Laukka Team

The overall aim of our research is to identify determinants of individual differences in old-age cognitive performance and age- and dementia-related cognitive decline. This will increase our understanding of why persons age at different rates and which persons are at high risk of developing a dementia disorder. Increased knowledge in these areas might help promoting that elderly persons maintain their previous cognitive levels well into old age.

One important line of research concerns the associations between cognitive function, olfactory function and dementia.  We are interested in predictors of cognitive and olfactory decline in aging and how these domains in turn are associated with dementia biomarkers and future dementia risk.

A more recent project focuses on the long-term influence on COVID-19 on cognitive and olfactory function, and the impact of deficits in these domains on well-being and daily functioning in post-COVID patients.

Team members

Erika Jonsson Laukka

Senior lecturer, research group leader
08-524 858 31
H1 Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society

Ingrid Ekström

Assistant professor
H1 Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society

Andrea Aejmelaeus-Lindström

Teaching assistant
H1 Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society

Yvonne Brehmer

Andreja Speh

Affiliated to research
H1 Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society

Projects

Long-term follow-up of individuals with long-lasting cognitive deficits following mild COVID-19

  • PI: Erika Jonsson Laukka
  • Co-applicants: Marika Möller and Kristian Borg, Danderyd Rehabilitation Clinic, Danderyd University Hospital, Marc Guitart-Masip, Grégoria Kalpouzos, Goran Papenberg, Karolinska Institutet
  • Funded by: The Swedish Research Council (VR)
  • Timeline: 2023-2025

Long-lasting cognitive and olfactory deficits following mild COVID-19 – modifying factors, brain correlates, and prognostic impact for well-being and daily functioning

The project aims to increase the knowledge regarding nature, severity, and duration of long-term effects on cognitive and olfactory function after mild COVID. Longitudinal follow-up of these individuals is vital to understand the long-term effects.

The researchers are interested in which individuals are more likely to be affected by and recover from such deficits, underlying mechanisms, and potential consequences.

  • PI: Erika Jonsson Laukka
  • Co-applicants: Marika Möller and Kristian Borg, Danderyd Rehabilitation Clinic, Danderyd University Hospital, Marc Guitart-Masip, Grégoria Kalpouzos, Goran Papenberg, Karolinska Institutet
  • Funded by: The Swedish Research Council (VR)
  • Timeline: 2022-2025

Olfactory function, cognitive aging, and dementia

The aim of the project is to deepen our knowledge regarding olfactory deficits in aging and their role in predicting dementia and cognitive decline.

The project covers 4 main topics: (1) Olfactory performance and risk of future dementia and cognitive impairment, (2) The association between olfactory decline and cognitive decline, (3) Mechanisms of olfactory function and decline, and (4) Clinical advantages of olfactory testing.

We will make use of the database from a Swedish population-based cohort – SNAC-K. We will also collect new data on olfactory function in a memory clinic sample.

Longitudinal trajectories of olfactory abilities: What predicts old-age olfactory memory decline?

Olfactory deficits are common in old age and associated with adverse health outcomes. This project aims to do a thorough investigation of predictors of olfactory memory decline in the normal elderly population.

We will use an existing database from a large Swedish population-based cohort – SNAC-K. Olfactory abilities, neuropsychological test performance, physical function, and medical health were repeatedly assessed across 12 years in people aged ≥ 60 years.

The results will promote the understanding of the underlying causes of old-age olfactory impairment. This will have implications for how to design interventions to maintain olfactory function into old age.

  • PI: Erika Jonsson Laukka
  • Co-applicant: Maria Larsson, Stockholm University
  • Funded by: The Swedish Research Council (VR)
  • Timeline: 2018-2020

Ongoing data collections

  • Swedish National Study on Aging and Care in Kungsholmen - SNAC-K. The goal of SNAC-K is to collect longitudinal population-based data to understand the ageing process, and to identify possible preventive strategies to improve health and care in older adults. PI: Laura Fratiglioni. (2001–)
  • SNAC-K MRI2020 is a sub study of the larger SNAC-K study. It targets a new cohort of 60-year-olds that were added during wave 7-8, as well as participants who were already part of SNAC-K. (2021–)
  • The Long-COVID study is following on up patients diagnosed with post COVID-19 syndrome. The study aims to identify modifying factors and brain correlates to long-lasting cognitive and olfactory deficits in this group, as well as their prognostic impact for well-being and daily functioning: PI: Erika Jonsson Laukka (2022–)
  • Mechanisms associated with olfactory and cognitive function in aging is a data collection carried out at the Memory Clinic, Karolinska University Hospital, Solna. The aim of this study is to investigate the associations among olfactory function, cognitive abilities, and dementia. PI: Erika Jonsson Laukka (2021–)

Research support

  • Swedish Research Council
  • Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare
  • Swedish Dementia foundation
  • Karolinska Institutet

Selected publications

Markers of olfactory dysfunction and progression to dementia: A 12-year population-based study.
Laukka EJ, Ekström I, Larsson M, Grande G, Fratiglioni L, Rizzuto D
Alzheimers Dement 2023 Jul;19(7):3019-3027

Trajectories of cognitive decline and dementia development: A 12-year longitudinal study.
Payton NM, Marseglia A, Grande G, Fratiglioni L, Kivipelto M, Bäckman L, Laukka EJ
Alzheimers Dement 2022 Jun;():

Environmental Air Pollution and Olfactory Decline in Aging.
Ekström IA, Rizzuto D, Grande G, Bellander T, Laukka EJ
Environ Health Perspect 2022 Feb;130(2):27005

The Relationship Between Cardiovascular Health and Rate of Cognitive Decline in Young-Old and Old-Old Adults: A Population-Based Study.
Speh A, Wang R, Winblad B, Kramberger MG, Bäckman L, Qiu C, Laukka EJ
J Alzheimers Dis 2021 ;84(4):1523-1537

Predictors of Olfactory Decline in Aging: A Longitudinal Population-Based Study.
Ekström I, Larsson M, Rizzuto D, Fastbom J, Bäckman L, Laukka EJ
J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2020 Nov;75(12):2441-2449

Combined genetic influences on episodic memory decline in older adults without dementia.
Laukka EJ, Köhncke Y, Papenberg G, Fratiglioni L, Bäckman L
Neuropsychology 2020 Sep;34(6):654-666

Combining Cognitive Markers to Identify Individuals at Increased Dementia Risk: Influence of Modifying Factors and Time to Diagnosis.
Payton NM, Rizzuto D, Fratiglioni L, Kivipelto M, Bäckman L, Laukka EJ
J Int Neuropsychol Soc 2020 Sep;26(8):785-797

A Prospective Study on Risk Factors for Olfactory Dysfunction in Aging.
Palmquist E, Larsson M, Olofsson JK, Seubert J, Bäckman L, Laukka EJ
J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2020 Feb;75(3):603-610

Effects of between-person differences and within-person changes in symptoms of anxiety and depression on older age cognitive performance.
Laukka EJ, Dykiert D, Allerhand M, Starr JM, Deary IJ
Psychol Med 2018 Jun;48(8):1350-1358

Phantom Smells: Prevalence and Correlates in a Population-Based Sample of Older Adults.
Sjölund S, Larsson M, Olofsson JK, Seubert J, Laukka EJ
Chem Senses 2017 May;42(4):309-318

Olfactory memory in the old and very old: relations to episodic and semantic memory and APOE genotype.
Larsson M, Hedner M, Papenberg G, Seubert J, Bäckman L, Laukka EJ
Neurobiol Aging 2016 Feb;38():118-126

EJ
Content reviewer:
Erika Jonsson Laukka
Charlotte Brandt
20-09-2023