1 in 3 people will suffer brain illness or injury in their lifetime.
Brain diseases and injuries cost society as much as $2 TRILLION per year in the US and EU.
Brain disorders and injuries cost society more than cancer and cardiovascular disease COMBINED.
1.7 MILLION Americans have Autism.
1.7 MILLION Americans suffer a Traumatic Brain Injury every year.
Approximately 1 million Americans suffer from Parkinson’s disease.
Over 5 million Americans have Alzheimer’s Disease.
For every soldier killed in war in 2012, about 25 veterans took their own lives.
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is one of the LEADING CAUSES OF DEATH AND DISABILITY in America.
By 2023, over 46 million American adults will suffer from a mental disorder.
53,000 Americans die every year due to Traumatic Brain Injury.
8 teenagers die EVERY DAY in the US from TBI.
Neurological disorders constitute 12% of total deaths globally each year.
There are 5 MILLION Americans living with TBI-related disabilities.
Mental disorders make up 35% of the cost of all non-communicable diseases worldwide.
5.3 MILLION Americans have lifelong disabilities due to Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).
Direct and indirect cost of TBI is $76 BILLION per year in the US.
Nearly 8% of the US population suffers from POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS in their lifetime.
300,000 soldiers suffer TBI and/or PTS.
Women are about twice as likely as men to develop PTSD.
There is 1 military suicide per day in the US.
FOUR people commit suicide EVERY HOUR in the United States.
In the U.S., serious mental illness causes earnings loss of $193.2 billion annually.
90% of suicide victims have a TREATABLE MENTAL DISORDER.
Nearly 10% of people with SCHIZOPHRENIA commit suicide.
Number one sport per capita for traumatic brain injury is GIRLS SOCCER.
HALF A MILLION children under 14 go to the emergency room every year for TBI.
Funding for brain research from government and pharmaceutical companies is DECREASING EVERY YEAR.
Someone develops Alzheimer’s Disease EVERY 68 SECONDS.
Alzheimer’s Disease is the 6th LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH in US adults.
Traumatic brain injury is the leading cause of death and disability in children and young adults.
TBI patients are up to 5 times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease.
Medicaid and Medicare spend $130 BILLION per year on Alzheimer’s patients.
One in 10 high school athletes involved in contact sports sustain a concussion each year.
Over 400,000 Americans have Multiple Sclerosis.
An athlete who sustains a concussion is 5 times more likely to sustain a second concussion.
People with TBI are nearly twice as likely to report binge drinking.
The lowest rates of Multiple Sclerosis are in countries nearest to the EQUATOR.
20% of U.S. troops returning from combat tours show symptoms of PTSD or major depression.
DEPRESSION is the LEADING CAUSE of disease burden in the U.S.
Nearly 7% of American adults had a MAJOR DEPRESSIVE EPISODE in the past 12 months.
81.1 million people will be affected by dementia by 2040.
Over 2 MILLION Americans over the age of 18 suffer from BIPOLAR DISORDER.
About one in 10 individuals will have at least one epileptic seizure in their lifetime.
TBI victims are 50% more likely to suffer from depression.
Over 2 MILLION Americans have SCHIZOPHRENIA.
Among people with MS, physical disability contributes to a nearly 70% unemployment rate.
The annual medical cost of Schizophrenia in the US is OVER $32B.

Brain Science: The Next Frontier

Posted on November 7, 2011

Conference will propose the creation of Center of Excellence in Brain Research in Minnesota

Minneapolis, October 31, 2011 - The human brain is the next great frontier for medical science, yet declining funding from both the public and private sectors is threatening efforts to cure brain disorders that afflict millions of people each year. On November 3-4, 2011, some of the world's leading neuroscientists, medical experts and policymakers will come together at Brain Science: The Next Frontier, a conference to be held at the University of Minnesota to discuss ways to advance brain research, foster greater international collaboration among researchers and fast-track the development of cures for major brain disorders such as Alzheimer's, bipolar disorder, Parkinson disease and sports-related brain injuries. Conference organizers will propose the creation of a new International Center of Excellence for Neuroscience and Psychiatry to be headquartered in Minnesota.

Among the conference speakers will be Nobel Prize-winning scientist Peter Agre, former Congressman and Research advocate Patrick Kennedy, Johnson & Johnson Neuroscientist Husseini Manji, and Global Health Initiative Director Lois Quam. The two-day conference will explore the latest research on brain function, discuss innovative new treatments for brain disorders and brainstorm ways to accelerate international collaboration among researchers. Dr. Agre's keynote speech will address his Nobel Prize-winning research on Aquaporins and the Brain. Former Norwegian Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik will discuss fighting the stigma of mental illness. Dr. Arne Holte from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health will outline the financial and societal costs of brain diseases. Stein Lorentzen-Lund, CEO of the Nansen Neuroscience Network in Norway will stress the importance of connecting brain science and research across international borders and establishing links with private industry. Dr. Greg Stewart of Medtronic will introduce new methods to target medication to the brain.

The conference builds on the work of the recently launched 'One Mind for Research' campaign, which was co-founded by Congressman Kennedy and businessman Garen Staglin this past May. The campaign aims to build a global network and data repository of all relevant imaging, genome, and patient records. One Mind for Research's plan to work smarter and share resources through public and private partnerships has the power to speed up progress on finding the cure for brain disorders ranging from schizophrenia to traumatic brain injury. The conference sponsors include the Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience at the University of Minnesota, Life Science Alley, MEDICA Research Institute, Tysvar LLC, GE Healthcare, the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, the Vinland National Center, the National Football League, the Minnesota Vikings, and the Minnesota Wild Foundation. "We want to thank all our sponsors, especially our main sponsor, GE Healthcare, for their generous support," said Ellen Ewald, the conference organizer. "The diverse range of support we received from research institutions, government, academia, private industry and professional sports has been quite extraordinary," added Ewald, "and illustrates how disorders of the brain impact every segment of society."

The Conference will climax on Friday with the announcement of a proposed Center of Excellence in Brain Science that will bring together the work of leading brain researchers in Minnesota and Norway. This new collaboration will allow researchers based in the two locations to pool their resources and undertake joint inquiries. Both Minnesota and Norway bring unique strengths to this partnership. The Department of Neuroscience at the University of Minnesota is home to some of the world's leading researchers in brain science, and Minnesota's private sector has long been a market leader in medical science and technology. "The University has some state-of-the-art brain imaging technology that could be of great use to Norwegian researchers," said Ewald, who is working with Dr. Charles Schulz to spearhead the creation of the Center.

Besides playing a leading role in neuroscience research, Norway has several extensive biobanks which have archived the genetic material of over 100,000 individuals and more than 5,000 data variables. "Biobanks are critical to genetic researchers," said Ewald. "One can envision bipolar disorder researchers at the Mayo Clinic, for example, tapping into Norway's extensive biobanks to further their research." The proposed International Center of Excellence for Neuroscience and Psychiatry will operate in cooperation with the One Mind for Research Campaign.

The conference will open at 8:00am on Thursday, November 3rd at the conference facilities located at TCF Bank stadium on the campus of the University of Minnesota.

For a conference schedule, list of speakers and registration materials, please visit http://tiny.cc/0ev7z