People in France, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and UK can now take part in the study, which aims to develop tests to identify early signs of Alzheimer’s disease that may indicate when a person is at risk of dementia before symptoms appear.
Researchers are developing a Europe-wide cohort of study participants, drawing on information from existing cohort studies, patient registers and other European studies that have identified potential participants.
The Europe-wide study aims to recruit thousands of people, of which many may be selected to participate in trials to test new treatments for the prevention of Alzheimer’s dementia. Volunteers will provide samples for genetic analysis and will undergo tests to assess their thinking skills. Detailed images of their brains will be captured using magnetic resonance imaging.
The EPAD Longitudinal Cohort Study began recruitment in May 2016, with the first centre opening in Edinburgh (UK). Three sites opened later in 2016 in Amsterdam (Netherlands), Barcelona (Spain) and Toulouse (France).
An additional six centres are now recruiting volunteers in Geneva (Switzerland), Lille (France), Montpellier (France), Nantes (France), San Sebastian (Spain) and Stockholm (Sweden).
Its ultimate goal is to develop new medicines and interventions that prevent or delay the onset of Alzheimer’s dementia.