Early intervention is critical in managing of Alzheimer's disease (AD), but studying its initial stages has been limited by the scarcity of human brain tissue for research. BRAINBRIDGE addresses this challenge by using idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) as a model for early AD, as around 50% of iNPH patients show early AD pathology. The project investigates how early immunometabolic changes—particularly in microglia and neurons—drive disease progression. These include altered microglial membrane properties and disrupted microglia-neuron communication, which are thought to influence AD risk or resilience. Using the unique access to clinical cohort, data and biofluids, BRAINBRIDGE aims to identify and validate early cellular changes and biofluid biomarkers in large patient cohorts. This positions the consortium at the forefront of early AD research, biomarker discovery, and the study of genetic factors that shape disease vulnerability.

2026

2029