Norway

The GP uses pragmatic tests focused on function, such as the Clock Test (KT-NR3) and the IQCODE, an informant-based questionnaire. If the diagnosis is uncertain, the patient is referred to a specialist for an extended cognitive examination. This assessment is standardised by the NorCog registry and includes a comprehensive battery of neuropsychological tests. Specific tools used at this stage include the Mini-Mental State Examination—Norwegian Revised (3rd version) (MMSE-NR3) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) for general screening, the CERAD 10-word list for memory, the Trail-Making-Test (TMT) for executive function, and the Boston Naming Test for language.

Structural brain imaging with computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a standard component of the assessment. The primary, guideline-mandated purpose is exclusionary—to rule out other reversible or treatable causes of cognitive symptoms, such as tumours, subdural hematomas, or normal pressure hydrocephalus. MRI is the preferred method as it can also provide supportive evidence by revealing patterns of brain atrophy or white matter changes indicative of specific dementia types.

Access to advanced functional and molecular imaging is restricted to specialist services for complex cases. Fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) (which measures glucose metabolism) and DATscan (dopamine transporter scan is listed as tools for the extended assessment, though the guidelines note the supporting research is of low quality. The most advanced Tau-PET imaging, using the MK6240 tracer, is available only at St. Olav’s Hospital in Trondheim as part of a research study, not as a routine clinical service.

National guidelines state that testing for rare, causative genes can be considered only in cases with both dementia clinical symptoms and a strong suspicion of autosomal dominant Alzheimer’s disease or familial frontotemporal dementia. However, the person being tested must be offered genetic counselling and provide written consent to the test. Only businesses with approval under the Biotechnology Act can offer predictive, presymptomatic or carrier diagnostic genetic testing, i.e. testing of presumptively healthy individuals to identify the risk of future disease.

Analysis of biomarkers in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is an established part of the extended assessment in specialist memory clinics. The NorCog national registry maintains a biobank that includes CSF samples from people living with dementia in specialist care, underscoring its role in diagnostics and research.

As of late 2025, reports confirm that a blood-based test capable of detecting early-stage Alzheimer’s disease is being introduced in Norwegian hospitals.

Norway has a two-tier system for memory clinics. Highly specialised assessment services are centralised at university hospitals in major cities like Oslo, Bergen, and Tromsø. Access is restricted to complex, atypical, or young-onset dementia cases and requires a GP referral. Conversely, municipal memory teams function as the primary, decentralised clinics. These teams are available in most municipalities across the country to support GPs with basic assessment and provide post-diagnostic follow-up.

Day and community centres are widely available. As of January 1, 2020, every municipality has a statutory duty to provide day activity centres for home-dwelling people living with dementia. Specialised centres for residential care are typically not standalone facilities but rather tiered units within municipal nursing homes. This includes “sheltered units” for residents who need a safer, secure environment and “enhanced units” for those with severe behavioural and psychological symptoms.

Palliative care for dementia is not provided in separate, dedicated facilities. Instead, it is an integrated approach that national guidelines recommend be applied throughout the entire course of the disease. This care is delivered in the person’s place of residence, whether at home or, most commonly, within the municipal nursing home, which functions as the primary location for end-of-life care.

The government and National Insurance system cover the vast majority of costs for medicine, therapy, and care, but people are responsible for co-payments up to an annual limit. For medical services like doctor visits, specialist consultations, and prescribed physiotherapy, a person pays a regulated co-payment for each service. Medications for long-term illnesses like Alzheimer’s disease are heavily subsidised through the “blue prescription” scheme, which has its own co-payment capped at a maximum of NOK 520 for a three-month supply. All these co-payments are tracked, and once total medical expenses reach the annual safety net cap (NOK 3278 for 2025), a person receives an exemption card, making these services free for the rest of the year.

Care costs, such as home help and nursing homes, are handled by a separate municipal system and are not covered by this safety net. These services also require payments, but they are calculated differently. Practical home help involves a modest, income-based monthly fee, which for lower-income households is capped at NOK 240 per month in 2025.

For a permanent long-term nursing home stay, the municipality covers the full cost, and the person then contributes a large portion of their own income (typically 75% to 85%) as payment, after certain deductions are made. This fee is based only on the person’s income, not the family’s.

Support for carers of people living with Alzheimer’s disease is structured around a dual-provider system: the municipality and the state. Carers with “particularly demanding” tasks have a statutory right to two key municipal services: respite care and training. Respite care is provided completely free of charge to the carer and delivered through legally mandated day activity centres or institutional stays. Training is offered via municipal Caregiver Schools and free national e-learning courses adapted from the World Health Organization (WHO)’s iSupport program. A formal Carers Agreement can also be used to establish a clear partnership, contact person, and communication plan with the municipal health service.

Financial support for families of people living with Alzheimer’s disease is divided between municipal and state schemes. At the municipal level, care allowance is a discretionary cash benefit granted by the municipality as compensation for particularly demanding unpaid care tasks. It is not an automatic right and may be reduced if the care recipient receives state benefits for the same purpose. At the state level, the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration provides statutory benefits paid directly to the person living with dementia. These include attendance allowance, which compensates for a permanent need for private care or supervision. For adults, the allowance is paid at a flat monthly rate of NOK 1,346, regardless of diagnosis or severity. In addition, basic benefits may be granted to cover specific extra expenses caused by illness or disability—such as transport, special diet, or excessive wear on clothing.

Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) do not provide direct financial aid, but offer various services like the national Dementia Helpline and Activity Friend volunteer matching program.

Norway’s Dementia Plan 2025 was launched in 2021 and runs until the end of 2025, with the overall objective to build a dementia-friendly society — one characterised by inclusion, equality and understanding — so that people living with dementia, and their families, can live full, meaningful lives. The key goals of the plan are:

1. Early diagnosis and tailored support – Ensure timely detection, systematic follow-up, and coordinated, person-centred care.
2. Self-determination and inclusion – Enable people living with dementia to participate in decisions, live meaningful lives, and promote a dementia-friendly society.
3. Prevention and public health – Strengthen brain health and dementia prevention through healthier lifestyles, social engagement, and age-friendly environments.
4. Quality health and care services – Improve care pathways, staff competence, and dementia-friendly design in hospitals and long-term care.
5. Knowledge and preparedness – Build workforce skills, enhance research, and ensure municipalities are ready for rising dementia cases.
6. Support for carers – Recognise and assist relatives and informal carers with guidance and respite.
7. Cross-sector collaboration – Foster coordination between health, social, and community services.

Researchers at the University of Oslo are working on investigating how impaired cellular “garbage disposal” (mitophagy) and a decline in the molecule NAD+ drive Alzheimer’s disease, and whether boosting NAD+ levels can be a viable therapy. Researchers at the University of Oslo are also working on developing a new drug candidate from a natural molecule found in fruits and vegetables, engineering it to effectively cross the blood-brain barrier.

Researchers at Stavanger University Hospital are working on leading the €21 million PREDICTOM project, which is building an artificial intelligence (AI) platform to integrate multiple data sources (blood, imaging, digital biomarkers) for pre-symptomatic dementia risk identification.

Norway contributes to the NJ-FINGERS project through Stavanger University Hospital, providing clinical expertise and data to support the study of biological mechanisms, biomarkers, and the effectiveness of multidomain FINGER-based interventions for dementia prevention.

Researchers at NTNU are working on the Trønderbrain initiative, which uses advanced 7-Tesla MRI and PET scanning combined with liquid biopsies (cell-free DNA/RNA) to find new biomarkers for early diagnosis.

Researchers at Oslo University Hospital are working on a wide range of innovative projects, from improving diagnostics to uncovering biological mechanisms. Key efforts include large longitudinal studies like Trail-Dem and Nor-COAST, which track cognitive decline and risk factors over time. Biological investigations such as Inflamdem, MITO-DEM, FEMDEM, and the NETs project explore inflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and sex-specific mechanisms driving Alzheimer’s disease. Diagnostic advances are being pursued through AIDDEM (AI-based tools), SAS-MRI (MRI-based subtyping), and NORD-MCI (EEG biomarkers). Meanwhile, REACT-MCI and the spatial orientation studies focus on early intervention and cognitive training to delay disease progression.

Researchers at Neuro-SysMed (Bergen) are working on the N-DOSE Alzheimer’s disease trial, a national study testing whether high-dose Vitamin B3 (nicotinamide riboside) can slow Alzheimer’s disease progression by boosting brain cell metabolism and NAD+ levels. Researchers at this institution are also working on the DARK-DEM trial, which tests whether using “virtual darkness” (filtering out blue light) can manage agitation in people living with dementia by targeting the brain’s circadian rhythms.