H.M. Queen Sofía opens the International Congress on Neurodegenerative Diseases in Seville

• ICND 2026 marks its 13th edition, coinciding with World Alzheimer’s Day, at a time of unprecedented scientific transformation in Alzheimer’s disease research over the past four decades.
• The Congress brings together international researchers and experts in Seville, focusing on biomarkers, the tools making it possible to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease years before the onset of symptoms and through non-invasive procedures.
• The meeting takes place from 21 to 23 September and is organised by the Reina Sofía Foundation and CIEN, with the collaboration of the Institute of Biomedicine of Seville (IBiS) and Seville City Council.
• The programme addresses the areas reshaping the approach to the disease: the first disease-modifying drugs, blood tests capable of detecting the pathology, and the growing role of artificial intelligence in diagnosis.

Seville, 21 September 2026. H.M. Queen Sofía today presided over the opening ceremony of the International Congress on Neurodegenerative Diseases (ICND), which is celebrating its thirteenth edition in Seville coinciding with World Alzheimer’s Day. Over the course of three days, the meeting will bring together national and international researchers and specialists at the Centro Virgen de los Reyes in Seville to share the latest scientific advances in the understanding and management of neurodegenerative diseases.

Organised since its first edition in 2013 by the Reina Sofía Foundation and the Centre for Research on Neurological Diseases (CIEN, under the Carlos III Health Institute), this year’s ICND is being held in Seville with the collaboration of the Institute of Biomedicine of Seville (IBiS) and Seville City Council, under the Honorary Presidency of H.M. Queen Sofía.

“Seville is opening its doors today to science, knowledge and, above all, hope,” said Seville Mayor José Luis Sanz, who thanked the Reina Sofía Foundation, CIEN and IBiS for their efforts in bringing the meeting to the city. Sanz highlighted Seville as “a major centre of knowledge that generates, attracts and retains top-level research talent”, talent represented today by internationally renowned researchers such as Alberto Pascual, Pablo Mir and Michel Grothe, who are taking part in the Congress. “The role of public administrations is not to do science, but to create the right conditions for science to happen. Our mission as a City Council is to provide agility, certainty and infrastructure so that the best researchers can develop their careers in Seville,” he concluded.

Eva Ortega, Secretary General for Research, highlighted the work of the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities and the importance of collaboration between scientific organisations and research centres in the field of neurodegenerative diseases, as well as the involvement of patient associations.

M.ª Ángeles Pérez, Managing Director of CIEN, expressed her gratitude to the institutions and individuals whose collaboration makes the Congress possible and particularly highlighted the involvement of H.M. Queen Sofía, whose commitment to research and to people affected by neurodegenerative diseases has been fundamental to the development of this initiative.

Pascual Sánchez-Juan, Scientific Director of CIEN, highlighted the evolution of the Congress and its growing participation and scientific interest during the opening ceremony. This year’s edition has seen a further increase both in the number of participants and in the scientific contributions submitted, with almost 60 posters selected. This growth, he noted, also reflects the increasing importance of scientific research in understanding neurodegenerative diseases and the need to continue creating opportunities for researchers from different disciplines and backgrounds to meet and exchange knowledge.

Mariló Almagro, President of CEAFA (Spanish Alzheimer’s and Other Dementias Confederation), which brings together more than 300 local associations representing patients’ families, welcomed the fact that ICND is once again giving a voice to patient associations.

A new era: the importance of early diagnosis

The Congress comes at a time when the two first drugs targeting the underlying biology of the disease, rather than only its symptoms, have recently received European authorisation. These treatments are indicated only for patients in the early stages of the disease. It also takes place at a time when Alzheimer’s disease can be identified years before the onset of symptoms thanks to biomarkers: measurable signals detected through brain imaging, cerebrospinal fluid and, increasingly, blood.

“Now that we have treatments that only work in the early stages, timely diagnosis has ceased to be an academic aspiration and has become a clinical decision,” said Sánchez-Juan.

The programme is structured around these areas: measurable plasma biomarkers, which could make it possible to move detection from PET scans and lumbar punctures to an accessible blood test available through primary care, the focus of the two sessions on the first day; the question of how to manage the data generated by these techniques, including the integration of artificial intelligence into clinical workflows; and diagnostic accuracy in distinguishing Alzheimer’s disease from other pathologies and co-pathologies, such as limbic-predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy