How does Alzheimer-related neuropathology lead to the cognitive symptoms and deficits experienced by the patients in early phases of Alzheimer’s disease?

To address this question, we combine neuroscientific and clinical research lines towards a transdisciplinary approach. On one hand, we explore different shades of human memory, building upon recent neuroscientific discoveries on the neurophysiological underpinnings of memory functions from both rodent studies, as in work package 1, as well as human neuroimaging studies. On the other hand, we focus on the earliest pathological and functional alterations caused by Alzheimer’s disease, and how this impacts, or can be hypothesized to impact, specific memory processes in the brain.

A central focus of our research is the experience, and memory, of events unfolding in space and time. By including study participants from work package 6, both patients and aged controls, we can relate our memory results to detailed clinical and neuropathological information on individual level. Our goal is to uncover novel insights into the pathophysiological nature of memory impairment, with relevance for diagnostic, treatment and care for patients with Alzheimer’s disease and other conditions causing memory impairment.