Alzheimer's Disease News and Research

RSS

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.

Mediterranean-style diet may reduce dementia risk in individuals with high genetic risk

A new study led by investigators from Mass General Brigham, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard suggests that a Mediterranean-style diet may help reduce dementia risk.

25 Aug 2025

Modest gift card boosts enrollment of low-income participants in Alzheimer’s registry

Offering a modest gift card significantly increased enrollment of low-income individuals in a patient registry designed to accelerate Alzheimer's disease clinical trials, a new USC study finds.

22 Aug 2025

Research shows how lysosomes respond to stress

New research, published today in the journal Science, shows how lysosomes - organelles that act like cells' waste disposal system - respond to stress by becoming abnormally bloated, a process called lysosomal vacuolation that is associated with numerous diseases.

21 Aug 2025

Midkine found to prevent Alzheimer’s-related protein assemblies

Scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital demonstrated for the first time that the protein midkine plays a preventative role against Alzheimer's disease.

21 Aug 2025

Metabolic syndrome linked to higher risk of Parkinson's disease

Having a larger waistline, high blood pressure and other risk factors that make up metabolic syndrome is associated with an increased risk of Parkinson's disease, according to a study published on August 20, 2025, in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

20 Aug 2025

Mitochondrial dysfunction in the blood-brain barrier may contribute to neuropsychiatric disease in 22qDS

In a new study led by the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine (Penn Vet) and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), researchers found that mitochondrial dysfunction in the blood-brain barrier (BBB) may lead to neuropsychiatric disease in some patients with 22qDS.

20 Aug 2025

New genetic study reveals why people age differently

It's a fact of life: Some people age better than others. Some ease into their 90s with mind and body intact, while others battle diabetes, Alzheimer's or mobility issues decades earlier.

20 Aug 2025

Women with Alzheimer's show reduced levels of healthy unsaturated fats

Omega fatty acids could protect against Alzheimer's disease in women, new research has found.

20 Aug 2025

RNA quality control protein PELOTA found to slow aging and extend lifespan

As aging progresses, the quality of DNA and proteins inside cells declines, known to be the cause of various degenerative diseases.

18 Aug 2025

Alzheimer’s gene risks differ by ancestry, major study reveals 133 new variants

Researchers used whole-genome sequencing from diverse populations to identify 156 variants, including 133 novel ones, linked to Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. The study highlights ancestry-specific genetic risk and protective factors, challenging one-size-fits-all approaches to dementia genetics.

17 Aug 2025

Brain organoids reveal early changes in familial Alzheimer’s disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disease in older people, affecting up to 1 in 20 individuals aged 65 and above. In addition to environmental and lifestyle factors, genetic mutations can predispose an individual to AD and some rare forms of inherited "familial" AD (fAD) are caused by known genetic mutations, with these affected individuals developing AD with high probability and at relatively young age.

14 Aug 2025

New discovery in spinal cord neurons offers hope for breathing recovery

Today about 300,000 people nationally living with a spinal cord injury and with respiratory complications being the most common cause of illness and death, according to the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation.

13 Aug 2025

New computer model provides detailed look at mouse brain vasculature

Healthy brain function relies on a steady supply of blood. Disruptions in blood flow are linked to major neurological conditions like stroke, Alzheimer's disease (AD), and traumatic brain injuries. But understanding how the brain fine-tunes this flow – especially across its smallest blood vessels – remains a challenge.

13 Aug 2025

Women with Down syndrome show more advanced Alzheimer's signs at diagnosis

According to research by the University of California, Irvine, women with Down syndrome have more advanced signs of Alzheimer's disease than men do at the average age of diagnosis, which is the same for both sexes.

12 Aug 2025

Cats with dementia show brain changes similar to Alzheimer’s in humans

Cats with dementia have brain changes similar to those of people with Alzheimer's disease, offering a valuable model for studying the condition in humans, a study says.

12 Aug 2025

Study establishes a causal link between mitochondrial dysfunction and neurodegenerative diseases

Mitochondria, the tiny organelles without which our bodies would be deprived of energy, are gradually revealing their mysteries.

11 Aug 2025

New insights into how keto diet can restore cognitive function following status epilepticus

Epilepsy affects over 70 million people worldwide, and a significant portion of patients suffer from drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE), where standard medications fail.

11 Aug 2025

Alzheimer’s research reaches a critical tipping point

One-third of people older than 85 in the United States are estimated to live with Alzheimer's disease today, according to the National Institute on Aging.

8 Aug 2025

Uncovering the secrets of ‘SuperAgers’ and cognitive longevity

For 25 years, scientists at Northwestern Medicine have been studying individuals aged 80 and older - dubbed "SuperAgers" - to better understand what makes them tick.

8 Aug 2025

Scientists link brain lithium loss to early Alzheimer’s changes

Researchers have discovered that naturally occurring lithium in the brain is depleted early in Alzheimer’s disease, especially in the prefrontal cortex, and that restoring physiological levels with lithium orotate in mice can prevent brain damage and memory loss. The findings suggest lithium deficiency may be a modifiable risk factor for Alzheimer’s.

7 Aug 2025