professions), and for the training of family carers to ensure competent and effective use of the existing resources, more specifically through the support of the European Social Fund;
Amendment 150 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Underlines that the recent advances in imaging and biomarker research have indicated that Alzheimer’s disease develops as a result of the deopen the way to detecting silent molecular processes and early signs of Alzheimer’s disease by using, for example, a marker which is currently being studied that will make it possition in the brain of amyloid beta, a small neurotoxic proteble to view amyloid plaques, one of the two lesions associated with this disease, in the brain;
Amendment 177 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Encourages Member States to develop information campaigns for the general public and for specific groups such as schoolchildren, health care professionals and social workers, comparing and exchanging experiences on support measures for family carers, patients’ associations and non-governmental organisations by promoting the publication and distribution of information pamphlets concerning the training and organisation of voluntary workers and legal, psychological and health assistants both at home and at day centres by promoting or setting up Alzheimer’s associations to enable those concerned to exchange experiences;
Amendment 187 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 i (new)
Paragraph 12 i (new)
12i. Points out that considerable progress still needs to be made in the area of access to therapeutic trials for patients with Alzheimer’s and similar diseases in order to ensure that the new molecules are effective; emphasises that this problem should be addressed in the next revision of the European Directive on clinical trials on medicinal products (2001/20/EC);