Justice Sandra Day O’Connor’s Announcement of Dementia Diagnosis

The Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF) is saddened to hear the news that former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor released a letter today saying she has been diagnosed with the beginning stages of dementia, probably Alzheimer's disease.

Justice O'Connor has served as the Honorary Chair of the ADDF. Our hearts go out to Justice O'Connor and her family. Alzheimer's is a progressive neurodegenerative disease and the most common cause of dementia, which claimed the life of her husband John in 2009. The ADDF thanks Justice O'Connor for her strength and bravery in sharing her diagnosis of dementia and serving as an advocate for Alzheimer's awareness and caregivers.

The ADDF is making progress on funding and finding drugs to prevent and treat Alzheimer's disease. It is clear that a new approach is needed if we are to eventually win the war against Alzheimer's disease. We must develop better biomarkers, preferably a blood test, that will diagnose the illness and track the effectiveness of treatments. This will help to make clinical trials affordable and efficient to test novel biomarkers and treatments.

Howard Fillit, MD
Founding Executive Director and Chief Science Officer

Mark Roithmayr
Chief Executive Officer