North Karelia ALS Centre

Foundation year2025
DirectorProf. Jussi Sipilä
Principal investigatorProf. Jussi Sipilä

North Karelia is a region in Finland with high age-stantardised incidence and prevalence rates of many neurodegenerative disorders, including ALS. As a non-academic hospital we have very limited resources available specifically for research, but the high level of clinical operations and resources provides synergy. We also collaborate with many other hospitals and universities to investigate ALS and other diseases in the region using many approaches, including e.g. clinical, epidemiological, genetic and environmental investigations.

Contact Information

AddressJoensuuTikkamäentie 1680210 Finland

ContactNorth Karelia ALS Centre

Phone358133300
Emailjussi.sipila@siunsote.fi

Restricted information

Serving population
162,000

Patient resources

Population based register
Clinic based register
Geographically matched controls

Research Activities

Clinical management research
Neuro epidemiology
Neuro physiology
Neuro imaging
Neuro psychology
Neuro pathology
Genomics
Transcriptomics
Metabolomics

Clinical Trials - Investigator initiated

ALSGEN

TypeALS PatientsControlsOther
National genetic epidemiology study
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ALS exposome

TypeALS PatientsControlsOther
Exposome interview pilot study
12 to be recruited
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Publication

  1. Hanhisuanto M, Solje E, Jokela M, Sipilä JOT. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis in Southwestern and Eastern Finland. Neuroepidemiology. 2023;57(4):238-245. doi: 10.1159/000531238
  2. Sipilä J, Jokela M, Solje E. Municipality-level incidence of clinically diagnosed amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease. J Neurol Sci. 2025 Nov 15;478:123696. doi: 10.1016/j.jns.2025.123696
  3. Spencer PS, Berntsson SG, Buguet A, et al. Brain health: Pathway to primary prevention of neurodegenerative disorders of environmental origin. J Neurol Sci. 2025 Jan 15;468:123340. doi: 10.1016/j.jns.2024.123340
  4. Sipilä JOT. Adult-Onset Neuroepidemiology in Finland: Lessons to Learn and Work to Do. J Clin Med. 2023 Jun 11;12(12):3972. doi: 10.3390/jcm12123972