SPIN cohort - Sant Pau Memory Unit

Sant Pau Initiative on Neurodegeneration

1. What is the SPIN cohort?

The SPIN Cohort (Sant Pau Initiative on Neurodegeneration) is a research project at the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau dedicated to the study of Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases.

Our goal is to better understand how these diseases develop and to advance towards an increasingly early, precise, and personalized diagnosis.
SPIN brings together participants without cognitive impairment through longitudinal monitoring based on clinical, cognitive, biomarker, neuroimaging, and advanced biological analyses.

2. What are the tests required?

The participants undergo periodic monitoring by a team specializing in neurology, neuropsychology, and clinical research.

The following tests are required for all participants:

Neuropsychological tevaluation+

This evaluation consists of a series of oral and written tests designed to evaluate memory, language, visuospatial orientation, and other cognitive skills. Additionally, some questionnaires about current and past memory and activities of daily living will be provided for the participant to complete.

Sleep study +

It involves spending a night sleeping at the Sant Pau Hospital Research Institute, where they will place electrodes on your head to analyze your sleep pattern.

Biological samples extraction+

Lumbar puncture for CSF extraction: Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is in direct contact with the central nervous system. Through a lumbar puncture, we can extract a sample of CSF for analysis. The procedure is completed in approximately 20 minutes. After the test, rest for 30–45 minutes is required.

Blood extraction: Through a blood draw, we can obtain plasma and serum samples.

Brain MRI+

Magnetic resonance imaging is an imaging technique that does not use ionizing radiation and allows us to obtain a very precise representation of the brain’s structure.

Our team supports each participant throughout the entire process, ensuring close, ethical, and personalized care.

3. What have we learnt thanks to the SPIN cohort?

The information obtained helps in the development of future diagnostic and therapeutic strategies that can benefit thousands of people.

The SPIN Cohort is part of multiple scientific projects and international collaborations, actively contributing to scientific publications.

4.What are the advantages of participating?

Participating in SPIN means actively contributing to the advancement of biomedical research.

In addition, the participants have:

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Monitoring by a highly specialized team.

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Access to advanced research technologies.

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Participation in pioneering studies.

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Direct contribution to scientific advancement.

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Collaboration with national and international projects.

Participation is completely voluntary and can be discontinued at any time.

5. Am I eligible?

Enrollment in the SPIN cohort is open. If you would like to receive more information about the SPIN Cohort or find out if you are eligible to participate in any of our studies, you can contact our team by filling out the form:

Am I eligible? 👈