CIEN has a Clinical Evaluation Platform, made up of specialists in neurology and neuropsychology who are in daily contact with the people participating in the centre's various research projects.
These include, on the one hand, residents of the Reina Sofia Foundation Alzheimer Centre (CAFRS), who are part of the care and research project developed in collaboration with the Reina Sofia Foundation, and who also participate in the Reina Sofia Foundation Vallecas Alzheimer's Project (VARS); and, on the other hand, volunteers who come to the CIEN facilities to participate in other studies, such as SCAP-AD or the Madrid-DFT cohort.
This platform acts as a link between researchers and participants, their families and carers, facilitating understanding and collaboration in the various lines of research.
Its main activities include clinical, syndromic and aetiological diagnoses of patients treated at CAFRS, both inpatients and outpatients, as well as the collection of valuable clinical data for research carried out by other CIEN platforms.
From a basic research perspective, the centre has three platforms that focus on the most promising areas of research into the biological processes involved in dementia: Neuropathology and Biobank, Biomarkers/Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, and Neuroimaging.
These disciplines work in coordination with the clinical aspect, testing hypotheses and developing joint projects that promote the transfer of basic knowledge to the healthcare field.
CIEN's strong multidisciplinary approach is reinforced by cross-cutting platforms that integrate and enhance the work of all areas. Since 2023, the Database and Bioinformatics Platform has been collecting, organising and analysing the information generated by the different teams, providing scientific support and acting as an integrator of research data.
At the end of 2025, CIEN incorporated the Neurophysiology and Neuromodulation Platform, aimed at the advanced study of brain function and the development of non-pharmacological interventions in ageing and neurodegenerative diseases.
Its mission is to measure and modulate brain activity in a non-invasive way, helping to identify early signs of deterioration and explore new therapeutic strategies. Its capabilities include transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), electroencephalography (EEG) and advanced brain signal analysis. It is currently in the process of consolidating and expanding its specialised equipment.
CIEN's scientific activity focuses on a fundamental idea: transferring the advances obtained through basic research to the clinical field.
To this end, the centre promotes constant communication between its different platforms, encouraging the integration of knowledge and the optimisation of scientific and human resources at the service of research into neurodegeneration.
