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Welcome to Alzheimer's Research & Therapy

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a devastating condition thought to affect more than 37 million people worldwide, a figure that is predicted to increase dramatically with an ageing population. After the description of AD by Alois Alzheimer in the early 1900s [1], the last century saw only incremental advances with respect to our treatment of this neurodegenerative disease. Cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine, the two approved therapies for use in patients with AD, provide at best modest symptomatic benefit and do not appear to significantly alter the disease course. Recent years have seen great strides in our knowledge regarding the pathogenic cascades that trigger the disease, and these advances have been a catalyst for the development of new therapeutics that are hoped to be disease modifying.

We have much still to learn about the aetiology and neuropathological processes underlying this growing epidemic, and Alzheimer's Research & Therapy will uniquely focus on the translational aspect of research into Alzheimer's and other dementias. The journal will provide a platform to communicate on methods of developing and measuring interventions in human studies.

Alzheimer's Research & Therapy will consider a broad spectrum of research into the dementias, which is reflected by our exceptional Editorial Board [2]. We aim to publish research that relates causal and risk factors with neurodegenerative conditions causing dementia, and describes the potential therapeutic applications of basic research, animal models, and other model systems, and novel therapeutics. This will include studies into genetics, molecular neurobiology, neuropathology, imaging, and biomarkers, with a focus on potential applications for intervention. Lessons learned from animal models, particularly how well they translate into human research, is an important theme. Another major focus will be on clinical trial design, outcome measurement, and preventative strategies.

In addition to high quality research, we will commission thought provoking review articles, which provide an account of recent developments in a given area of research, raise questions about areas of future development and analyse existing hypotheses. We will publish shorter opinion pieces of contemporary interest on any subject within the journal's scope. Reader's suggestions will be welcomed.

All research articles published in Alzheimer's Research & Therapy will be open access [3]. This means that all research articles are freely available online to all readers worldwide. This ensures high visibility for an author's work. In addition, authors will retain their own copyright, making it possible for them to grant the right to reproduce any part of their published research to anyone, provided it is correctly attributed. Publishing in Alzheimer's Research & Therapy also means that an author's work is deposited automatically in public archives such as PubMed Central [4]. This is an easy way for authors to comply with the increasing number of funder's public access policy, such as those announced over the past year by the NIH [5] and the Wellcome Trust [6] for example.

All submitted articles will initially be screened by a member of the journal's international Editorial Board [2]. Manuscripts will be peer reviewed by recognised experts in the dementia field. Reviewers and editors are asked to declare any potential conflicts of interest they may have in reviewing a manuscript. Reviews will be rapid, and once an article is accepted for publication it will be published online immediately in a provisional format. Once an article is accepted for publication, the publisher levies an Article Processing Charge [7] that covers the costs incurred in the handling of and adding value to the article. Online publication means that there are no space restrictions. This charge is a flat fee independent of article length, and any number of colour figures and additional data sets can be included in an article at no extra cost.

Alzheimer's Research & Therapy will be the major forum for translational research into Alzheimer's disease. We are delighted to introduce this much-needed journal to the Alzheimer's research community, and welcome your responses and submissions. The Editors are committed to making this journal a success, and we look forward to receiving your contributions in the future.

References

  1. Alzheimer A: Ueber eine eigenartige Erkrankung der Hirnrinde. Allgemeine Zeitschrift fur Psychiatrie und psychisch-gerichtliche Medizin. 1907, 64: 146-148.

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  2. Alzheimer's Research & Therapy Editorial Board. [http://alzres.com/edboard/]

  3. BioMed Central Open Access Charter. [http://www.biomedcentral.com/info/about/charter]

  4. PubMed Central. [http://www.pubmedcentral.org]

  5. NIH Public Access Policy. [http://publicaccess.nih.gov/policy.htm]

  6. Wellcome Trust Position statement in support of open and unrestricted access to published research. [http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/About-us/Policy/Policy-and-position-statements/WTD002766.htm]

  7. Frequently asked questions about BioMed Central's article-processing charges. [http://www.biomedcentral.com/info/about/apcfaq]

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Correspondence to Doug Galasko, Todd Golde or Gordon Wilcock.

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Competing interests

AD and FM are employees of BioMed Central and receive a fixed salary. DG, TG and GW are Editors-in-Chief of Alzheimer's Research & Therapy and receive an annual honorarium.

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Donnelly, A., Galasko, D., Golde, T. et al. Welcome to Alzheimer's Research & Therapy. Alz Res Therapy 1, 1 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1186/alzrt1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/alzrt1