Photo of Katarina Nägga

Katarina Nägga

Professor

My research focuses on risk factors and markers for different cognitive disorders, based on both population studies and clinical studies. I am also involved in research concerning the behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD).

My research

My research projects largely focus on risk factors and risk markers for various cognitive disorders, based on large population studies as well as clinical studies. Cognitive disorders/dementia is one of the major public health issues that is increasing due to the growing proportion of elderly in society. It is therefore important to understand risk factors in order to prevent dementia, but also to be able to diagnose cognitive impairment using reliable methods. We are studying the significance of digital cognitive testing methods as tools for basic cognitive assessment in primary care, but also as a method to distinguish between depression and burnout syndrome, which are increasingly common conditions in society today.

Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) occur in 90% of people with cognitive disorders/dementia. Through national quality registers, we investigate how various factors, such as specific dementia diagnoses, different trigger factors, and concurrent medication treatment with opioids, for example, are associated with different types of BPSD.

I also participate in studies examining different aspects of abuse among older people with dementia, as well as in a cross-sectional study mapping the health status of elderly Sámi people.

Publications

2025

Johanna Simmons, Elida Floberg, Christina Casselgren, Björn Westerlind, Jonas Sandberg, Katarina Swahnberg, Katarina Nägga, Mikael Ludvigsson, Linda Johansson (2025) REAGERA-dementia: study protocol for the validation of screening instruments to detect abuse of people with dementia BMC Geriatrics, Vol. 25, Article 660 (Article in journal) Continue to DOI
Katarina Nägga, Per Axelsson, Christina Storm Mienna (2025) Protocol for the HALDI study-conceptual framework for investigating health and living conditions in an arctic area of Sweden with a multiethnic population Annals of Medicine, Vol. 57, Article 2537914 (Article in journal) Continue to DOI
Simon Ståhl, Peder af Geijerstam, Magnus Wijkman, Maria M. Johansson, John Chalmers, Katarina Nägga, Karin Rådholm (2025) Hypertension and orthostatic hypertension in 85-year-olds and associations with mortality and cognitive decline in a longitudinal cohort study Scientific Reports, Vol. 15, Article 10529 (Article in journal) Continue to DOI
Linus Jonsson, Moa Wibom, Elisabet Londos, Katarina Nägga (2025) Person-centered care at population scale: The Swedish registry for behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Translational Research & Clinical Interventions, Vol. 11, Article e70057 (Article in journal) Continue to DOI
Peder af Geijerstam, Katie Harris, Maria M. Johansson, John Chalmers, Katarina Nägga, Karin Rådholm (2025) Orthostatic Hypotension and Cognitive Function in Individuals 85 Years of Age: A Longitudinal Cohort Study in Sweden Aging and Disease, Vol. 16, p. 469-478 (Article in journal) Continue to DOI

Organisation