Dementia News and Research

Latest Dementia News and Research

Discovery of karyoptosis opens new therapeutic targets for Alzheimer's and frontotemporal dementia

Markers of a new mechanism for cell death, called karyoptosis, have been found in brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal dementia (FTD).

25 Jun 2026

High-dose DHA reaches the brain but fails to protect memory

High-dose DHA effectively increased brain levels in older adults at Alzheimer's risk, but did not lead to cognitive or structural brain health improvements.

25 Jun 2026

Higher daytime light exposure linked to lower dementia risk

New research in General Psychiatry has uncovered a link between higher levels of daytime light exposure and a lower risk of dementia.

24 Jun 2026

Hidden costs push United States dementia toll to historic high

A new USC-led study finds Alzheimer's disease and related dementias will cost the United States an estimated $818 billion this year, driven largely by often-overlooked costs to persons living with dementia and family and friends providing their care.

24 Jun 2026

Zebrafish model unlocks new insights into hereditary brain disease

CADASIL, an inherited disease caused by mutations in the NOTCH3 gene, damages the brain’s small blood vessels, leading to strokes, cognitive decline, and early dementia.

24 Jun 2026

Lifetime estrogen exposure linked to improved brain health in women

Researchers from the University of Kansas have shown a link between reproductive hormone exposure throughout life and brain health in 459 women aged 65 to 80.

23 Jun 2026

Psychological traits may uncover why Alzheimer’s biology differs between patients

In 822 deceased older adults from ROS and MAP, researchers linked stable psychological traits to multi-omic molecular subtypes of Alzheimer’s dementia using postmortem brain tissue from the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Neuroticism and loneliness were associated with molecular progression, while purpose in life showed subtype-specific inverse associations, suggesting psychological traits may align with Alzheimer’s biology beyond conventional neuropathology.

22 Jun 2026

Study links genes and sleep habits to Alzheimer's risk

New research from Edith Cowan University (ECU) has discovered an important link between our genes and sleep habits, suggesting they work together to influence early brain and cognitive changes associated with Alzheimer's Disease, long before symptoms appear.

22 Jun 2026

Poll reveals gaps in brain health awareness among older adults

Nearly all Michiganders age 50 and over say it's very important to keep their brains healthy as they grow older, a new poll finds.

18 Jun 2026

Neurological disorders may raise traumatic brain injury risk in older adults

For traumatic brain injury (TBI) and certain brain diseases, it looks like the risk may go in both directions, according to a study published on June 17, 2026, in Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

17 Jun 2026

First human trial targets aging immune cells for healthier immunity

A first-in-human clinical trial of an immune rejuvenation therapy designed to restore the function of worn-out T cells is expected to begin later this year, building on research led by UCL scientists into the mechanisms of immune aging.

17 Jun 2026

USC study reveals nuanced Alzheimer's genetic risk in Hispanic populations

Researchers at the USC Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute (Stevens INI) at the Keck School of Medicine of USC analyzed brain imaging and clinical data from more than 17,000 participants across five major aging and Alzheimer's disease studies.

17 Jun 2026

Blood proteins reveal which aging cells may raise disease risk

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16 Jun 2026

Loneliness linked to faster mental and physical decline in older adults

Some people might not mind spending time alone, but new research with data from 18 countries suggests that older people who struggle with loneliness - rather than strictly being alone - may experience a faster mental and physical decline.

16 Jun 2026

NHS dental costs will hit £5.3 billion as older adults carry the burden

A UK cost-of-illness projection estimates that direct NHS dental treatment costs for adult caries and periodontal disease will rise by 20%, from £4.42 billion in 2020 to £5.30 billion by 2050. The burden shifts strongly toward older adults and severe disease, supporting prevention and earlier intervention as NHS dental planning priorities.

15 Jun 2026

Study investigates whether obesity accelerates brain aging

Scientists have long known that being obese increases the risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease. What remains unclear is how that risk develops in the brain.

15 Jun 2026

Research links low-energy falls to triage undertreatment in female brain injuries

Female patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) are 26% less likely to be admitted to a specialized trauma center than males, according to a study on data from Ontario published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) https://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.251721. This difference persisted even after the researchers accounted for factors such as age, severity of injury, other health conditions, and socioeconomic circumstances.

15 Jun 2026

Lab trials prove copper therapy enhances cognitive function and spatial learning

Monash University researchers have found in laboratory experiments that a drug which delivers copper to the brain significantly reduces toxic Alzheimer's proteins and improves long-term spatial memory.

15 Jun 2026

Glucosamine may worsen Alzheimer’s by fueling abnormal brain glycosylation

A Nature Metabolism study identifies brain hyperglycosylation as a metabolic driver of Alzheimer’s disease, with increased N-glycan biosynthesis seen in human AD tissue and mouse models. Reducing glycosylation improved memory in AD mice, while glucosamine worsened memory deficits in 5xFAD mice and was associated with poorer outcomes in dementia patients.

14 Jun 2026

ChatGPT fills gaps like a confabulator, not a hallucinating mind

A Perspective article argues that large language model errors more closely resemble confabulations, while speech recognition errors, such as unsupported Whisper transcriptions, are functionally closer to hallucinations. The authors stress that these parallels are behavioral and provisional, not evidence of shared consciousness, and suggest that psychiatric concepts could help improve AI reliability.

11 Jun 2026