Our group's main aim is to understand the biological processes that precede the onset of Alzheimer's disease and its clinical manifestations. This will lead to establishing prevention programmes to halt, or at least delay, the onset of cognitive impairment and, ultimately, dementia, in asymptomatic people at risk of developing the disease. We are a group affiliated with the Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Centre (BBRC), the research centre of the Pasqual Maragall Foundation.

Recent studies have demonstrated that Alzheimer's disease pathology develops over decades before the clinical symptoms appear; this silent, asymptomatic period is known as the pre-clinical phase of Alzheimer's disease. Detecting and understanding this pre-clinical stage generates opportunities for developing new therapeutic strategies. For this reason, it has been hypothesised that, in order to increase the chances of success, drugs that have failed in trials involving symptomatic patients should be tested in cognitively unimpaired individuals who have a high risk of developing the disease.

The Alfa Study is the basis for establishing protocols and research studies, both observational and interventional, for participants at risk of cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer's disease. Alfa participants are invited, according to their characteristics, willingness, and availability, to take part in Alzheimer's prevention studies. In addition to the Alfa study and related sub-studies, we also investigate people with mild symptoms (subjective memory complaints and mild cognitive impairment).