Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia and represents a major and growing health challenge. The number of people diagnosed is expected to increase significantly in the coming years, partly due to an aging population. Despite the fact that the disease has been known for many years, our understanding of its underlying mechanisms remains incomplete. Alzheimer’s disease is complex, which makes both early diagnosis and targeted treatment challenging.

Semantic memory is the part of memory that stores general knowledge about the world – such as words and concepts, facts, categories, and objects. This includes everything from knowing that a dog is an animal, to recognizing colors, shapes, or tools. Research shows that impairments in semantic memory are often among the earliest signs of Alzheimer’s disease. In the MemAD study, we aim to understand how the brain changes when this type of memory is weakened, and how this can be linked to the progression of the disease over time.

In the study, we use a broad, multimodal approach to gain a more comprehensive picture of the disease process. We combine several different assessment methods, including advanced 7T MRI imaging, EEG recordings, cognitive testing, and the collection of blood and stool samples. This allows us to investigate both structural and functional changes in the brain, while also examining how these are related to cognitive function and biological markers.

The aim of the MemAD study is to increase knowledge about how Alzheimer’s disease develops, and in particular how impaired semantic memory is connected to the early stages of the disease. This knowledge may help identify subgroups of the disease, improve early diagnostics, and ultimately form the basis for more targeted treatment strategies.