Behavioral symptoms that make it difficult to live with others on a daily basis. Conduct disorders are common in the progression of cognitive and functional decline in Alzheimer’s disease, as well as in other types of dementia.

The brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease exhibit an excess of the protein beta-amyloid in the form of senile plaques. The accumulation of this protein in the brain underlies the primary hypothesis regarding the origin of Alzheimer’s disease.

The brain is the central organ of the nervous system in most living beings. In humans, the brain is composed of around 100 billion neurons and is organized into different structures that have evolved over thousands of years. Today, various neuroimaging techniques allow it to be observed in vivo to analyze structural and functional changes.

A biobank is a resource used by research centers to store samples of biological material under special safety conditions. DNA sample biobanks are essential for genetic studies of cellular processes related to diseases such as Alzheimer’s.

The neurology subgroup of the Cohorts for Heart and Aging in Genomic Epidemiology (CHARGE) is a research group working on the replication of genome-wide association studies. The CHARGE consortium formally invited Fundación ACE to join the neuroCHARGE project, which focuses intensively on phenotypes related to brain pathologies and has succeeded in identifying important genes linked to Alzheimer’s disease and cerebrovascular disorders. CHARGE is one of the four consortia that make up the International Genomics of Alzheimer’s Project (IGAP).

An applied scientific discipline that studies the behavioral expression of brain dysfunction. Its foundations are based on neurology and psychology.

A clinical trial is a research process in which all drugs must undergo a scientific and controlled method to evaluate their efficacy, tolerability, and safety before being marketed and used by the general population.

Performance of a subject on a cognitive test that is below what is expected for their age and level of education. Cognitive testing is measured methodically using norms and cut-off scores

The Comprehensive Psychostimulation Program (PPI) (Tárraga and Boada, 1991) is a program aimed at individuals with cognitive impairment that includes stimulation of basic cognitive functions, practice of instrumental skills, exercise of psychomotor abilities, and support for activities of daily living. The objective is to ease living with a person who has this condition by improving aspects of behavior and personality.

A definite and conclusive diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease can only be made by directly examining the brain. Therefore, a definite Alzheimer’s diagnosis can only be confirmed, through an autopsy. This examination allows the detection of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles, which are the irrefutable evidence of this type of dementia.

If a conflict of interest arises between the guardian and the ward, or between the curator and the person under curatorship, or if a guardian has not yet been appointed but circumstances require it, the judge may appoint a judicial advocate for the person who will be under guardianship. This advocate will provisionally safeguard the person’s interests.

The judge will determine, on a case-by-case basis, the functions that the judicial advocate must carry out, taking into account the needs of the person requiring protection.

In certain cases, a court ruling declaring incapacity or modifying legal capacity, taking into account the person’s level of discernment, may establish that the individual is subject only to a guardianship of limited scope, known as curatorship.

Curatorship is a form of guardianship with a more restricted range of authority. Its scope is determined by the court ruling declaring incapacity. If the ruling does not specify the acts for which the person under curatorship requires the curator’s assistance, it is understood that assistance must be provided for acts of significant importance, for which a guardian would normally need judicial authorization in a comparable situation.

The curator can be either a natural person or a non-profit legal entity. Unlike a guardian, the curator does not hold legal representation of the person under curatorship.

The Day Hospital is a social-health service that provides daytime care primarily for people under 65 years old with cognitive impairment or dementia. Both the person and their family benefit from comprehensive therapeutic care. The approach is interdisciplinary, capable of addressing the needs of the individual and their family during the early and moderate stages of the disease.

De facto guardianship can be defined as the recognition that the law grants to a factual situation in which a person performs the functions of a guardian, such as providing personal care and managing the assets of someone unable to care for themselves (a minor or a presumed incapacitated person), without any judicial resolution or formal appointment.

De facto guardianship is scarcely regulated in the Civil Code, and the following is established: when a judicial authority becomes aware of the existence of a de facto guardian, it may require them to report on the situation of the person and their assets, as well as their actions in relation to these. The court can also establish the control and supervision measures it deems appropriate.

Actions carried out by the de facto guardian in the best interest of the minor or presumed incapacitated person cannot be challenged if they are beneficial to them.

The Catalan Family Code also establishes that institutions responsible for a minor or a person who could potentially be declared incapacitated are obliged to promote the establishment of formal guardianship.

De facto guardianship is regulated in Articles 303, 304, and 306 of the Civil Code, and in the Catalan Family Code (Parliament of Catalonia) in Articles 253 to 258, both inclusive.

A declaration of incapacity or modification of legal capacity is a judicial resolution (court ruling) by which it is recognized that a specific person, as a result of an illness, is totally or partially deprived of legal capacity.

For incapacity to be declared, the person in question must meet three requirements:

• Suffers from a physical or mental illness or deficiency.

• The condition is persistent.

• The condition prevents the person from exercising self-governance

Dementia is a syndrome characterized by various symptoms related to the loss of cognitive functions, such as memory or language. There are many types of dementia, but the most common is Alzheimer’s disease. Other disorders can be associated with dementia, such as depression, delirium, or other behavioral disturbances, which can sometimes make diagnosis challenging.

The determination of a disease requires a diagnosis, which refers to a set of clinical tests used to identify the pathology. In the case of neurodegenerative diseases, there are various tests that help diagnose the different types of dementia. Early diagnosis facilitates timely therapeutic intervention, giving patients and their families the opportunity to plan for the future, face a long and costly process, and provide dignity and quality of life for the entire family environment.

The diagnostic unit is a service dedicated to the diagnosis and follow-up of people with cognitive impairment and/or dementia. The diagnosis is established through an interdisciplinary process that includes five visits for comprehensive assessment and the design of intervention plans that address the full range of the person’s needs.

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is the genetic material contained in cells that holds the instructions for the shape and functioning of living beings. DNA is organized into chromosomes, which carry an individual’s genetic information and are passed down from parents to their children.

A chemical substance used in the treatment of a disease. In the case of Alzheimer’s disease, there are currently several drugs in clinical trial phases at different stages of development. The goal of current medications is to slow the progression of the disease.

The European Alzheimer’s Disease Consortium (EADC) is a network of European centers of excellence working in the field of Alzheimer’s disease. Ace is one of the fifty centers that are part of this consortium. Its goal is to develop new ways to prevent, slow down, and improve the primary and secondary symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.

A scientific discipline that studies the distribution, frequency, and determinants of health and diseases in human populations.

Cognitive ability to retrieve information about events we have experienced or knowledge we have acquired either recently or in the distant past.

It is a type of dementia that affects the front part of the brain (frontal lobe) and can extend to the temporal lobe. The early symptoms of frontotemporal dementia usually impact behavior and executive functions. This syndrome is the second most common degenerative dementia after Alzheimer’s disease in younger adults and the third leading cause in people over 65.

A DNA sequence that contains information relevant for the synthesis of a molecule with a cellular function, usually a protein. Genes are organized within chromosomes in each cell at a specific location. Genetic inheritance refers to the information that is transmitted to offspring.

The genome is the genetic information characteristic of a species. Genome sequencing is very useful for identifying genes associated with diseases.

The genotype refers to the set of genetic material of a specific individual, which determines the particular characteristics of that living being.

The Genetic and Environmental Risk in Alzheimer’s Disease (GERAD) is a research group that works to identify genetic variants associated with the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Ace is part of this international team, led by Dr. Julie Williams from Cardiff University (United Kingdom). GERAD is one of the four consortia that form the International Genomics of Alzheimer’s Project (IGAP)

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) are a research technique used to analyze the genetic material of many subjects and compare it among them. Fundación ACE uses this high-resolution genomic technology to analyze the associations between genes and Alzheimer’s disease.

The International Genomics of Alzheimer’s Project (IGAP) is an international project in which numerous U.S. and European research centers, such as the ACE Foundation, collaborate. The main objective of the IGAP project is to understand the role of genetic inheritance in the transmission of Alzheimer’s disease.

Informed consent is the process by which it is ensured that a person has voluntarily expressed their intention to participate in research (primarily a clinical trial) after understanding the information provided about the study’s objectives, benefits, discomforts, possible risks, alternatives, and their rights and responsibilities.

In some cases, such as a routine physical examination by a doctor, consent is tacit and assumed. For more invasive procedures or those associated with significant risks and alternatives, informed consent must be written and signed by the patient.

There are exceptions to informed consent. The most common cases are medical emergencies that require immediate care to prevent serious or irreversible harm.

Memory stimulation workshops are aimed at people experiencing memory loss. This type of therapeutic intervention enables the maintenance of functional autonomy in the patient’s daily life for as long as possible.

Cognitive impairment refers to a decline in previously acquired cognitive functions without affecting the person’s ability to perform daily activities or their prior autonomy. It is considered a transitional stage between normal aging and the onset of dementia. Current research is investigating the percentage of patients and the time it takes for this stage to progress to dementia. Modern scientific consensus regards cognitive impairment as a preclinical phase of Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias.

Modern medicine uses every means at its disposal in its attempt to diagnose, treat, and prevent diseases, which has made it a major consumer of technology. Neurology in particular makes use of the imaging techniques available for the study of diseases of the nervous system, including dementia. The use of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan can help a neurologist correctly diagnose a specific dementia. New neuroimaging techniques, such as PET-PIB, have even been developed solely for the study of dementias. Currently, major studies or clinical trials include an associated neuroimaging study, where the goal is to determine how the individual’s condition changes as a result of the treatment they receive. Long-term clinical studies associated with neuroimaging allow not only for tracking the progression of the disease through changes in the human brain and determining which brain structures are affected, but also for correlating these changes with clinical progression. On the other hand, studying this progression can also help infer a particular individual’s predisposition to a specific dementia. In the future, the use of neuroimaging in combination with other techniques is expected to be able to predict the subsequent course of dementia.

A neuron is a cell of the nervous system. Unlike other cells, a neuron has a cell body (soma) and a projection (axon) that receives and sends stimuli to other cells. This communication is called neuronal plasticity, a property that can be worked on through cognitive stimulation.

A comprehensive assessment of cognitive, behavioral, and emotional functions that may be altered as a result of functional and/or structural impairment of the central nervous system.

Non-pharmacological treatments are therapeutic interventions that do not rely on drugs to stimulate the person with dementia cognitively. This treatment does not replace medication; it is complementary at best. One of the paradigmatic examples of non-pharmacological treatment is the Comprehensive Psychostimulation Program (PPI).

The phenotype is the physical or functional expression of a given genome or genotype, referring to the manifestation of gene expression in an individual’s body.

A durable power of attorney for incapacity is a public document authorized by a notary that allows a person (the principal) to appoint another person (the agent) to represent them in certain legal acts in the event of becoming incapacitated. Notarial powers of attorney in general, and preventive powers in particular, are divided into two main groups: General: The principal grants powers that allow acting in a general capacity. These powers must be specified in the power of attorney. The most common are: the general power of attorney proper, the power of attorney for litigation, or the power of attorney to administer property. Special The powers of attorney authorize the agent to act for a specific type of legal transaction. In addition, there are two other types of durable powers of attorney: Durable power of attorney in the strict sense. In this case, the agent can only act once the principal becomes incapacitated as provided in the document. The durable power of attorney. This is more common than the previous one. The power remains in effect once the principal becomes incapacitated, and there is no need to wait for that moment for the agent to exercise it. It can take effect from the date of execution or from any date specified.

A protected estate is a set of assets and rights established for the benefit of the person with a disability, the express purpose of which is to meet their vital needs. Thus, in addition to the person with a disability’s ordinary estate, they may hold a protected estate. These benefits are based on the fact that the essential purpose of this estate can be none other than to meet those vital needs. These benefits can be enjoyed by the person with a disability and by those who contribute assets to their protected estate. It should be clear that this estate is not protected against third parties, debts, or the person with a disability’s liability.

If the judge considers that the assets of the person subject to guardianship so require, he or she may determine that representation and personal care be entrusted to the guardian, and that, additionally, a property administrator be appointed to manage matters relating to the administration of the person’s assets.

A person with a diagnosis of possible Alzheimer’s disease refers to the presence of another condition, such as cerebrovascular disease or other pre-existing chronic metabolic illnesses. These conditions can cause brain deterioration on their own, but they do not produce the key symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, which are prominent and progressive.

The doctor makes a probable diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease after ruling out other possible causes of cognitive decline. Unlike a possible Alzheimer’s diagnosis, in this case there is no other condition contributing to the patient’s progressive deterioration.

A social problem is a difficulty of diverse nature that affects an individual or a group of people and reduces the living standard of those involved. Thus, when a person or their social-family environment has personal difficulties in coping with a new health loss situation, such as a family member’s cognitive decline, it is referred to as a social problem.

Social work is aimed at people who at some point find themselves in situations of risk, conflict, or violation of social and civil rights. It promotes the improvement of social situations (individual, family, or collective) and personal capacities, and facilitates access to social services and resources. In this context, the social worker attends to and works with people with disabilities, dependent individuals, older adults, people with illnesses, children, adolescents and youth at risk, women, homeless people, etc.

A succession agreement is understood to be any agreement, including one resulting from reciprocal wills, by which rights relating to the succession or future successions of one or more persons who are parties to that agreement are conferred, modified, or revoked, with or without consideration.

A group of people who share the same issue meets periodically and, guided by a professional, support each other by sharing experiences and information. This intervention aims to improve the quality of life of non-professional caregivers (family members) and of people with cognitive impairment.

The appointment of a guardian made by the person themselves, commonly known as self-guardianship, allows an individual to determine, in a notarial deed or through an advance directive, who they wish to act as their guardian, as well as to establish any provisions regarding their person or assets. In the event that this person is later declared incapable, the judge handling the procedure must verify, by consulting the relevant registry, whether the individual previously granted a self-guardianship deed.

The synapse is the communication between nerve cells. Neurons communicate by releasing a chemical signal (neurotransmitter) at the synapse that connects to another neuron.

An excess of tau protein is responsible for the formation of neurofibrillary tangles that accumulate within neurons in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease.

A will is the act by which a person disposes of the fate they want for their assets when they die. The estate comprises all of a person’s assets, rights, and obligations that do not end with their death. The testator can dispose of their assets by inheritance (by universal title) or by bequesty (by particular title). In principle, all persons who:

As a general rule, are over 14 years of age.
Are not incapacitated. If the court ruling declaring the incapacity does not expressly state whether the incapacitated person can make a will, the notary will appoint two doctors to pronounce on the matter and will only authorize the will when they certify the testator’s capacity. To determine whether a will is valid based on the testator’s capacity, the time at which it was executed is taken into account. Thus, a will executed by a person who was competent on the date of execution will be valid, even if they later lose their cognitive faculties.