Dementia

Dementia is not a specific disease. It is a descriptive term for a collection of symptoms that can be caused by a number of disorders that affect the brain. People with dementia have significantly impaired intellectual functioning that interferes with normal activities and relationships.

What Causes Dementia?

Dementia occurs due to loss of brain function that occurs with certain diseases. It can affect several brain functions such as memory, thinking, language, planning, behavior and judgement. Dementias are usually progressive and worsen with time. They usually are degenerative and non reversible.

Does Depression and Anxiety Increase the Risk of Dementia?

Childhood Dementia Causes

Bright Light Therapy and Dementia

Differences Between Alzheimer's and Dementia

Mixed Dementia Symptoms and Diagnosis

Childhood Dementia Signs and Symptoms

Dementia Diagnosis

Antidepressants and Dementia: Is There a Link?

Parkinson's Compared to Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB)

Dementia with Lewy Bodies

Dementia Treatment

See more featured articles »

Dementia Symptoms

Migraines and Dementia

Aromatherapy for Dementia

Coconut Oil and Dementia

Mixed Dementia Prevention and Treatment

What is Mixed Dementia?

Dementia Prevention

What is Dementia?

Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation for Dementia

Latest Dementia News and Research

Study reveals how TDP-43 causes neuronal overactivity in ALS and FTD

A new Northwestern University study using patient nervous tissue and lab-grown human neurons has uncovered how a key disease protein, TDP-43, drives overactive nerve cells in the neurodegenerative diseases amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD).

31 Oct 2025

How early diabetes management influences long-term outcomes

Could slightly elevated blood sugar levels lead to serious health problems in the future? A single patient's question sparked nearly a decade of research leading to the development of a landmark model that could shape how clinicians and researchers understand and manage diabetes across the US.

30 Oct 2025

Study links short-term blood pressure variability to Alzheimer's-related brain loss

Even when blood pressure is well controlled, older adults whose blood pressure fluctuates widely from one heartbeat to the next may be at greater risk for brain shrinkage and nerve cell injury, according to a new study led by the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology.

30 Oct 2025

Systematic analysis reveals psilocybin's impact on obsessive-compulsive behaviors

A systematic review published today in Psychedelics by Mr. James Gattuso and colleagues at the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health synthesizes clinical and preclinical evidence on psilocybin's effects on obsessive-compulsive behaviors, revealing consistent therapeutic potential across human patients and validated animal models.

29 Oct 2025

Interacting with friends may reduce momentary loneliness for dementia caregivers

Daily interactions with friends, even through something as simple as a text message, may reduce momentary loneliness for caregivers tending to a family member with dementia.

29 Oct 2025

UCSF receives historic $100 million gift for Memory and Aging Center

UC San Francisco today announced a $100 million gift to its renowned Memory and Aging Center (MAC). It is the first gift to name a UCSF division, which will now be the Edward and Pearl Fein Memory and Aging Center.

29 Oct 2025

Uncovering mechanisms of neuronal migration in the adult brain

Researchers have discovered how newly created neurons depend on blood flow in the adult brain to travel from their site of origin to their final location.

28 Oct 2025

Can cheese help prevent dementia? Japanese researchers say it might

Older Japanese adults who ate cheese at least once a week had a 21–24% lower risk of developing dementia over three years. The association remained significant even after adjusting for lifestyle and socioeconomic factors, suggesting a modest but meaningful protective effect.

27 Oct 2025

Daily 40Hz audiovisual stimulation may slow cognitive decline in late-onset Alzheimer's patients

A new research paper documents the outcomes of five volunteers who continued to receive 40Hz light and sound stimulation for around two years after participating in an MIT early-stage clinical study of the potential Alzheimer's disease therapy.

27 Oct 2025

Unlocking the secrets of vascular health through eye imaging

The tiny blood vessels in your eyes might hold the key to predicting a person's risk of developing heart disease and how fast they're biologically aging, according to researchers at McMaster University and Population Health Research Institute (PHRI) - a joint institute of Hamilton Health Sciences and McMaster.

24 Oct 2025

How many headers are too many before football crosses the safety line?

A systematic review in the British Journal of Sports Medicine finds major inconsistencies in how heading impacts are measured, urging the use of wearable technology and standardized metrics to safeguard players from potential long-term brain injury.

23 Oct 2025

Les Turner Symposium on ALS brings researchers and clinicians to discuss new research findings

The 15th annual Les Turner Symposium on ALS will be held on Monday, Nov. 3, 2025 in Chicago. Hosted by the Les Turner ALS Foundation and the Les Turner ALS Center at Northwestern Medicine, this event will gather leading ALS researchers and clinicians to discuss the latest research and perspectives on the disease.

23 Oct 2025

Media images convey a fear-inducing and negative picture of dementia

Conducted at the University of Eastern Finland, a new study shows that images portraying dementia in Finnish newspapers often paint a clichéd and negative picture.

23 Oct 2025

Impaired movement of cerebrospinal fluid predicts dementia risk later in life

Problems with the brain's waste clearance system could underlie many cases of dementia and help explain why poor sleep patterns and cardiovascular risk factors such as high blood pressure increase the risk of dementia.

23 Oct 2025

Disruption of glial circadian rhythms linked to Alzheimer's disease progression

Alzheimer's disease is notorious for scrambling patients' daily rhythms. Restless nights with little sleep and increased napping during the day are early indicators of disease onset, while sundowning, or confusion later in the day, is typical for later stages of the disease.

23 Oct 2025

Strong grip strength lowers risk of organ dysfunction in obesity

People with obesity who also have high muscle mass may be less likely to have obesity-related organ damage.

21 Oct 2025

New noninvasive device measures brain blood flow using laser speckle technology

Measuring blood flow in the brain is critical for responding to a range of neurological problems, including stroke, traumatic brain injury (TBI) and vascular dementia.

21 Oct 2025

Women with isolated REM sleep behavior disorder show lesser brain atrophy than men

A large international study involving nearly 700 participants reveals that women with a precursor condition to Parkinson's disease show significantly less brain atrophy—decreased cortical thickness in the brain—than men, despite similar clinical severity.

21 Oct 2025

Earlier menopause and reduced cardiac function may negatively affect brain health

Women face a higher risk of developing both cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer's disease than men. Cardiovascular disease is linked to an increased likelihood of Alzheimer's disease, especially among women.

21 Oct 2025

Genetic and inflammatory factors amplify the link between earlier menopause and cognitive risk

Women are significantly more likely than men to develop Alzheimer's disease. Earlier age at menopause is associated with a greater risk for late-life cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease.

21 Oct 2025