DEMENTIA

Research focus

• The current research of Dementia Research Group is based on the Czech Brain Aging Study (CBAS) – a unique national, multicentric, longitudinal prospective cohort study. The aim of CBAS is to study the early functional, metabolic, structural and genetic biomarkers of Alzheimer´s Disease and other dementias in blood, CSF and magnetic resonance imaging with focus on synucleinopathies, tauopathies and TDP-43-pathies. These studies are complemented by animal studies with emphasis on translational aspect of the used methodology. CBAS also explores the effect of lifestyle factors on the brain maintenance using questionnairs and nonpharmacological interventions. CBAS team consists of two core synchronized sites – Cognitive Centers at ICRC St. Anne´s University Hospital Brno and at Motol University Hospital, Prague.
• Partners and collaborating institutions: University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA; Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA; Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Nanjing, China; EADC – European Alzheimer Disease Consortium; eDLB – European DLB consortium; Alzheon; University of Gothenburg, prof. Kaj Blennow
• Offered services and expertise: Translational research, data analysis, longitudinal study, biomarkers of neurodegenerative disorders, neuropsychology, neuroimaging, cerebrospinal fluid analysis, blood biomarkers, clinical trials.

Main goals

• Evaluation of neuropsychological and spatial navigation tests as an early markers of neurodegeneration.
• Defining structural, metabolic and functional biomarkers on MRI and PET in humans.
• Exploring epidemiological risk factors in primary and secondary prevention of dementia.

Technological equipment

• 3T MRI– multimodal brain imaging, diffusion tensor imaging, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).