Italian network for autosomal dominant alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal lobar degeneration.

Led by Giovanni B. Frisoni (IRCCS Fatebenefratelli), the project aims at laying the foundations for an Italian network of clinical centres with the technical capabilities to recruit and study persons carrying mutations linked to Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and Frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD). The project will define and validate a standardized protocol for the collection of clinical, imaging, neurophysiologic, and biological samples of patients with familial AD and FTLD. A national registry and a national biobank for blood and CSF samples of familial AD and FTLD cases will be developed, as well as a common protocol for genetic testing and counselling of these cases. The project will also deploy a hub-and-spoke network for the efficient referral and management of familial cases. The deliverables of the proposal will have a major impact on the management, diagnosis and treatment of AD and FTLD, enabling to speed up the implementation of clinical trials across Italian centres and facilitating clinical trial recruitment through the registry of cases.

The project works in close cooperation with US DIAN (Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer’s Network) and European GENFI (the GENetic Frontotemporal Dementia Initiative).