The Mechanisms Of DEMentia (MODEM) research project has received a subsidy of EUR 5,900,000 from ZonMw. Within this collaboration, several parties, including the Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), will conduct research into the causes of dementia. This is reported by the LUMC.
The causes of dementia are still largely unknown, and there are no effective treatments yet. By better understanding disease mechanisms, such as the functioning of blood vessels and the blood-brain barrier, we can learn more about the development of dementia and its protection. This also provides opportunities to develop new therapies.
Role of neurovascular function in dementia
The MODEM study partly takes place in Leiden. 600,000 euros has been made available for this part of the research project. Within the LUMC, the departments of Radiology (Dr. Louise van der Weerd and Prof. Dr. Thijs van Osch) and Neurology (Prof. Dr. Marieke Wermer) are investigating the role of neurovascular function in dementia, especially in cerebral palsy. amyloid angiopathy (CAA). The latter is a condition in which the small and medium-sized blood vessels in the brain become damaged. An MRI examines whether the health of the blood-brain barrier can be imaged without the need for contrast medium.
It is also being investigated how other measures of vascular bed health can be used earlier in clinical practice. “At the LUMC, we have unique data thanks to our long-term collaboration with CAA patients, both in a hereditary (D-CAA) and non-hereditary form. By combining patient data with that of other patient groups, we hope to develop new biomarkers (a tool that can measure whether and how sick someone is, ed.) for vascular function. We really need these kinds of readout measurements to be able to test new therapies for effectiveness,” say the researchers involved.
By: National Care Guide