Dr. Eino Solje

Dr. Eino Solje is a senior consultant neurologist at Kuopio University Hospital and Associate Professor of Neurology at the University of Eastern Finland (UEF), where he leads research on neurodegenerative diseases — particularly frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Over two decades of academic and clinical neurology practice, Dr. Solje has become a leading Finnish voice in the study of the genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying FTD spectrum disorders.

Kuopio University Hospital is the principal tertiary neurology centre for Eastern Finland and one of five university hospital districts in the country. Dr. Solje runs a specialist memory and neurodegenerative disease clinic that evaluates complex cases of FTD, atypical dementia, and motor neuron disease referred from across the region. His interdisciplinary team includes neuropsychologists, speech therapists, and genetic counsellors, enabling comprehensive assessment of these complex conditions.

Dr. Solje is recognised internationally for his research into the C9orf72 repeat expansion — the most common genetic cause of familial FTD and ALS — and its clinical phenotypes in the Finnish population, which carries a particularly high prevalence of this mutation. He participates in several European multicentre research consortia studying neurodegenerative disease biomarkers and has published extensively in leading neurology journals.

Dr. Solje completed his medical degree (MD) at the University of Eastern Finland, followed by residency training in neurology at Kuopio University Hospital. He obtained his specialist certification in Neurology from the Finnish Medical Association and completed his doctoral thesis (PhD) at the University of Eastern Finland, with research focused on the genetics and clinical phenotypes of frontotemporal lobar degeneration.

He has undertaken research collaborations with leading European dementia research centres including the Memory Clinic at the University of Amsterdam and the Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases at the University of Toronto. These collaborations deepened his expertise in inherited dementia genetics and novel biomarker applications including plasma neurofilament light chain (NfL) and GFAP for monitoring disease progression in FTD and ALS.

Dr. Solje's clinical practice focuses on the diagnosis and management of frontotemporal dementia and ALS — two conditions that are clinically and pathologically related and frequently co-occur. He conducts comprehensive neurological evaluations including detailed cognitive and behavioural assessments, neuropsychological testing, and brain MRI interpretation for atrophy patterns characteristic of specific FTD subtypes.

His diagnostic workup includes lumbar puncture for CSF biomarker analysis, FDG-PET interpretation, and genetic testing for C9orf72, GRN, MAPT, and other FTD-associated mutations. He provides genetic counselling for patients with familial FTD and facilitates presymptomatic genetic testing where appropriate. In ALS, he coordinates multidisciplinary care including respiratory monitoring, nutritional support, and riluzole pharmacotherapy, working closely with physiotherapists and respiratory medicine colleagues.

Kuopio University Hospital serves patients from across Finland and internationally, with some referrals from Estonia and Russia via the Eastern Finland catchment area. Dr. Solje offers video consultations and remote second-opinion reviews for complex cases of atypical dementia, FTD, and ALS referred from other countries. He communicates fluently in Finnish, English, and Swedish.

Finland's public healthcare system primarily serves residents, but private consultations and international second opinions can be arranged through the hospital's international patient coordination unit. Patients with complex genetic dementia presentations who cannot access specialist FTD evaluation in their home countries are encouraged to contact his academic unit for guidance on evaluation pathways and referral options.

Dr. Solje has received the Young Investigator Award from the Finnish Neurological Association and the EAN Young Faculty Award from the European Academy of Neurology for his contributions to FTD research. He has been awarded research grants from the Academy of Finland and the Sigrid Jusélius Foundation for his work on C9orf72 biology and biomarkers in neurodegeneration.

He serves as a reviewer for leading dementia research journals and has presented at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference (AAIC) and the European Conference on Frontotemporal Dementias. He is a faculty member in the UEF doctoral training programmes for clinical neuroscience.