Laura Ekblad
MD, PhD
Areas of expertise
positron emission tomography; Alzheimer´s Disease; Insulin resistance; cognition; memory disorders
Research community or research topic
Specialist in Geriatrics and Family Medicine. Senior researcher, Turku Alzheimer Imaging Group, Turku PET Centre.
Research
My research focuses on early risk factors for memory disorders, especially Alzheimer´s disease. I am particularly interested in the associations between metabolic risk factors (insulin resistance, glucose intolerance, obesity) and cognitive decline.
Our lab uses multimodal neuroimaging (PET-imaging, MRI) combined with blood and CSF biomarkers and cognitive testing to explore the association between different risk factors and early cerebral changes of memory disorders.
I also run a project that examines possible cardiac side effects of anti-dementia agents in elderly memory clinic patients.
Publications
- APOE4 carriership status influences [11C]PiB white matter retention in cognitively healthy older adults (2025) Tato-Fernández Claudia; Ekblad Laura L.; Bucci Marco; Tuisku Jouni; Parkkola Riitta; Helin Semi; Rinne Juha O.; Snellman Anniina
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal)
- Associations of lifestyle factors with amyloid pathology in persons without dementia (2025)
- Journal of Alzheimer's Disease
Oomens, Julie E.; Vos, Stephanie J. B.; Maserejian, Nancy N.; Boada, Mercè; Didic, Mira; Engelborghs, Sebastiaan; Fladby, Tormod; van der Flier, Wiesje M.; Frisoni, Giovanni B.; Fröhlich, Lutz; Gill, Kiran Dip; Grimmer, Timo; Hort, Jakub; Itoh, Yoshiaki; Iwatsubo, Takeshi; Klimkowicz-Mrowiec, Aleksandra; Landau, Susan M.; Lee, Dong Young; Lleó, Alberto; Martinez-Lage, Pablo; de Mendonça, Alexandre; Meyer, Philipp T.; Parchi, Piero; Pardini, Matteo; Parnetti, Lucilla; Popp, Julius; Rami, Lorena; Reiman, Eric M.; Rinne, Juha O.; Rodrigue, Karen M.; Sánchez-Juan, Pascual; Santana, Isabel; Scarmeas, Nikolaos; Scheltens, Philip; Skoog, Ingmar; Sperling, Reisa A.; Stern, Yaakov; Villeneuve, Sylvia; Waldemar, Gunhild; Wiltfang, Jens; Zetterberg, Henrik; Alcolea, Daniel; Allegri, Ricardo F.; Altomare, Daniele; Bateman, Randall J.; Baiardi, Simone; Baldeiras, Ines; Blennow, Kaj; den Braber, Anouk; van Buchem, Mark A.; Byun, Min Soo; Cerman, Jiří; Chen, Kewei; Chipi, Elena; Day, Gregory S.; Drzezga, Alexander; Ekblad, Laura L.; Förster, Stefan; Fortea, Juan; Freund-Levi, Yvonne; Frings, Lars; Guedj, Eric; Habeck, Christian G.; Handels, Ron; Hausner, Lucrezia; Hellwig, Sabine; Jiménez-Bonilla, Julio F.; Juaristi, Ane Iriondo; Kandimalla, Ramesh; Kern, Silke; Bordewick Kirsebom, Bjørn-Eivind S.; Kornhuber, Johannes; Legdeur, Nienke; Levin, Johannes; Maier, Wolfgang; Marquié, Marta; Minatani, Shinobu; Morbelli, Silvia Daniela; Mroczko, Barbara; Ntanasi, Eva; de Oliveira, Catarina Resende; Orellana, Adelina; Peters, Oliver; Prabhakar, Sudesh; Ramakers, Inez H.; Rodríguez-Rodriguez, Eloy; Ruiz, Agustín; Rüther, Eckart; Sakhardande, Jayant; Selnes, Per; Silva, Dina; Soininen, Hilkka; Spiru, Luiza; Takeda, Akitoshi; Teunissen, Charlotte E.; Tijms, Betty M.; Vermunt, Lisa; Wallin, Åsa K.; Wiels, Wietse; Yannakoulia, Mary; Yi, Dahyun; Zettergren, Anna; Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI); A4 Study group; Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer Network (DIAN); European Prevention of Alzheimer's Dementia (EPAD) consortium, Fundació ACE Healthy Brain Initiative (FACEHBI); Japan Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (J-ADNI), Korean Brain Aging Study for the Early Diagnosis and Prediction of Alzheimer's Disease (KBASE); Presymptomatic Evaluation of Experimental or Novel Treatments for Alzheimer's Disease (PREVENT-AD) research group; Ossenkoppele, Rik; Verhey, Frans R. J.; Visser, Pieter Jelle; Jansen, Willemijn J.
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal)
- Depressive Symptoms and Amyloid Pathology (2025) Wiels, Wietse A.; Oomens, Julie E.; Engelborghs, Sebastiaan; Baeken, Chris; von Arnim, Christine A.F.; Boada, Mercè; Didic, Mira; Dubois, Bruno; Fladby, Tormod; van der Flier, Wiesje M.; Frisoni, Giovanni B.; Fröhlich, Lutz; Gill, Kiran Dip; Grimmer, Timo; Hildebrandt, Helmut; Hort, Jakub; Itoh, Yoshiaki; Iwatsubo, Takeshi; Klimkowicz-Mrowiec, Aleksandra; Lee, Dong Young; Lleó, Alberto; Martinez-Lage, Pablo; de Mendonça, Alexandre; Meyer, Philipp T.; Kapaki, Elisabeth N.; Parchi, Piero; Pardini, Matteo; Parnetti, Lucilla; Popp, Julius; Rami, Lorena; Reiman, Eric M.; Rinne, Juha O.; Rodrigue, Karen M.; Sánchez-Juan, Pascual; Santana, Isabel; Sarazin, Marie; Scarmeas, Nikolaos; Skoog, Ingmar; Snyder, Peter J.; Sperling, Reisa A.; Villeneuve, Sylvia; Wallin, Anders; Wiltfang, Jens; Zetterberg, Henrik; Ossenkoppele, Rik; Verhey, Frans R. J.; Vos, Stephanie J. B.; Visser, Pieter Jelle; Jansen, Willemijn J.; Alcolea, Daniel; Altomare, Daniele; Baiardi, Simone; Baldeiras, Ines; Bateman, Randall J.; Blennow, Kaj; Bottlaender, Michel; den Braber, Anouk; van Buchem, Mark A.; Byun, Min Soo; Cerman, Jiří; Chen, Kewei; Chipi, Elena; Day, Gregory S.; Drzezga, Alexander; Eckerström, Marie; Ekblad, Laura L.; Epelbaum, Stéphane; Förster, Stefan; Fortea, Juan; Freund-Levi, Yvonne; Frings, Lars; Guedj, Eric; Hausner, Lucrezia; Hellwig, Sabine; Huey, Edward D.; Jiménez-Bonilla, Julio F.; Johnson, Keith A.; Juaristi, Ane Iriondo; Kandimalla, Ramesh; Paraskevas, George; Kern, Silke; Kirsebom, Bjørn-Eivind S.; Kornhuber, Johannes; Lagarde, Julien; Landau, Susan M.; Legdeur, Nienke; Llibre Guerra, Jorge J.; Maserejian, Nancy N.; Marquié, Marta; Minatani, Shinobu; Morbelli, Silvia Daniela; Mroczko, Barbara; Ntanasi, Eva; de Oliveira, Catarina Resende; Olivieri, Pauline; Orellana, Adelina; Perrin, Richard J.; Peters, Oliver; Prabhakar, Sudesh; Ramakers, Inez H.; Rodríguez-Rodriguez, Eloy; Ruiz, Agustín; Rüther, Eckart; Selnes, Per; Silva, Dina; Soininen, Hilkka; Spiru, Luiza; Takeda, Akitoshi; Teichmann, Marc; Tijms, Betty M.; Teunissen, Charlotte E.; Thompson, Loisa I.; Vogelgsangs, Jonathan; Vöglein, Jonathan; Waldemar, Gunhild; Wallin, Åsa K.; Yannakoulia, Mary; Yi, Dahyun; Zettergren, Anna.
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal)
- Effects of Cholinesterase Inhibitor Medication on QTc Interval in Memory Clinic Patients (2025)
- Annals of Pharmacotherapy
Isotalo, Hanna Karita; Lehtovaara, Joanna Karoliina; Ekblad, Laura Linnea; Nuotio, Maria Susanna; Langén, Ville Lauri Johannes
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal)
- Enhancing dementia prediction: A 19-year validation of the CAIDE risk score with insulin resistance and APOE ε4 integration in a population-based cohort (2025)
- The Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer's Disease
Pietilä, Elina; Löyttyniemi, Eliisa; Koskinen, Seppo; Lehtisalo, Jenni; Viitanen, Matti; Rinne, Juha O; Jula, Antti; Ekblad, Laura L
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal)
- Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease as a predictor of cognitive performance: An 11-year population-based follow-up study (2025)
- Digestive and Liver Disease
Vataja, Emilia; Viitanen, Matti; Rinne, Juha O; Lehtisalo, Jenni; Erlund, Iris; Ngandu, Tiia; Koskinen, Seppo; Åberg, Fredrik; Jula, Antti; Ekblad, Laura
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal)
- Neuroinflammation in Parkinson’s disease : A study with [11C]PBR28 PET and cerebrospinal fluid markers (2025)
- Parkinsonism and Related Disorders
Al-Abdulrasul, H.; Ajalin, R.; Tuisku, J.; Zetterberg, H.; Blennow, K.; Vahlberg, T.; Ekblad, L.; Helin, S.; Forsback, S.; Rinne, J.O.; Brück, A.
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal)
- Blood biomarkers of neurodegeneration associate differently with amyloid deposition, medial temporal atrophy, and cerebrovascular changes in APOE ε4-enriched cognitively unimpaired elderly (2024)
- Alzheimer's Research and Therapy
Koivumäki Mikko, Ekblad Laura, Lantero-Rodriguez Juan, Ashton Nicholas J., Karikari Thomas K., Helin Semi, Parkkola Riitta, Lötjönen Jyrki, Zetterberg Henrik, Blennow Kaj, Rinne Juha O., Snellman Anniina
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal)
- Cognitively healthy APOE4/4 carriers show white matter impairment associated with serum NfL and amyloid-PET (2024) Tato-Fernández Claudia, Ekblad Laura L., Pietilä Elina, Saunavaara Virva, Helin Semi, Parkkola Riitta, Zetterberg Henrik, Blennow Kaj, Rinne Juha O., Snellman Anniina
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal)
- Midlife insulin resistance, APOE genotype, and change in late-life brain beta-amyloid accumulation : A 5-year follow-up [11C]PIB-PET study (2024) Pietilä, Elina; Snellman, Anniina; Tuisku, Jouni; Helin, Semi; Viitanen, Matti; Jula, Antti; Rinne, Juha O.; Ekblad, Laura L.
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal)
- SV2A PET shows hippocampal synaptic loss in cognitively unimpaired APOE ε4/ε4 homozygotes (2024) Snellman, Anniina; Tuisku, Jouni; Koivumäki, Mikko; Wahlroos, Saara; Aarnio, Richard; Rajander, Johan; Karrasch, Mira; Ekblad, Laura L.; Rinne, Juha O.
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal)
- APOE ε4 gene dose effect on imaging and blood biomarkers of neuroinflammation and beta-amyloid in cognitively unimpaired elderly (2023)
- Alzheimer's Research and Therapy
Snellman Anniina, Ekblad Laura L., Tuisku Jouni, Koivumäki Mikko, Ashton Nicholas J., Lantero-Rodriguez Juan, Karikari Thomas K., Helin Semi, Bucci Marco, Löyttyniemi Eliisa, Parkkola Riitta, Karrasch Mira, Schöll Michael, Zetterberg Henrik, Blennow Kaj, Rinne Juha O.
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal)
- EKG-löydökset vaikeuttavat muistisairauden lääkehoitoa (2023) Ranta Salla, Langen Ville, Nuotio Maria, Ekblad Laura
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal)
- Head-to-head comparison of plasma p-tau181, p-tau231 and glial fibrillary acidic protein in clinically unimpaired elderly with three levels of APOE4-related risk for Alzheimer's disease (2023) Snellman Anniina, Ekblad Laura L., Ashton Nicholas J., Karikari Thomas K., Lantero-Rodriguez Juan, Pietilä Elina, Koivumäki Mikko, Helin Semi, Karrasch Mira, Zetterberg Henrik, Blennow Kaj, Rinne Juha O.
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal)
- Impaired Early Insulin Response to Glucose Load Predicts Episodic Memory Decline: A 10-Year Population-Based Cohort Follow-Up of 45-74-Year-Old Men and Women (2023)
- Journal of Alzheimer's Disease
Toppala Sini, Ekblad Laura L., Viitanen Matti, Rinne Juha O., Jula Antti
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal)
- Insulin resistance and body mass index are associated with TSPO PET in cognitively unimpaired elderly (2023)
- Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism
Ekblad Laura L, Tuisku Jouni, Koivumäki Mikko, Helin Semi, Rinne Juha O, Snellman Anniina
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal)
- ASIC-E4: Interplay of Beta-Amyloid, Synaptic Density and Neuroinflammation in Cognitively Normal Volunteers With Three Levels of Genetic Risk for Late-Onset Alzheimer's Disease - Study Protocol and Baseline Characteristics (2022) Snellman Anniina, Ekblad Laura L, Koivumäki Mikko, Lindgren Noora, Tuisku Jouni, Perälä Merja, Kallio Lila, Lehtonen Riina, Saunavaara Virva, Saunavaara Jani, Oikonen Vesa, Aarnio Richard, Löyttyniemi Eliisa, Parkkola Riitta Karrasch Mira, Zetterberg Henrik, Blennow Kaj, Rinne Juha O
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal)
- Association of Midlife Inflammatory Markers With Cognitive Performance at 10-Year Follow-up (2022) Kipinoinen Teemu, Toppala Sini, Rinne Juha O., Viitanen Matti H., Jula Antti M., Ekblad Laura L.
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal)
- Iäkkäiden muistisairaudet tarvitsevat erikoisosaajia (2022) Nuotio Maria, Jäntti Pirkko, Keränen Maija-Helena, Ekblad Laura, Seppänen Maija-Liisa, Lönnroos Eija
(D1 Article in a professional journal)
- Insulin Resistance and the Brain-Novel Insights Combining Metabolic Research and Neuroscience (2022) Ekblad Laura, Rebelos Eleni
(B1 Non-refereed article in a scientific journal)
