Research Projects

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the leading cause of dementia and loss of autonomy in the elderly, implying a progressive cognitive decline and limitation of social activities. Progressive aging of EU population will increase the magnitude of this problem in the next decades. Currently, there is not an effective method for the early diagnosis of AD...

Major depressive disorder, dementia, anxiety disorders, and substance abuse affect a substantial part of the European older population. Over 70% of Europeans reside in cities, and this percentage will increase in the next decades. Urbanization and ageing have enormous implications for public mental health. Cities pose major challenges for older...

Neurodegenerative diseases all cause damage to the circuitry of the nervous system, with loss of connections, axons and neurons. The loss can be gradual, as in Alzheimer’s disease, rapid as in stroke, or intermediate as in the delayed neuronal loss after stroke. Following damage, the nervous system is able partially to compensate through the...

Alzheimer's disease is a disease in which specific peptides, so-called beta-amyloids, accumulate in the brain, leading to the destruction of neurons and the resulting clinical functional effects, e.g. memory and orientation problems. Discussions are ongoing as to whether or not Alzheimer's disease may be transmissible between individuals and could...

Population in Europe is ageing rapidly. Consequently, there is an urgent need to find ways to help the growing population of older people to live independent lives and preserve well being into old age. To address this pressing issue, PMinMCI will conduct the first systematic and innovative investigation of prospective memory in older adults at risk...

This research project deals with the role of protein aggregation in several human diseases which are connected to the formation of fibrillar protein structures. Currently, no effective pharmaceutical treatment is available for these diseases, a fact which reflects our present lack of understanding of the molecular mechanism responsible for their...

The current nosology of neuropsychiatric disorders allows for a pragmatic approach to treatment choice, regulation and clinical research. However, without a biological rationale for these disorders, drug development has dramatically stagnated in the past decades. In a coordinated effort encompassing academic experts, SMEs, patient and family...

The overall prevalence of brain disorders – both neurological and psychiatric – is very high in Europe. Although it is well known that the burden and costs of these disorders are high, there is evidence that the overall, personal, social and economic costs of brain disorders have been underestimated because of the lack of valid and reliable...

University of Ljubljana, located in a low R&I performing country, will partner with two internationally-leading organisations, the Medical University of Graz and KU Leuven, to expand the support and coordination capacity for national and European research in ageing-related decrease in brain functions leading to dementia. By 2025 more than 25% of...

The changing demographic is one of the greatest challenges in Europe. With an expected 25% of the population over 65 by 2030, the incidence of neurodegenerative age-linked diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s is likely to increase. They severely impact quality of life and to date, therapies can only treat the symptoms. Oligomerization and...

Alzheimer’s disease is on the rise in our ageing population, and new, effective treatments are urgently needed. Currently, the safety and benefits to patients of potential treatments are assessed in strictly-controlled clinical trials. However, clinical trials do not provide information on the health benefits for patients in their daily lives in...

The pathological Ab peptide that accumulates in senile plaques in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) brains is derived from a precursor protein APP. Although etiology of AD is complex, genetic evidence shows that duplication of the APP gene locus leading to elevated levels of APP protein is sufficient to cause early-onset AD highlighting the importance of...