European month of the brain: Calling attention to the troubled state of brain research
13.05.13
Crisis is one word that has been used to describe the current state of research and development in the field of brain-related disorders.[1] Whether such terminology is justified or not is debatable, but there is no doubt that more needs to be done to address our knowledge gaps regarding brain-related illness. During the European Month of the Brain, we want to call attention to the challenges faced by brain research – and examine some of the steps science’s creative minds are taking to address them.
Part of the problem when it comes to advancing our knowledge of brain-related disorders comes from the simple, frustrating fact that the brain is so difficult to study. You can take a needle biopsy of a breast cancer tumour, but the brain is much harder to access. Advancements such as improved imaging technologies have improved the situation, but the brain still remains a mystery in many ways. Luckily, stakeholders in various fields – from government to industry – are ramping up efforts to address the knowledge gaps in brain research.
As part of its Brain Month advocacy, the European Commission has highlighted current research projects that are expanding our knowledge of the brain and mental illness. One example given is EU-AIMS, a project funded by the Innovative Medicines Initiative, which is set to kick off the two largest ever clinical studies of ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorders) in 2014. Another IMI project, EUROPAIN is looking to deepen our understanding of chronic pain, a condition that impacts one in five Europeans. Meanwhile, the NEWMEDS project has created the largest known database of studies on schizophrenia. NEWMEDS research has already indicated that not only schizophrenia, but also intellectual disability and autism, may be impacted by copy number variation (CNV; when the number of copies of a particular gene varies between different people).
Brain Research Investment for a Healthy Population and Economy
Initiatives like the IMI projects described above are advancing brain research in Europe and similar actions are being taken overseas. The United States recently launched its own initiative to advance brain research, BRAIN (Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies). The $100 million project aims to deepen researcher’s understanding of brain disorders and hopefully, pave the way for improved treatments and even cures.
On launching the initiative, US President Barack stressed its value is not only scientific but also economic. “It’s so important that we think about basic research generally as a driver of growth,” the President stated, adding that current budget cuts in the US “are threatening to set us back before we even get started.” He cited the human genome project as an example, noting that every $1 spent on the approximately $2 billion project returned $140 to the US economy.
Such economic arguments are also relevant to the EU. Additionally, improved solutions for brain-related disorders can ease the financial burden on EU healthcare systems – an issue that will become increasingly important as Europe’s population ages. In 2010, brain diseases cost Europe €798 billion; such figures are expected to increase drastically as the population ages and degenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s appear more frequently.[2] The impact on budgets goes beyond direct healthcare costs; social systems must also account for a range of other factors, including absenteeism, disability support and lost earnings, and maintenance of care facilities like nursing homes.
Looking ahead, it’s obvious that investment in brain-related research is not an area where we should be pinching pennies. What makes brain research a particularly vulnerable field is the fact that, unlike cancer, there is a lack of pan-European or national strategies in place that address brain health in a comprehensive way. The European Month of the Brain seeks to address this problematic gap. Improving awareness about brain research – the obstacles it faces, and the impact it can have – is essential if we are to move forward in this challenging research field.
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[1]http://www.sciencenews.org/view/feature/id/348115/description/No_New_Meds
