Lukas Sveikata, MD and privat-docent in the Department of Clinical Neurosciences at the Faculty of Medicine and staff physician in the HUG Division of Neurology, and Katarzyna Wac, professor at the Geneva School of Economics and Management, have received a significant grant from the SNSF to conduct a research project on cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD). Entitled "ENHANCE-CSVD", this is the Swiss component of a transnational European project co-funded by the European Union. Mayssam Nehme, physician at the HUG Division of Primary Care, will be one of the partners in the project, which also involves six teams in Switzerland, France, Italy and Lithuania.

Cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) is an often silent but extremely common disease in older adults, leading to mobility impairments, cognitive decline and neuropsychiatric manifestations. It contributes to half of all cases of dementia, a quarter of all strokes and 85% of spontaneous intracerebral haemorrhages. Yet, no effective treatment exists and, despite established guidelines, vascular risk factors such as blood pressure remain poorly managed in half of all patients. In addition, mobility disorders further contribute to the progression of CSVD, leading to falls, dementia and depression.

The ENHANCE-CSVD project proposes a new solution: creating a digital platform for primary care that combines connected sensors, remote monitoring and personalised support to reduce cerebrovascular risk directly at home. "Currently, there is no personalised solution for use at home or within the patient’s daily living environment," points out Lukas Sveikata. "By using connected technologies that allow remote monitoring of parameters such as blood pressure, sleep, mobility and cognitive performance, we want to detect the signs of CSVD as early as possible to improve stroke and dementia prevention, reduce hospital visits, enhance patient autonomy and quality of life, and, more broadly, promote brain health.”

The project is aligned with the strategies of the Swiss Brain Health Plan 2023-2033, European Academy of Neurology and the WHO aimed at preserving and improving brain health by offering a patient-centred, accessible and personalized approach. It will also empower patients by focusing on daily prevention in their living environment.