Research on Frontotemporal Dementia at the Clínic

Several frontotemporal dementia clinical research projects are carried out at the Clínic. These projects are carried out at the August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS), specifically in the Alzheimer's disease and other cognitive disorders group. 

The frontotemporal dementia clinical research programmes carried out in the Clínic are: 

• PREDICT-FDT project. A European cohort study of patients with frontotemporal dementia focused on establishing and validating biomarkers for early detection and accurate assessment of the disease. The project focuses especially on finding predictive biomarkers for molecular diagnosis (e.g., if the disease is caused by anomalous accumulation of the Tau protein or TDP-43). Finding these biomarkers may lead to designing clinical trials oriented to the causes of the disease.  
• Frontotemporal Dementia Genetic Initiative (GENFI) (https://www.genfi.org/). This is an international consortium for the study of genetically determined frontotemporal dementia. GENFI investigates both people who have developed symptoms as well as people with the risk of developing symptoms in the future because they carry an abnormal genetic mutation.  
  Studying people who are genetically predisposed to develop the disease provides information on the initial changes of its development. GENFI’s key objectives are, therefore, to develop markers that help identify the disease at its earliest stage, as well as markers that allow to monitor disease progression. 
• Clinical trials. The group also participates in several clinical trials with possible disease-modifying treatments. The first clinical trials of drugs with the potential to modify the course of the disease in certain subgroups of patients with frontotemporal dementia were initiated recently. These clinical trials include treatments with monoclonal antibodies and gene therapy.  
• Effects of speech therapy as a non-pharmacological intervention in patients with primary progressive aphasia (language disorders that hinder reading, writing and oral expression). Our group has demonstrated benefits for speech therapy in patients with language problems in several scientific studies. In this respect, the group continues its research on optimising speech therapy treatment in patients with primary progressive aphasia. 

If you are interested in participating in research projects and/or pharmacological clinical trials carried out at the Clinic, contact your reference neurology specialist to evaluate suitability and the possibility of participation. For any questions, please contact us at alzheimer@clinic.cat.