Dementia News and Research

Latest Dementia News and Research

Single blood test predicts onset of Alzheimer’s symptoms years ahead

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have developed a method to predict when someone is likely to develop symptoms of Alzheimer's disease using a single blood test.

19 Feb 2026

IFN-γ identified as a powerful blood biomarker for Alzheimer’s

This study identifies IFN-γ as a crucial blood-based biomarker for Alzheimer's, revealing its role in microglial inflammation and genetic risk interactions.

19 Feb 2026

Does Ginkgo biloba help dementia? New review examines the evidence

A major Cochrane review examines whether a widely used herbal supplement truly supports cognitive function, revealing modest dementia benefits but limited evidence for prevention or early impairment.

18 Feb 2026

Exercise and protein drinks improve function in people with dementia

A simple combination of daily physical exercise and protein-rich nutritional drinks appears to offer significant health benefits for people with dementia.

18 Feb 2026

A simple handgrip test reveals how strong your working memory may be

Grip strength correlates with working memory performance and prefrontal activation, highlighting its potential as a cognitive health marker in older adults.

18 Feb 2026

Can GLP-1 drugs slow neurodegeneration? New review finds promising signals but limited clinical proof

This review examines how GLP-1 receptor agonists may influence neurodegenerative disease biology through metabolic, inflammatory, mitochondrial, and proteostasis pathways. Evidence from mechanistic, preclinical, and early clinical studies suggests potential neuroprotective effects, but definitive disease-modifying benefit remains unproven.

17 Feb 2026

Scientists uncover nanoplastics in brain tissue and question their role in neurological disease

Emerging evidence suggests nanoplastics accumulate in human tissues including the brain and may contribute to neuroinflammation and neurodegenerative disease pathways. However, causality, exposure routes, and long-term health effects remain uncertain and require coordinated research.

17 Feb 2026

Air pollution linked to higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease

People with greater exposure to air pollution face a higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study by Yanling Deng of Emory University, U.S.A., and colleagues, published February 17th in the open-access journal PLOS Medicine.

17 Feb 2026

Specific neurobiological link identified between hearing loss and cognitive decline

Presbycusis is a prevalent form of age-related hearing loss that also hinders speech recognition. While scientists have linked hearing loss to an increased risk of cognitive decline, the biological "bridge" between the two has remained unclear.

16 Feb 2026

Causal gene mapping identifies key drivers of Alzheimer's disease progression

Researchers led by Min Zhang and Dabao Zhang of the University of California, Irvine's Joe C. Wen School of Population & Public Health have created the most detailed maps to date showing how genes causally regulate one another across different types of brain cells affected by Alzheimer's disease.

13 Feb 2026

Early cognitive stimulation preserves memory in Alzheimer’s

A team from the Institute of Neurosciences of the University of Barcelona (UBneuro) has discovered that early and sustained cognitive stimulation can help preserve brain connectivity and memory in Alzheimer's disease, even in advanced stages of the pathology.

12 Feb 2026

FDA-approved anti-seizure drug could help fight Alzheimer's disease

While physicians and scientists have long known Alzheimer's disease involves the buildup of toxic protein fragments in the brain, they have struggled to understand how these harmful fragments are produced.

12 Feb 2026

Lifelong learning associated with lower risk of Alzheimer's disease

Engaging in a variety of intellectually stimulating activities throughout life, such as reading, writing and learning a language, is associated with a lower risk of Alzheimer's disease and slower cognitive decline, according to a new study published on February 11, 2026, in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

11 Feb 2026

Alzheimer’s plaques decline after CAR-T immune cell treatment in preclinical study

Researchers engineered CD4+ chimeric antigen receptor T cells targeting fibrillar amyloid beta and tested them in a mouse Alzheimer model. The preclinical study showed reduced amyloid pathology and altered neuroimmune responses, supporting CAR-T immunotherapy as a potential future Alzheimer strategy.

11 Feb 2026

Dementia Care Aware partners with IHI to advance age-friendly care

Dementia Care Aware (DCA) is collaborating with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) to support its March 2026 Action Community, a community learning experience that helps health systems across the country implement the 4Ms Framework of an Age-Friendly Health System.

10 Feb 2026

Study suggests shingles vaccine may help lower Alzheimer’s and dementia risk

A large observational electronic health record study found that older adults receiving the recombinant zoster vaccine showed substantially lower rates of diagnosed dementia compared with matched unvaccinated individuals. The association persisted after multiple sensitivity analyses, although causality remains unproven and longer follow-up is required given the long latency of dementia.

10 Feb 2026