World Alzheimer’s Day: Sidra Medicine Research Advances Prediction of Cognitive Decline

New genomic approach improves prediction of cognitive decline using genetic and brain imaging information

Doha, Qatar – 20 September 2026: Marking World Alzheimer’s Day, Sidra Medicine has highlighted new research that could improve the early prediction of cognitive decline and support more personalized approaches to brain health

Published in Genome Medicine, the study introduces a new method for incorporating an individual’s genetics into models that predict cognitive decline. The approach uses genetic information from thousands of variants across the genome.

The study, titled “Multi-threshold polygenic risk improves hippocampal-based cognitive decline prediction”,  was led by Dr. Mohamed Janahi, Postdoctoral Researcher in the laboratory of Prof. Younes Mokrab, Principal Investigator and Director of the Neuroscience Research Program at Sidra Medicine, in collaboration with Prof. Andre Altmann and colleagues at University College London (UCL).

Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias can develop over many years before noticeable symptoms appear. Changes in the hippocampus, a region of the brain essential for memory, can occur during these early stages. The Sidra Medicine-led research focuses on polygenic risk scores. These scores combine the effects of many genetic variants to estimate an individual’s inherited susceptibility to disease.

Existing methods can miss part of the genetic information associated with disease risk. The research team developed a multi-threshold approach that captures more of this information. This method significantly improved the ability to use brain imaging and genetic information to identify patterns associated with cognitive impairment and predict future decline.

The models were developed using data from nearly 24,000 UK Biobank participants and evaluated in approximately 3,000 participants from two independent studies, the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) and the European Prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease (EPAD) cohort.

Dr. Janahi said: “Alzheimer’s disease can affect the brain years before symptoms become noticeable. Identifying people at higher risk during these early stages could create important opportunities for earlier monitoring and prevention. Our research improves how we use genetic information to predict cognitive decline and brings us closer to more personalized approaches to brain health.”

The research also combined genetic risk information with brain imaging. This allows the researchers to build a more detailed picture of changes associated with cognitive decline. With further validation, such approaches could eventually help identify people who may benefit from closer monitoring or earlier intervention and  could support the selection of participants for clinical trials focused on Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative conditions.

Prof. Mokrab said: “Common diseases are influenced by thousands of genetic variants, with each one contributing only a small amount to overall risk. Our approach brings more of these genetic signals together. This improves our ability to use brain changes to predict cognitive decline and could have applications beyond neurodegenerative diseases.”

The findings are not a diagnostic test for Alzheimer’s disease. Instead, they provide a framework that could support the development of future tools for assessing the risk of cognitive decline.

Advancing Precision Medicine

The research has broader potential across precision medicine. The multi-threshold framework could be applied to other common diseases influenced by complex genetic factors.

The study was conducted through an international multidisciplinary collaboration involving specialists in genomics, neuroscience, neuroimaging and computational biology.

The publication also highlights Sidra Medicine’s growing capabilities in precision medicine, computational genomics and neuroscience research. It reflects Sidra Medicine’s commitment to translating genomic research into approaches that could improve future patient care. Professor Mokrab said: “Our goal is to support a shift from reacting to disease after symptoms appear to identifying risk much earlier. Combining genomics with imaging and other health information could help us move toward more proactive and precise care.”