A Brief History of C5R:
The Consortium of Canadian Centres for Clinical Cognitive Research (C5R) is a registered non-profit consortium of researchers committed to the pursuit of dementia research. C5R was founded in 1991 by a group of neurologists, geriatricians and psychiatrists from across Canada, and is the only Canadian consortium conducting trials in dementia and mild cognitive impairment.
Over the last 15 years, scientists have made enormous strides in understanding how Alzheimer’s disease affects the brain. Many of these recent insights point toward promising new strategies for treatment, prevention and diagnosis.
Current estimates are that less than 1/3 of dementia patients in North America are correctly diagnosed and only 1/3 of those receive medications. C5R is a major Canadian group promoting education of physicians on dementia therapy, and disseminating guidelines and treatment standards for the medical community.
Key areas of interest and activities of C5R include supporting best practices, through:
- Development and dissemination of treatment guidelines
- Knowledge translation and continuing education
- Advocacy and health policy support
- Investigator initiated research grants
- Recognition of members’ contribution to the understanding and treatment of patients suffering from cognitive disorders
Current C5R activities include:
- Coordination of the clinical research centres and Memory Clinics in Canada studying and treating dementia disease in Canada.
- Review of the protocols for drug studies related to dementia trials in Canada.
- Coordinating clinical centres interested in participation in such studies.
- Liaison between researchers, clinical centres, and industry regarding dementia research.
- Liaison and advocacy in partnership with CIHR, Alzheimer Society of Canada, and national agencies.
- Continuing medical education and annual symposia/workshops on topics related to dementia.
- Conduct and analysis of clinic-based cohort studies in parallel with the Canadian Study of Health and Aging.
- Organization, participation, and support for national and international conferences such as on vascular dementia. (Can. J. Neurol. Sci. 1994, 21:358-64) and consensus conferences on dementia (CMAJ June 15, 1999; Vol. 160 C12 Suppl.).