Dementia News and Research

Latest Dementia News and Research

New light-based therapy shows promise for improving cognitive function in Alzheimer’s

Researchers have developed a new light technology that appears to improve cognitive function in Alzheimer's patients in clinical trials.

26 Aug 2025

Having a sense of purpose linked to lower dementia risk

Research into Blue Zones - regions of the world where people tend to live longer - shows that having a sense of purpose in life may help people live longer.

25 Aug 2025

Research uncovers key role of the brain's blood flow dynamics in Alzheimer’s disease

Over seven million Americans are living with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and the heartbreaking day-to-day battle with the effects of cognitive decline.

25 Aug 2025

Can diet alone slow brain aging? Scientists say evidence is still too weak

Researchers reviewing evidence in the Annual Review of Nutrition find that healthy dietary patterns may support brain aging, but caution that scientific enthusiasm currently outpaces solid proof. Multidomain strategies combining diet with exercise, cognitive training, and vascular health show greater promise.

25 Aug 2025

Positive emotion bias in aging may signal cognitive decline

As people age, they display a bias in recognizing emotions as positive-to the point of improperly labeling neutral or negative emotions as positive.

25 Aug 2025

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

Computational approach provides insight into neural progenitor cells and their role in brain disorders

For much of the 20th century it was thought that the adult brain was incapable of regeneration. This view has since shifted dramatically and neurogenesis – the birth of new neurons – is now a widely accepted phenomenon in the adult brain, offering promising avenues for treating many neurological conditions.

21 Aug 2025

How older people are reaping brain benefits from new tech

It started with a high school typing course. Wanda Woods enrolled because her father advised that typing proficiency would lead to jobs. Sure enough, the federal Environmental Protection Agency hired her as an after-school worker while she was still a junior.

21 Aug 2025

Scientists explore hookworm proteins as potential treatment for inflammation

It's been a long-accepted reality that with age comes increased inflammation – so widely accepted it's been dubbed "inflammaging."

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

Rethinking chronic disease management in older adults

Effectively managing chronic conditions like diabetes and hypertension can greatly improve quality of life, reduce complications and extend longevity for older adults.

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

New update to the 2023 AGS Beers Criteria highlights safer pharmacologic options for older adults

The American Geriatrics Society (AGS) has released a landmark update to its list of alternatives to medications listed in the 2023 AGS Beers Criteria - the most widely adopted guidelines to help clinicians identify potentially inappropriate medications for older adults.

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

Dementia-like protein clumping found in early pancreatic cancer cells

Cancer Research UK-funded scientists have uncovered dementia-like behaviour in pancreas cells at risk of turning into cancer. The findings provide clues that could help in the treatment and prevention of pancreatic cancer, a difficult-to-treat disease linked to 6,900 deaths in the UK every year.

17 Aug 2025

New 2025 guidelines focus on early intervention and lifestyle to manage high blood pressure

Preventing and managing high blood pressure with healthy lifestyle behaviors, such as following a heart-healthy diet including reducing salt intake, staying physically active, maintaining a healthy weight and managing stress—combined with early treatment with medication to lower blood pressure if necessary—are recommended to reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke, heart failure, kidney disease, cognitive decline and dementia, according to a new clinical guideline published today in the American Heart Association's peer-reviewed journals Circulation and Hypertension, and in JACC, the flagship journal of the American College of Cardiology.

14 Aug 2025

Helping others regularly slows cognitive decline in older adults

In the latest evidence that meaningful social connections bolster health, a team from The University of Texas at Austin and University of Massachusetts Boston has found that regular time spent helping outside the home significantly slows cognitive decline in middle-age and older adults.

13 Aug 2025

Lifestyle choices and irregular sleep patterns drive weekend spike in OSA severity

Late nights, alcohol, and smoking on weekends may be doing more than disrupting your Monday mornings, they could be triggering a newly identified sleep health concern known as 'social apnea', warn researchers from Flinders University.

13 Aug 2025