Philip Scheltens, Chair of the EFNS Scientist Panel Cognitive Neurology and Dementia
Gian Luigi Lenzi: Could you briefly tell our readers the state-of-the-art in the field of interest of your panel?
Philip Scheltens: The field of dementia is moving extremely fast! New diagnostic criteria, biomarkers in CSF and PET. The issue of early and biological diagnosis is made quite clear now and will need increased involvement of neurologists.
(GLL) What’s new in the field of your panel in terms of therapeutical approaches?
(PS) It is also exciting times on that front. Nutritional approaches are being tested and provide some success. Active and passive immunisation are being tested in phase 2 and 3 and end of 2012 we will hear results of two big phase 3 trials, that may change the field forever!
(GLL) And in terms of research, what is the hot topic?
(PS) Networks are hot! Both fMRI as well as EEG and MEG show interesting results in AD and FTD showing disturbed networks early in the disease. New amyloid PET ligands will be validated soon.
(GLL) What would you then suggest to young neurologist and to neurologist in training who want to specialize in your specific field nowadays?
(PS) As you may appreciate it is one of the most exciting fields now and the challenge for neurologists to be involved is huge!
(GLL) What could EFNS do to improve cultural integration between neurologists of different countries in the field of your panel?
(PS) I think that neurologists in every country will face an enormous increase in patients. Collaboration between neurologists but also with other specialists like geriatricians is of great importance.
(GLL) Thank you for your time!
Dr. Philip Scheltens studied at the VU University Amsterdam, Netherlands, gaining his MD in 1984, and PhD (Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Alzheimer’s disease) in 1993. Clinical residencies in neurosurgery at the Municipal Hospital Slotervaart, and at the Vrije Universiteit Medical Centre, Amsterdam, supported his academic development.
He is Professor of Cognitive Neurology and Director of the Alzheimer Center at the VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam. His main clinical and research interests are Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, frontotemporal dementia, magnetic resonance imaging, PET imaging and biomarkers. He is active in the field of biomarkers and clinical trials and has been the national PI for many studies, including fase 1-3 multicenter clinical trials. He founded and directs the Alzheimer Center since 2000, from which over 30 PhD theses have appeared since then.
Dr. Scheltens is an active member of several societies including the Dutch Society for Neurology, the International Psychogeriatric Association, the American Academy of Neurology, the Alzheimer Imaging Consortium, the ISTAART consortium and the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology. He has been instrumental in organising several national and international conferences among which the Imaging symposium attached to ICAD. He chairs the dementia panel of the European Federation of Neurological Societies. He was appointed member of the Royal Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2011.
He was associate editor of the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry and book review editor of Alzheimer Disease and Associate Disorders. He was chief editor of the official journal of the Dutch Society of Neurology.
He is member of the editorial boards of Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders and International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, and acts as an ad hoc reviewer of scientific articles for, amongst others, The Lancet (Neurology); Stroke; Neurology, Annals of Neurology, New England Journal of Medicine, Brain and Science.
He has authored more that 500 peer reviewed papers and >50 book chapters. Dr Scheltens co-edited the books on Magnetic Resonance in Dementia (2002) and NeuroImaging in Dementia (2011) (Springer) and co-edited the book on Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Clinical Applications (Oxford University Press).
