Recruiting

Early detection of Alzheimer's disease through blood and brain imaging tests

Plain-English translation of NCT06121544 on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗ · Source last updated April 2026 · Translation generated June 2026 · How we translate trials

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What is this trial?

This Swedish research study is looking for very early signs of Alzheimer's disease in people who currently have normal thinking and memory. Researchers will use blood tests and brain imaging scans to look for biomarkers—biological clues that suggest Alzheimer's disease might be developing in the brain, even before someone notices any memory problems. The goal is to see whether these tests could one day be used to screen people in the general population for early Alzheimer's risk.

Alzheimer's disease causes brain damage years before symptoms appear. If doctors could find these changes early enough, it might be possible to slow or prevent the disease from progressing. This research aims to understand whether simple blood tests and brain scans could become routine screening tools to identify people at high risk before they experience cognitive decline.

Do you qualify?

You likely qualify if…

you are between 50 and 80 years old
you speak and understand Swedish well enough to participate without an interpreter
if you are 50–60 years old, you have at least one known risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (such as a family history of early dementia, a genetic marker called APOE-ε4, or evidence of brain changes on previous scans)
you perform normally on cognitive tests (scoring at least 26 or 27 on the Mini-Mental State Examination and 12 or above on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment)
you are willing to undergo blood draws, an MRI scan, and a PET brain scan as part of the baseline assessment

You likely don't qualify if…

you have been diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment, mild dementia, or major neurocognitive disorder
you have a history of serious brain injury, stroke, or other neurological disease that has caused lasting thinking or memory problems
you have been diagnosed with major depression, bipolar disorder, or recurrent psychotic disorders in the past year
you have a history of alcohol or substance abuse or dependence in the past year
you have a serious unstable medical condition, such as terminal cancer, that would make it difficult to participate in the study

What participation looks like

Over approximately 4 years, you will visit the Skåne University Hospital in Sweden for cognitive testing and biomarker assessments. You will complete memory and thinking tests, provide blood samples, and undergo brain imaging scans (MRI and PET) to look for early Alzheimer's changes. You may be told about your individual risk for developing Alzheimer's disease, but this disclosure is optional. The study will monitor how your cognitive health changes over time to help researchers understand whether these early biomarkers can predict who might develop Alzheimer's disease in the future.

AI-generated summary from trial data · Jun 25, 2026 · Not medical advice

Trial locations(1 site)

Sweden

Skåne University Hospital, Malmö