Projects

Today the therapy options for dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are limited, one recommended intervention is cognitive training using serious games (CT). We previously developed a tablet-based app for people with subjective cognitive decline (SCD) to train the cognitive domains typically affected by AD. This nonpharmacological treatment option can be applied remotely or in groups. In the current project, we aim to demonstrate that remote CT is possible in older adults with MCI and diagnosed AD dementia at home and in the care home setting by extending this existing CT to include additional training levels and introductory material to allow even cognitively more strongly impaired participants to conduct the CT with as little external support as possible. We will assess the feasibility, acceptability, and usability in collaboration with focus groups consisting of people with AD and their study partners. If successful, this study will provide a basis for a larger clinical trial to investigate the efficacy of such an approach in dementia, which is highly desirable, regarding the currently limited therapy options, specifically in the care home setting.

PREDICTOM will develop an open-source, interoperable and customisable biomarker screening platform, utilizing an existing online resource to save time and money, to generate an evidence base for general population screening for AD and related disorders. We will bring diagnostics closer to the patient by examining the feasibility of using samples which can be obtained at home (e.g. finger- prick blood, saliva (for genetics and epigenetics) and stool for microbiom) for diagnostic biomarker analysis. We will also evaluate innovative technologies for disease risk identification, including digital technologies and novel MRI, EEG, eye tracking, and blood-based biomarkers. The platform will use artificial intelligence models to analyse data from all biomarkers to identify users at high risk of developing dementia and to direct them to personalized intervention to prevent further cognitive decline and development of dementia. We will seek to facilitate a change in current healthcare practice for early diagnosis of AD through development of new clinical practice guidelines based on evidence generated in the project. By improving the ease of identification of those with early signs of dementia we expect to have a significant impact on personal and financial burden of dementia in Europe and across the world.

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is the most common mental disorder in the world, influencing both mental well-being and somatic functionality. The comorbidity of cardiovascular and gastrointestinal diseases with MDD implies that major hubs of the depression network, such as the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and the subgenual anterior cingulate (sgACC), might overlap with networks that are involved in autonomic control, namely the vagus nerve (VN). We aim to extend the understanding of MDD and autonomic dysfunction by exploring the frontal-vagal pathway, using neuro-cardiac guided non-invasive brain stimulation such as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS).