Mayo Alzheimer’s Expert Lauds New Federal Initiative

More than 5 million Americans are thought to suffer from Alzheimer's disease, and now the federal government has set a new deadline to tackle the brain-wasting affliction. The National Alzheimer's Plan set a goal of finding new treatments, prevention and new training for doctors by 2025. Dr. Ronald Peterson is director of the Mayo Clinic Alzheimer's Disease Research Center and he's also chair of the advisory council that wrote the new national plan. Peterson acknowledged that the 13-year deadline may seem short for an affliction that, at least for now, has no proven treatment.

Additional coverage: ABC News Radio, Nature Blog