Alzheimer's Disease News and Research

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Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an irreversible, progressive brain disease that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills and, eventually, the ability to carry out the simplest tasks of daily living. In most people with AD, symptoms first appear after age 60. AD is the most common cause of dementia among older people, but it is not a normal part of aging. Dementia refers to a decline in cognitive function that interferes with daily life and activities. AD starts in a region of the brain that affects recent memory, then gradually spreads to other parts of the brain. Although treatment can slow the progression of AD and help manage its symptoms in some people, currently there is no cure for this devastating disease.

Better fitness was linked to healthier brain structure, but not better memory

Researchers studying 353 cognitively unimpaired adults aged 60 to 94 found that higher muscular capacity was associated with lower basal ganglia perivascular space volume, while greater aerobic fitness was associated with greater gray matter volume and medial temporal lobe thickness. Fitness was not directly associated with global cognition or episodic memory, and evidence for cognitive reserve was limited, although VO₂max explained additional variation in delayed verbal memory beyond tau burden.

18 Sep 2026

Sex-specific biological clocks reveal how aging differs across the body in women and men

Researchers developed 38 sex-specific biological aging clocks across 15 organ systems, finding differences between females and males in genetic architecture, molecular signatures, disease associations, and mortality patterns. Brain aging clocks were linked to progression from mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer’s disease in both sexes and to sex-dependent cognitive trajectories among solanezumab-treated A4 participants, while the authors stressed that sex-pooled and sex-interaction models remain complementary approaches.

17 Sep 2026

Social media posts misrepresent Alzheimer's blood test recommendations

Researchers have raised concerns about the promotion of Alzheimer's disease blood tests on social media, particularly posts making claims that do not align with current clinical recommendations.

17 Sep 2026

Time-restricted eating may slow early-stage Huntington's disease

A simple change in when people eat may offer a promising new approach for Huntington's disease, according to research led by Oregon Health & Science University.

17 Sep 2026

Salk scientists demonstrate B cells directly enhance killer T cell function

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States, according to a 2026 Cancer Research Institute report. Cancer biologists are keenly aware of this statistic, as it drives them to innovations that revolutionize cancer care-innovations like immunotherapy.

17 Sep 2026

New MRI measure maps blood flow and cellular organization

Researchers from the Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute (Stevens INI) at the Keck School of Medicine of USC have developed a new, noninvasive way to examine how blood flow and cellular organization align across the layers of the living human brain.

17 Sep 2026

Reading for pleasure linked to better mental health and greater empathy

Reading for pleasure – from tucking into a Jane Austen classic to devouring a Heartstopper graphic novel – is linked to better mental health, greater empathy and a lower risk of dementia, say researchers.

15 Sep 2026

Study explains why Amazonian Indigenous populations show low dementia prevalence

In two Indigenous communities living pre-industrial lifestyles in the Bolivian Amazon, dementia is remarkably uncommon.

15 Sep 2026

Study links processed foods to targeted domain-specific cognitive decline

An unhealthy Western-style diet was associated with a faster cognitive decline in people with a genetic risk of Alzheimer's disease, according to new research led by Murdoch University and Alzheimer's Research Australia.

15 Sep 2026

Eye scans detect signs of atrial fibrillation years before diagnosis

People with atrial fibrillation have signs of the condition in the retinas of their eyes that can be detected as early as four years before diagnosis, finds a new study led by University College London (UCL) and Moorfields researchers.

14 Sep 2026

APOE genotype helps p-tau217 predict who may develop cognitive impairment sooner

A pooled analysis of 8,582 adults from seven prospective cohorts found that higher plasma p-tau217 concentrations were associated with greater cognitive impairment risk and earlier progression, with stronger associations among APOE-ε4 carriers. Each 1-SD increase in p-tau217 was associated with a 24% shorter time to cognitive impairment among carriers compared with 13% among non-carriers, suggesting that genetic background can refine the prognostic meaning of this Alzheimer’s disease blood biomarker.

14 Sep 2026

Brain interference explains why multitasking becomes difficult

Multitasking feels like a required skill in modern life, but as anyone who has tried keeping track of multiple chat windows, an email inbox, and a stream of phone notifications during a video call can tell you, figuring out which messages are important comes at a cost.

10 Sep 2026

New blood screening algorithm reduces unnecessary Alzheimer's PET scans

A new blood-based screening algorithm dramatically reduced the number of unnecessary PET scans needed to recruit patients at risk of Alzheimer's disease for a clinical trial, according to research from scientists at the Keck School of Medicine of USC published in Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association.

9 Sep 2026

Brain-protecting immune cells may actually drive Alzheimer's disease

Immune cells that normally protect the body from damage by attacking foreign or infected cells are found in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease and related disorders at much higher levels than in healthy brains.

3 Sep 2026

Neural networks reveal how training shapes learning in living brains

A new study has used a type of machine learning called a neural network to reveal how different kinds of training can change how learning happens-both in machines, and in living brains.

3 Sep 2026

AI platform uncovers new molecular targets for Alzheimer's disease

Groundbreaking study published in Alzheimer's & Dementia reveals the crucial links between the NAD⁺-mitophagy axis and neurodegeneration.

1 Sep 2026

Aerobic exercise boosts executive function in postmenopausal women

Regular aerobic exercise – the kind that gets your heart pumping – can improve important thinking skills called executive functions, and the benefits appear especially strong for women after menopause, according to Rutgers researchers.

31 Aug 2026

People with diabetes may have another reason to protect their cardiovascular health

Better cardiovascular health, measured using Life’s Essential 8, was associated with a lower risk of mild cognitive impairment among people with diabetes after accounting for genetic susceptibility. Associations with dementia varied by genetic risk, while higher LE8 scores were also linked to greater gray matter volume and lower white matter hyperintensity volume.

30 Aug 2026

Primate-specific DNA change reveals a new link to dementia-related neurodegeneration

Brain diseases, including dementia, have long been studied using experimental animals such as mice. However, differences between the human and animal genomes have raised concerns that some disease mechanisms may not be fully explained by conventional animal models.

29 Aug 2026