CRESS’s EpiAgeing team will be in charge of the scientific coordination of the future French database on Alzheimer
The 2025–2030 National Strategy for Neurodegenerative Diseases has reaffirmed the importance of research in improving the prevention, diagnoses, and treatment of cognitive disorders, which currently affect about 8% of people aged 65 years and over. One of its actions is to strengthen and expand the National Alzheimer Database (BNA). Established in 2009 under the previous “Plan National Alzheimer”, the database consolidates data collected from every consultation across France’s 450 accredited memory clinics (including specialized centres and outpatient consultation services) into a standardized dataset. With data from more than 1.8 million patients to date, it is one of the world’s largest databases dedicated to cognitive disorders.
The General Directorate for Healthcare Provision (DGOS), which oversees the database, has strengthened its scientific governance by appointing the EpiAgeing team at CRESS to coordinate the project alongside the Scientific Committee, whose members serve on an individual and voluntary basis. To launch the project this September, a dedicated team has been recruited, comprised of data scientist Céline Ben Hassen and project manager Pauline Detuncq, both of whom will be working under the supervision of Aurore Fayosse and Séverine Sabia.
The team’s mission is to deliver a new version of the BNA by 2027. Key objectives include revising the standardized minimum dataset to incorporate recent scientific advances and address data quality issues identified in the historical database; developing the specifications for a completely new data entry system for memory clinics; enabling the database to be hosted within the French Health Data Hub (PDS); and linking it with the French National Health Data System (SNDS). The team will also coordinate the national network of memory clinics to ensure the completeness and quality of data entry and carry out controls and cleaning before the database is released to researchers.
Our objective is to transform the BNA into the new National Neurodegenerative Diseases Database (BN-MND), a valuable resource for epidemiological surveillance and for studying diagnostic pathways, changes in cognitive and functional abilities over time, and the effectiveness of treatments and care interventions.
- For further informations : https://cress-umr1153.fr/en/project/nationale-alzheimer-database/
By Pauline Detuncq
