Recruiting

Finding early signs of memory and thinking disorders through blood tests and brain imaging

Plain-English translation of NCT03174938 on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗ · Source last updated April 2026 · Translation generated June 2026 · How we translate trials

What is this trial?

The Swedish BioFINDER 2 Study is testing new ways to diagnose memory and thinking disorders early — before major symptoms appear — by looking for specific markers in blood, spinal fluid, and brain imaging. Researchers want to develop simple, affordable blood tests and advanced imaging techniques that can identify people at risk of diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, so they can be helped sooner.

Memory and thinking disorders are often misdiagnosed, and by the time symptoms appear, significant brain damage has already happened. This study aims to catch these diseases much earlier — when the brain may still be able to recover — so that new treatments can work better and people get the right diagnosis the first time.

Do you qualify?

You likely qualify if…

you are between 40 and 65 years old (or 66–100 for elderly participants, or 40–100 for those with memory concerns)
you have normal thinking and memory, or you have noticed some mild memory or thinking changes but no dementia diagnosis
you score at least 26–27 on a standard memory screening test
you speak and understand Swedish well enough to fully participate in the study
you are willing to have a spinal tap, MRI brain scans, and PET imaging scans

You likely don't qualify if…

you have a serious unstable illness or organ failure that would make study participation difficult
you currently struggle with alcohol or substance misuse
you have significant neurological or psychiatric illness
you are not willing to have a spinal tap, MRI, or PET scan
you have dementia according to standard diagnostic criteria

What participation looks like

Depending on which group you join, you will visit the clinic every 2 years for 8 years for memory and thinking tests, blood draws, and spinal fluid collection. You will also have brain imaging scans (MRI and PET) every 4 years, or more frequently if initial scans show signs of disease. Each visit takes several hours, and the study aims to follow your brain health over time to see how these new testing methods work.

Finding early signs of memory and thinking disorders through blood tests and brain imaging

What is this trial?

Do you qualify?

What participation looks like

Trial locations(2 sites)