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The Horizon Europe Health cluster aims at improving the understanding of health and diseases, developing innovative methodological and technological solutions to better manage health and diseases and designing sustainable approaches for the digital transformation and delivery of integrated, person-centred and equitable health and care services.

EBC generally welcomes the programme, which includes relevant areas that relate to neurological and mental diseases within several calls. However, though the document mentions “non-communicable diseases” and “mental health/illness”, there are very few references to neurological diseases and no further prioritization of brain disorders reflected within the calls, which we see as a worrying oversight.

The numbers are clear; in 2010, it was estimated that brain disorders, neurological and mental alike, affected approximately 179 million European citizens and that the costs associated with these conditions were estimated at €800 billion annually[1]. In 2016, neurological disorders were the cause of 276 million DALYs & 9 million deaths, with mental disorders adding approximately 8 million deaths annually[2]. Moreover, the consequences of brain-related conditions extend well beyond European healthcare systems and include loss of quality of life, implications for labour markets with prolonged impairment, great dependency and significantly reduced productivity.

In this regard, EBC – together with all its member organisations and societies – stressed the importance and need for improved recognition of brain research and for its support within the scope of Horizon Europe. This is a key requisite for improving human health and decreasing the overall burden of disease on European citizens.

The consultation within our wide network of brain researchers, scientists, patients and clinicians gathered feedback and suggestions for further improving the draft Work Programme, highlighting:

1. The need to address the full spectrum of brain-related diseases

Brain disorders – both neurological and mental alike— constitute a major factor, alongside cancers and cardiovascular diseases, driving the overall burden of diseases in Europe. The Health Cluster aims to solve the major health-related issues plaguing the European population, yet brain disorders remain low and insufficiently recognized throughout the draft document whilst the majority of brain conditions remain without efficient treatment and none with full cures. Although there are references to mental health/illness and disabilities in some parts of the text, only limited references to neurological disorders are made. The brain community feels strongly that the funding for brain research lacks in parity to responding to the burden of brain disorders and that neurological disorders, in particular, require increased prioritization in research funding.

2. Importance of collaboration/coordination in the brain research space

Europe-wide collaborations should be stimulated if needed and relevant, and calls for partnerships in the health research area are welcomed. To establish fruitful and effective collaboration, it is crucial to better understand the potential for collaboration and interaction, especially with civil society, policy, interest organisations and lay public for the advancement of health and neuroscience. With the project establishing a European Brain Research Area (EBRA), EBC and its member organisations and societies are working towards this important goal with the cluster calls.

3. Increased focus on supporting basic research

Although the brain community very much agrees on the importance of translational research, it is important to be careful not to focus all research priorities solely or exclusively on translation. To effectively perform translational research and because the brain is a very complex matter, the value of basic research needs to be stressed and investing resources into fundamental research continued. For many brain disorders, the field for translation is not yet ready. The transition to clinical research is often too rapid, which might lead to failure. Therefore, we emphasise the value of hypothesis driven research and related pre-clinical research, definitely with regard to innovation, and we stress the importance of understanding the biological basis of brain diseases.

4. Addressing the scope of the various topics

Work programmes have always included topics that are very broad by nature, meaning they are inclusive— which we consider to be positive – but also open up for a larger number of submissions. As a consequence, there is likely to be an increased number of rejections and the need for reviewers will continue to grow. We recommend that the scope of the various topics is reviewed and further adjusted and narrowed where needed.

Alongside these overarching points, the EBC response also included more detailed feedback on specific parts of the draft. We continue to monitor the preparations for Horizon Europe over the coming months and will also continue to take all feedback from the EBC community into account.

Full PDF of summary available here.

[1] Gustavsson A et al. Cost of disorders of the brain in Europe 2010

[2] GBD 2016 Neurology Collaborators, Estimating the true global burden of mental illness – Lancet Psychiatry 2016 & Mortality in Mental Disorders and Global Disease Burden Implications

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Experts are calling for a public health campaign aimed at promoting a ‘brain-healthy lifestyle’ to reduce the risk of developing neurodegenerative brain diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.

The campaign should support existing health promotion work by emphasising that “what is good for the heart is generally good for the brain,” they urge.

In a report published by the Oxford Health Policy Forum today, they go on to talk about a ‘window of opportunity’ in midlife where individuals may be able to make the biggest difference to their risk of developing neurodegenerative disease or of delaying its progress.

The public education campaign should be underpinned by a coordinated research programme, which is aimed at developing clinical tests for identifying those at risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases ‒ before signs and symptoms appear. Research to develop new treatments and other tests to facilitate earlier diagnosis must also continue, and health systems must prepare now for the time when such tests are available.

“People need to understand the risk factors that can affect their brain health and what can be done to maintain it and to help prevent neurodegenerative diseases,” said neurologist Professor Gavin Giovannoni from Queen Mary University of London and Co-chair of the author group of a new evidence-based report, Time matters: a call to prioritize brain health.

The report summarises published evidence and the consensus findings of an international multidisciplinary expert group, including clinicians, researchers and representatives from patient advocacy and professional groups.

“Deterioration in the structure or function of nerve cells (neurodegeneration) begins many years before any symptoms become obvious. This means that diagnosis often occurs at a relatively late stage in the disease course, when substantial damage to nerve cells has already taken place,” explained Dr Alastair Noyce, from Queen Mary University of London and Co-chair of the author group.

“We conclude that there is a ‘10–20-year window of opportunity’ in midlife during which people can reduce the risk of developing a neurodegenerative disease or delay its progress. We cannot change our genetic make-up, but we can help reduce the risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases ourselves by taking exercise, keeping socially active, eating healthily, reducing alcohol intake, stopping smoking and keeping our brains active.”

Neurodegenerative diseases are becoming more common as people live longer, but they are not an inevitable consequence of normal ageing. Worldwide, Alzheimer’s disease affects about 50 million people and Parkinson’s disease affects more than 6.1 million people; these numbers are rising.

“Planning for the healthcare structures of the future has to start now if we’re to avert a crisis,” stressed Professor Giovannoni. “Neurodegenerative diseases pose an enormous socioeconomic and individual burden, and this will continue to grow as the population ages.”

The report sets out a series of consensus recommendations, including:

• improve public understanding of how to protect brain health through lifestyle measures – such as exercise and a healthy diet
• prepare for the likely increased demand for genetic testing by those wanting to understand their risk of a neurodegenerative disease
• provide access to available and effective treatments in a timely manner
• provide accessible holistic care, including prevention information, treatment options and support
• conduct research to identify accurate and cost-effective tests for disease detection and diagnosis
• develop, validate and approve tests, tools and apps for monitoring brain health.

Several professional associations and advocacy groups – including European Brain Council, Alzheimer’s Research UK, Parkinson’s UK and European Parkinson’s Disease Association – have endorsed the recommendations

Welcoming the report, Dr Hilary Evans, Chief Executive of Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “Evidence shows that what’s good for the heart is good for the brain, but this message is yet to hit home with the public. Only a third of people think it’s possible to reduce their risk of dementia, and we must do more to empower people with knowledge about the actions they could take to protect their brain health. Alzheimer’s Research UK wholeheartedly supports the timely and important recommendations of this report.”

Representing the European Brain Council, Professor Monica Di Luca echoed the need for action and collaboration: “The European Brain Council has for years been highlighting the importance and cost of brain diseases. This report strengthens the case for governments to prioritise brain health and to prepare for the challenges that healthcare systems will face as the burden of brain disease continues to increase.”

Time matters: a call to prioritize brain health was launched at the European Health Forum Gastein conference (the ‘Davos’ for Public Health) on Thursday 3 October.

Read the full report HERE.

Notes to editor

Lead author and Chair, Professor Gavin Giovannoni, and other members of the author group are available for interview.

Professor Gavin Giovannoni is centre lead for neuroscience and trauma at the Blizard Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London.

Professor Philip Scheltens, a leading expert in Alzheimer’s disease and Co-chair of the report, is based at the Alzheimer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Netherlands.

Author and Co-chair of the report, Dr Alastair Noyce, is a Clinical Senior Lecturer, at Queen Mary University of London and a Neurology Registrar at Barts. His main research interests are in the area of Parkinson’s disease.

Time matters: a call to prioritize brain is published by Oxford Health Policy Forum CIC, a not-for-profit community interest company registered in England and Wales (Registration number: 10475240).

A full copy of the report is available at www.oxfordhealthpolicyforum.org

Preparation of the report was funded by educational grants from Biogen and F. Hoffmann-La Roche, who had no influence on the content.

About neurodegenerative diseases

Neurodegeneration is a consequence of disease-related processes in the brain that result in a loss of function of the nervous system.¹ Neurodegenerative diseases are long-term progressive conditions that cause a decline in brain health and result in premature age. Age is the strongest risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases,² and these diseases are becoming more common as people are living longer.

The two most common neurodegenerative diseases are Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. Some, but not all, neurodegenerative diseases are causes of dementia. Dementia is the fifth highest cause of death and the number of global deaths is predicted to double over the next 20 years.³

The financial cost of neurodegenerative disease to society is considerable, both in terms of direct (e.g. medical) and indirect (e.g. sick leave) healthcare costs and in the significant loss of workforce hours. The global costs of dementia have increased from US$604 billion in 2010 to US$818 billion in 2015.^3,4 The World Health Organization (WHO) has estimated that, by 2030, Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias will be responsible for 1.2% of the total deterioration in health-related quality of life.⁵

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disease and the most common cause of dementia.⁶ It involves the progressive loss of specialised cells in the brain (neurons) that affect behaviour, memory and cognition, which significantly and progressively impacts a person’s ability to maintain the activities of daily living.^7,8 More than 520,000 people in the UK have dementia caused by AD; worldwide, AD affects about 50 million people.^7,8

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is caused when brain cells stop producing ‘dopamine’, a chemical that controls movement.⁹ Symptoms can include an altered way of walking, a stooped posture, tremors and small handwriting.⁹ In the later stages it is characterised by balance problems which often result in falls. The number of people diagnosed with PD in the UK is around 145,000; worldwide, PD affects more than 6 million people.¹⁰

1. Mattson MP, Magnus T. Ageing and neuronal vulnerability. Nat Rev Neurosci 2006;7:278–94.
2. Livingston G, Sommerlad A, Orgeta V et al. Dementia prevention, intervention, and care. Lancet 2017;390:2673–734.
3. Prince M, Wimo A, Guerchet M et al. World Alzheimer report 2015: the global impact of dementia, 2015. Available from: https://www.alz.co.uk/research/world-report-2015 (Accessed 15 January 2019).
4. Wimo A, Guerchet M, Ali GC et al. The worldwide costs of dementia 2015 and comparisons with 2010. Alzheimers Dement 2017;13:1–7.
5. World Health Organization. Neurological Disorders. Public health challenges Switzerland: WHO, 2006. Available from: https://www.who.int/mental_health/neurology/neurological_disorders_report_web.pdf (Accessed 15 January 2019).
6. Cummings JL, Cole G. Alzheimer disease. JAMA 2002;287:2335–8.
7. World Health Organization. Dementia fact sheet, 2017. Available from: http://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/dementia (Accessed 6 February 2019).
8. Alzheimer’s Research UK. Dementia Attitudes Monitor – Wave 1 Report 2018, 2019. Available from: https://www.dementiastatistics.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Dementia-Attitudes-Monitor-Wave-1-Report.pdf (Accessed 6 February 2019).
9. Sveinbjornsdottir S. The clinical symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. J Neurochem 2016;139:318–24.
10. Dorsey ER, Elbaz A, Nichols E et al. Global, regional, and national burden of Parkinson’s disease, 1990–2016: a systematic analysis for the global burden of disease study 2016. Lancet Neurol 2018;17:939–53.

Media relations

Chris Mahony, Interim Faculty Communications Executive (Medicine and Dentistry)

Marketing and Communications Department, Queen Mary University of London

T: 0207 8825315

E: c.mahony@qmul.ac.uk

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The event aimed to bring together leading healthcare stakeholders and policymakers to address key questions in the domain of research, such as how the upcoming 9th Framework Programme can accelerate brain research across Europe, what measures can be taken in order to stimulate the development of new central nervous system drugs for treating brain disorders, and what can be done to address the concerns of patients.

FP9 & Missions

In view of the upcoming FP9 proposal, a wide range of independent experts provided recommendations on mission oriented research and how to gain the most out of EU-funded innovation programmes.  Recommendations to double the budget of the next Framework Programme have resounded across institutions: The “Lab – Fab – App” report, written under the leadership of Pascal Lamy, the European Parliament, Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and European Commissioner for Budget Günther Oettinger. Additionally, Prof. Mariana Mazzucato provided guidance on how research and innovation can address global challenges in the recently released report “Mission-Oriented Research & Innovation in the European Union”. In light of these recommendations, the session “Missions and FP9” aims to facilitate dialogue amongst experts on the mission oriented approach of the European Commission and how the next Framework Programme can boost therapeutic innovation.

Keynote speaker Prof. Andrea Renda kicked-off the first session, giving an insightful presentation on Mission-Oriented Research and Innovation Policy in the EU. He explored EU research as it stands now, and where it could be winning and/or losing. Furthermore, he shared all the different programmes available and supportive of the brain, and called for continued collaboration.

EBC President Prof. Monica Di Luca called for the Brain to be recognised as a Mission, launching the EBC Brain Mission, which calls to ‘understand, fix and enhance’, referring to understanding the brain as the space race of the 21st century. The full Mission can be read HERE.

Newly appointed Director-General of the Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, European Commission, Jean-Eric Paquet, addressed the audience, giving insight into what’s ahead as the work to shape the next Framework Programme begins, speculating on how a mission-oriented approach could pan out.

The Value of Innovation

Developing effective treatments to improve the lives of those affected by brain disorders is extremely challenging. Despite decades of publicly and privately funded brain research, there is currently no treatment available to cure a wide range of mental and neurological conditions. What is more, research efforts do not always translate into tangible results for patients. In view of this, and in the light of the high burden that brain disorders impose on European society, the session on “The Value of Innovation” aimed to empower healthcare experts and stakeholders to present their views on issues that hinder therapeutic innovation and discuss potential solutions.

The session was introduced by EBC Treasurer Joke Jaarsma, and the morning began separated into the perspective of various stakeholders: patients, research, regulators and industry. These perspectives were shared by Hilkka Kärkkäinen (President, GAMIAN-Europe), Jacobo Santamarta Barral (Young Person’s Network at the European Multiple Sclerosis Platform), Prof. Sebastian Brandner (UCL Institute of Neurology), Dr. Marisa Papaluca (Senior Scientific Advisor, European Medicines Agency) and Dr. Christoph von der Goltz (Lundbeck).

A panel session followed, bringing in further stakeholder perspectives, with a discussion from payers, industry, researchers and policymakers. The panel was made up of Menno Aarnout (Executive Director, Association Internationale de la Mutualité), Matthias Wismar (Senior Health Policy Analyst, European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies), Nathalie Moll (Director-General, EFPIA), Prof. Colm O’Morain (Past President, Alliance for Biomedical Research in Europe) and Jaroslaw Waligora (Policy Officer, Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety, European Commission). The panel discussion was moderated by Dr Alexander Schubert (Executive Director, ECNP) and Margaret Walker (Executive Director, EUFAMI).

European Brain Research: Shifting Gears and Going Global

The third session drew focus to global initiatives and the potentials to increase collaboration at the international level, and aimed to provide an overview of the current global brain research initiatives and to allow experts to present their perspectives on how to further enhance cooperation at global level.

Many initiatives aimed at supporting brain research and improving the allocation of research funds were launched at global level in recent years. These efforts have the potential to significantly strengthen collaboration across disciplines and can therefore make a lasting difference for patients and scientists.

The session began with a welcome from Prof. Patrice Boyer, EBC Vice-President, and went on to an introduction on the global initiatives launched with the support of the European Commission by Dr Karim Berkouk, Acting Head of Unit, Non-communicable diseases and the challenge of healthy ageing, Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, European Commission.

This continued to examples of existing and potential collaboration, bringing together Dr. Ari Ercole representing the International Initiative for Traumatic Brain Injury Research (InTBIR) – concrete example of existing international collaboration and the work being done at the global level; Prof. Philippe Ryvlin, Co-Chair, Joint Task Force for Epilepsy Advocacy Europe, International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) – exploring why epilepsy should be the next global initiative and the value of international collaboration and expanding to a more global level; and Dr. Helena Ledmyr, Head of Development & Communications, International Neuroinformatics Coordinating Facility (INCF)– introducing INCF as an organization and platform for neuroinformatics and the value of international cooperation.

Heads of global networks then gave insight into the scope and function of their organizations and how they are collaborating and cooperating both across Europe and worldwide. This included Prof. Philippe Amouyel, Chair, EU Joint Programme – Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPND), Chris Ebell, Executive Director, Human Brain Project and Dr. Hella Lichtenberg, Senior Scientific Officer, ERA-NET Neuron.

The session was summed up and concluded by Prof. Wolfgang Oertel, EBC Vice-President, highlighting the vital need for collaboration on the brain.

We would like to thank everyone that was in attendance of the two-day event and for helping provide fruitful discussion.

Addressing the major burden on those living with brain conditions and the costs for European society requires an intensified research effort and the creation of novel solutions. The target of our proposed Brain Mission will be to decrease this enormous burden through better understanding of the physiology of the brain and disease states, relevant prevention strategies, as well as more generally, an increased awareness of the brain and its diseases.

Continued commitment to basic neuroscience research has advanced our understanding of the nervous system, with Europe successfully leading this effort designed to increase our understanding of the brain, as well as the practical and clinical application of this knowledge.

Engagement of the scientific and clinical community at all levels is required in order for the European population to benefit from discoveries and for advances in basic neuroscience to be translated into new diagnostic tools and treatments for brain disorders.

It is imperative now for the brain community to step up and call for the continued recognition of the brain and for the recognition of its importance in the upcoming Framework Programme (FP9). Help spread the Brain Mission far and wide and let’s continue to commit ourselves to advocating for the brain and for the 179 million people across Europe living with brain disorders.

See: BRAIN MISSION

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The first speaker was Prof. Albert Gjedde of the University of Copenhagen. His talk covered “The predictive brain and the future: to boldly go where no one has gone before” which explored how the most fundamental questions about the brain still remain unanswered despite the great advances in neuroscience over the recent years. More than ever before, neuroscientists must engage in efforts to test and apply this novel insight into the key functions of the human brain, as part of neuroscience’s continuing mission to explore the challenges that humans face when their brains age.

The second speaker was Prof. Steven Laureys, Director of the Coma Science Group at the GIGA Research and Neurology Department of the University and University Hospital of Liège, Belgium. He spoke freely to the room on his work in consciousness and coma science, and how understanding consciousness remains one of the greatest mysteries for science to solve. He also made the case for continued but starker support from the EU institutions for science and research, asking for continuity in funding and the work being done- breaking free from project-based restraints, allowing for consistency and longer-term research.

The final speaker was Prof. Gaia Novarino, neuroscientist who investigates the genetic and molecular basis of neurodevelopmental disorders at IST Austria, and spoke on how scientists work to find treatments for pediatric neurological disorders. Neurodevelopmental disorders affect millions of individuals from very young ages, and are often refractory to treatments, and despite decades of intensive research disorders such as autism and epilepsy remain poorly treatable. However, in the last years, researchers have found that autism spectrum disorders, epilepsy and mental retardation are often caused by tiny mistakes in the patient’s DNA; genetic information, therefore, may retain the key to reveal potential
treatment options.

A discussion with the audience follow the speakers, and was a great display of interest and curiosity from the full room. Attending neuroscientists and MEPs alike posed questions to our three speakers, the panel and discussants Prof. Roland Pochet and EBC Vice-President Prof. Patrice Boyer.

EBC would like to thank all its partners and collaborators for making this Brain Awareness Week 2018 outreach event an excellent success, as well as all the attendees who took the time out of their day to travel to the Parliament to make the event. We also extend a special thank you to all MEPs that attended the event and took part in the lively discussion.

The full programme with speakers biographies and abstracts can be found here
The event was livestreamed here

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Last week EBC held its final Board Meeting and General Assembly of 2017. It was a full two days starting with the Digital Health event at the European Parliament, and leading into the election of the new Executive Board on the evening of the 22nd (results below). The day continued over the EBC Board Dinner, which  served as a continuation for the event held prior and included three speakers on eHealth.

The two days of meetings continued the following day with the General Assembly, which produced an exciting amount of fruitful feedback and discussion of EBC’s current and planned activities moving forward. The main outcomes are shared below.

Main Conclusions and Action Points: 

Delegates to the Board and General Assembly of the European Brain Council (EBC) met on 22^nd-23^rd November to elect a new Executive Board, discuss current issues on EBC’s agenda and decide on the future direction of the organization. On this occasion, the following decisions were adopted:

Election of the new Executive of EBC

• The following Officers were elected by the Board:
  • President: Prof. Monica di Luca
  • Vice-Presidents: Prof. Wolfgang H. Oertel
    Prof. Patrice Boyer
  • Treasurer: Joke Jaarsma

Overall Conclusions and Core Actions

• EBC’s progress with regard to various projects and advocacy issues was discussed and endorsed:
  • The “innovation agenda” under which EBC will initiate work towards a revision of the EMA-guidelines, (2) respond to the consultation on Supplementary Protection Certificates and (3) continue the GOLUP-campaign, was confirmed.
  • The establishment of the “Value of Treatment” project in a continued fashion was approved. Delegates also looked forward to developing new case studies and/or carrying on disseminating the results and outcomes of the VoT white paper published in June.
  • EBC’s plan to apply for Horizon 2020 calls was positively received, particularly those related to brain research coordination and health technology assessment.
  • Plans for organizing an event in view of the 9^th Framework Programme for Research, with the aim of raising awareness of the importance of including “Brain research” specifically as one of the missions, were positively received.

• A few policy documents, submitted for consideration, were endorsed:
  • The “Digital Health Society Declaration”
  • The statement “Prioritising patient safety and public health across Europe post-Brexit”
  • The “Call to Action on Migration and Health”
  • The “Call to Action to enhance labour opportunities for people with chronic diseases” (with an accompanying letter to be provided to the European Chronic Disease Alliance (ECDA) which authored the document)
  • The joint statement on “medical training and professional development for patient safety”

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This was the central message of the Neurological Alliance of Ireland & Irish
Brain Council conference “Brain Research in Ireland: Investing in All Our
Futures”  held in the Science Gallery Dublin on 7th March as part of events
to mark National Brain Awareness Week

The event saw the launch of the inaugural position paper by the Irish Brain
Council, outlining their agenda to advocate for and promote investment in
research and improved access to services and treatments for Irish people
with brain conditions.

Speakers at the conference included the head of research and analytics from
the Irish Department of Health and the guest speaker, Frederic Destrebecq,
Executive Director of the European Brain Council Members of the Irish Brain
Council who are leading specialists in clinical and neuroscience research in
Ireland also spoke on the day and the event was chaired by Mags Rogers,
Executive Director of the Neurological Alliance of Ireland, the national
umbrella for patient organisations.

Delivering the opening address, Mags Rogers Executive Director of the
Neurological Alliance and Secretary of the Irish Brain Council said “Brain
conditions are the greatest medical challenge of our time. With the Irish
Brain Council, we have a united voice across basic and clinical research and
including patient organisations to bring a national focus to brain
conditions with the aim of promoting investment in research, treatment and
services. We’ve seen the sea change in outcomes for conditions here in
Ireland because of a focused drive and investment in research and treatment.
This is what we are calling for on behalf of Irish people with brain
conditions”.

The event attracted over 150 attendees from the fields of research, clinical
practice and patient organisations.

You can download the inaugural position paper of the Irish Brain Council here.

Article courtesy of the Irish Brain Council.

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The document is titled “The need to expand Brain Research in Europe” and can be viewed here.

In promoting brain health in Europe, EBC recognises the vital need to create a body of evidence supporting our call to give the brain a higher priority as well as to provide policy makers with the state-of-the-art knowledge concerning key needs in the field of brain research. EBC’s Consensus Statement is answering to this.

The Consensus Statement, prepared by EBC together with its members and partners and in collaboration with over 100 European scientists and patient representatives, presents proposals for future research programmes and describes the needs and achievements of research in Europe.

“We need support from policymakers” 

As EBC’s Vice-President Monica Di Luca mentioned during the launch event, the “Statement presents achievements and challenges of brain research and calls for urgent action and targeted support from policymakers.”

Find Monica Di Luca’s presentation here.

“No neurons, no hope”

Neurologist Gustave Moonen, representing EBC’s Member the European Academy of Neurology (EAN),  stressed the importance of science in treating brain disorders:

“Once there are no neurons left, there is no hope. You have to treat patients before they lose their neurons and synapses.  If we can fly to the moon then we can cure brain disorders.”

Prof. Moonen also added that “the brain is too precious to be involved in political games and squabbles with national structures for funding.”

Find his presentation here.

Horizon 2020

Catherine Berens, representative of the Directorate General Research & Innovation of the European Commission, explained how the Horizon 2020 EU funding framework will help brain research:

“While there is no specific bullet point on the brain, this programme provides many opportunities for brain research because it allows researchers to identify commonalities between disease areas.”

Find her presentation here.

Call to Action for Brain Disorders 

There was a general consensus among the participants that brain research should not become a topic of political games, but be awarded the proper support from decision-makers both at EU and national level.

One way of doing that – as EBC and its partners suggest in our recent Call to Action – is to create European and national brain plans to ensure better management of brain disorders.

Neuroscience  

This Consensus Document also points to the need for robust basic research in neuroscience and the development of a strong European platform for brain research which is needed to address brain diseases, a societal emergency in European countries.

The current paper is an update to the 2006 and 2011 Consensus Documents, reflecting changes in research priorities and advances in brain research that have taken place in the last few years. In particular, this most recent update formulates proposals for brain research ranging from consciousness to computational neuroscience.

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