A report from the 2011 Alzheimer's Association International Conference (July 16-21 - Paris, France).

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is indeed a source of sadness weighing on all those who after sharing a full life now depend on each other for the most basic functions. Nevertheless, besides the dramatic impact it imposes on the life of sufferers and their caregivers, AD, as well as other forms of dementia that affect the elderly, but also younger patients, also incurs in substantial healthcare costs for patients, their families and others, including society at large. The progressive aging of the population largely depending on improved preventive and curative healthcare is progressively worsening the situation because of the increasing number of elderly people and the consequent increase in dementia sufferers. Effective and cost-effective treatments are thus required for reversing, improving or preventing these cognitive impairments. Fortunately, research has resulted in therapeutic opportunities that were reviewed during the 2011 Alzheimer's Association International Conference (AAIC) in Paris, and will be briefly reviewed in the following report.