TAP-dementia is a Dutch consortium, which is part of the Dutch National Dementia Strategy. TAP-dementia stands for Timely, Accurate and Personalized diagnosis of dementia. Researchers collaborate to improve the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia. On 1 February 2024, researchers from the TAP dementia consortium met for their annual consortium meeting. This edition was organised by the Rotterdam researchers at Erasmus MC.
The day started with a Junior Meeting, organised by work package leads Inez Ramakers (neuropsychologist, University of Maastricht) and Evelien Lemstra (neurologist, Amsterdam UMC). They shared their experiences and knowledge about dementia diagnosis and why it can be complicated. There was particular attention for diagnoses other than Alzheimer's, such as frontotemporal dementia and dementia with Lewy bodies. Also, they illustrated how in many patients, there is actually not one diagnosis, but mixed pathology. For example, Alzheimer's and vascular pathology. Getting a firmer grasp on mixed pathology is one of the main themes of TAP-dementia.
During a network lunch there was ample opportunity for active dialogue and to catch up with each other on a more personal level. Professor Daniel Alexanders from UCL (London, UK), who is also a member of the TAP-dementia Scientific Advisory Board, then delivered a keynote lecture. He provided an overview of the research performed at his lab, on modelling of different disease pathways within dementia based on brain scans.
During the afternoon, project leads of the five TAP projects gave updates with regard to where they stand after the first year, and what the plans are for the years to come. And because science and arts are an excellent match, the day ended with a visit to Art Hall Rotterdam, where a fully Artificial Intelligence (AI) based exhibition formed a clear link with the AI work being done in the context of TAP-dementia. The overall conclusion of this meeting was that TAP-dementia is well on its way and that the cooperation between the (junior) researchers is phenomenal.