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10/01/2025

Mark your calendars for the Dementia Care and Caregiving Research Summit and the Pre-Summit Listening Session

Jessica Boten, Lead Social Science Analyst, DBSR, NIA
Elena Fazio, Director, Office of AD-ADRD Strategic Coordination OASC, DBSR, NIA

The Dementia Care and Caregiving Research Summit will be held virtually on March 17-19, 2026. The Summit offers a vital opportunity to reflect on the progress we have made in dementia care and caregiving research, as well as to address the persistent and emerging needs of people living with dementia, their care partners, and the communities and health systems that support them.

In addition to the Summit itself, we will host a virtual Pre-Summit Listening Session on October 29 at 2:00 pm ET to give attendees the opportunity to suggest themes and ideas for consideration. We look forward to engaging with Summit participants as we discuss current science and identify research gaps. Read the full blog post.

09/25/2025

Lithium levels tied to Alzheimer’s disease and dementia

At a Glance

Levels of lithium were significantly reduced in the prefrontal cortex of people with mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

In a mouse model of AD, a low-dose lithium salt in the diet reversed memory loss and prevented cognitive decline in aging mice.

While more study is needed, lithium replacement could be a potential approach to prevent and treat AD.

The brains of people with AD have abnormal protein deposits called amyloid plaques and tau tangles. Despite much progress in understanding AD, there is still uncertainty about how the disease develops. Previous research has found that the balance of metals in the brain may play a role, but the nature of this role has been unclear.

A research team led by Dr. Bruce Yankner at Harvard Medical School set out to explore how metal ions—charged atoms of metals—might affect brain function and AD. The researchers first looked at whether metals in the brain differed in those who have mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or AD. In MCI, which precedes AD, people have more difficulty thinking, remembering, and reasoning than normal for people their age.

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New research suggests that lithium replacement could be a potential approach to prevent and treat mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease.

09/23/2025

Donating your brain after death can help researchers learn more about how Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias affect the brain. One donated brain can make a huge impact, potentially providing information for hundreds of studies. In this short video, Dr. Nina Silverberg, director of the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Centers Program at NIA, explains how brain donation advances scientific research and why it’s so valuable.

Watch this video to learn more about brain donation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xr-nxJ6ozbw

https://mailchi.mp/nih.gov/why-brain-donation-matters-for-alzheimers-research-6257552?e=1410636a46

09/18/2025

Can Diet and Exercise Really Prevent Alzheimer’s?

Early studies suggest that lifestyle changes such as diet, exercise and social engagement may help slow or prevent Alzheimer’s symptoms—but the evidence is inconsistent, and many doctors remain cautious

SEPTEMBER 16, 2025

When Juli comes home after work, her husband doesn’t regale her with stories about his photography business the way he once did. Instead he proudly shows her a pill container emptied of the 20 supplements and medications he takes every day. Rather than griping about traffic, he tells her about his walk. When they go out to a favorite Mexican restaurant, he might opt for a side salad instead of tortilla chips with his quesadilla. “He’s actually consuming green food, which is new,” says Juli, who asked to be identified by only her first name to protect her husband’s privacy.

Over the past year Juli’s husband has agreed to change his daily habits in hopes of halting the steady progression of Alzheimer’s disease, which he was diagnosed with in December 2023 at age 62. Juli and her husband are both self-employed, and their insurance plans didn’t cover the positron-emission tomography scans for disease tracking that a neurologist prescribed, which would have cost thousands of dollars. So they decided to spend that money on a doctor who promises that diet and lifestyle changes can treat Alzheimer’s. He recommended a keto diet, along with light cardio exercise and strength training. He also prescribed a bevy of supplements, such as creatine, which Juli’s husband takes alongside the memantine and donepezil prescribed by his neurologist. Juli doesn’t expect the diet and daily walks to cure her husband, but she hopes the healthy lifestyle will help manage and even improve his condition. It feels like common sense. “You stop eating fried food, you move your butt, and you feel better,” she says.

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Early studies suggest that lifestyle changes such as diet, exercise and social engagement may help slow or prevent Alzheimer’s symptoms—but the evidence is inconsistent, and many doctors remain cautious

09/17/2025

Impacts to Alzheimer’s and/or dementia?

Wednesday, September 17, 2025

Repeated head impacts cause early neuron loss and inflammation in young athletes

NIH-funded study reveals brain changes long before chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) develops.

Research supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) shows that repeated head impacts from contact sports can cause early and lasting changes in the brains of young- to middle-aged athletes. The findings show that these changes may occur years before chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) develops its hallmark disease features, which can now only be detected by examining brain tissue after death.

“This study underscores that many changes in the brain can occur after repetitive head impacts,” said Walter Koroshetz, M.D., director of NIH’s National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). “These early brain changes might help diagnose and treat CTE earlier than is currently possible now.”

Scientists at the Boston University CTE Center, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System and collaborating institutions analyzed postmortem brain tissue from athletes under age 51. Most of them had played American football. The team examined brain tissue from these athletes, using cutting-edge tools that track gene activity and images in individual cells. Many of these tools were pioneered by the NIH’s Brain Research Through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies® Initiative, or The BRAIN Initiative®. The researchers identified many additional changes in brains beyond the usual molecular signature known to scientists: buildup of a protein called tau in nerve cells next to small blood vessels deep in the brain’s folds.

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NIH-funded study reveals brain changes long before chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) develops.

09/16/2025

How the Brain Tells Imagination from Reality

Seeing and imagining use similar brain machinery. New research reveals the brain circuit that identifies what is real, which may help scientists understand conditions such as schizophrenia

Picture an apple, any apple.

As long as you don’t have aphantasia—the inability to visualize things in your mind’s eye—this suggestion triggers brain activity that’s surprisingly similar to what happens when you see a real-world apple with your eyes. Such neural overlap is economical because both cases require the brain’s visual system to carry out many of the same tasks. But it also raises a question: How does our brain tell reality and imagination apart?

Neuroscientists are now beginning to understand the brain circuit that handles this distinction. In a recent study in Neuron, researchers identified a brain region that generates what they call a “reality signal.” This signal is then evaluated by another region—one that, when it functions abnormally, has been linked to schizophrenia. Understanding this reality-monitoring circuit could help scientists understand, and possibly even treat, schizophrenia and other disorders that impair the ability to discern reality.

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Seeing and imagining use similar brain machinery. New research reveals the brain circuit that identifies what is real, which may help scientists understand conditions such as schizophrenia

09/15/2025

Volunteers needed for studies to advance dementia research

Are you interested in volunteering for research on Alzheimer’s disease, related dementias, and cognitive health?

Learn about new and featured studies below, or search for clinical trials and studies near you with the Alzheimers.gov Clinical Trials Finder.

New and featured studies
Click on the trial name for details and contact information.

Brain Stimulation
At-Home Brain Stimulation for Older Adults at High Risk of Dementia (Roslindale, MA)
Noninvasive Brain Stimulation for Mild Cognitive Impairment (High Point, NC)

Caregiving
Impact of Dementia Caregiving on Emotions and Relationships (Washington, DC)
Web Application for Dementia Caregivers in Managing Pain (Iowa City, IA)

Mobile Application for Rural Dementia Caregivers (Online)
Training for Latino Dementia Caregivers (Online)

Lifestyle and Exercise
Smart Technology for Managing Daily Activities (Atlanta, GA)
Exercise Program for Veterans at Risk of Dementia (Boston, MA)

Featured Registries and Matching Services
Asian Cohort for Alzheimer’s Disease (ACAD) — Sign up to join a study to identify risk factors associated with Alzheimer’s in people of Asian ancestry.
Alzheimer Prevention Trials (APT) Webstudy — Enroll to track memory and thinking skills and learn about Alzheimer’s trials.
Alzheimer’s Prevention Registry — Get information and updates about participating in future Alzheimer’s prevention trials.

Get more information about these and other Alzheimer’s clinical trials online. Or call the ADEAR Center at 800-438-4380 or email adear@nia.nih.gov

https://mailchi.mp/nih.gov/volunteers-needed-for-studies-to-advance-dementia-research-6257540?e=1410636a46

Find information on Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Explore resources from federal government agencies for people with dementia, caregivers, families, and professionals.

09/12/2025

The science and technology transforming life with dementia

As breakthrough medications are beginning to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, innovations such as virtual reality and AI are helping people with dementia live more active, richer lives.

11 September 2025

Few diagnoses carry the devastating weight of dementia, which heralds loss, decline and inevitable death. The condition is the biggest killer in the UK, and cases are set to soar.

“One in three people born in the UK today will develop dementia in their lifetime,” says Richard Oakley, Associate Director of Research and Innovation for Alzheimer’s Society. A 2024 report commissioned by Alzheimer’s Society found that there are 982,000 people living with dementia in the UK – about one person in 70 – and that the number will rise to 1.4 million by 2040.

This poses an enormous challenge, both for biomedical research and for society. “Dementia is almost unique, in that it spans the health and the social care system in a way that I think no other disease does,” says Oakley.

Despite the impact of dementia, progress has been slow. Now, this is beginning to change. For the first time, treatments have emerged that can slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, a type of dementia accounting for 60 per cent of cases. A better understanding of the mechanisms underlying the different kinds of dementia are reshaping how researchers imagine the condition. Meanwhile, innovations in care – including advanced technologies such as virtual reality and artificial intelligence – are helping to improve quality of life for people with dementia and the people closest to them. “There’s never been a more exciting time to be involved in dementia research,” says Oakley.

Slowing disease

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As breakthrough medications are beginning to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, innovations such as virtual reality and AI are helping people with dementia live more active, richer lives.

09/11/2025

NIH dementia research advances and achievements: Read the FY27 professional judgment budget and annual progress report

Jay Bhattacharya, Director, NIH and Richard J. Hodes, Director, NIA

September 8, 2025

Growing federal investment in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias research has led to significant scientific advancements in areas including drug development and repurposing, behavioral and lifestyle interventions, diagnosis, identification of dementia risk and protective factors, elucidating underlying biological pathways, care and caregiving research, career training, and more.

For example, Alzheimer’s disease can now be reliably diagnosed in living people, including through minimally invasive blood tests. In addition, two treatments targeting the underlying disease pathology of Alzheimer’s recently received traditional approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Although NIH did not directly fund the development of these treatments, decades of government investment were essential in establishing the foundation for these and other promising new approaches currently in the pipeline.

Importantly, NIH support also facilitated critical progress in the identification of lifestyle interventions, such as intensive blood pressure control, that may reduce the risk of mild cognitive impairment and dementia. We remain deeply appreciative to all the investigators, research volunteers, caregivers, and others who contributed to these accomplishments.

NIH Professional Judgment Budget

Today, NIH released the NIH Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 Professional Judgment Budget for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias, which includes examples of how additional federal research dollars could be spent to further advance the field and to help reach the research goals of the National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease.

More…

Growing fede

09/09/2025

Alzheimer’s disease affects more than memory. It can also cause changes in a person’s behavior, such as getting agitated more easily, difficulty sleeping, or wandering.

It’s important to remember that the disease, not the person with Alzheimer’s, causes these changes.

Learning ways to manage behavior changes can make everyday life less stressful for a person with Alzheimer’s, their caregivers, and their loved ones.

Here are some tips:

Be patient and try not to show frustration

Try to understand what is causing the behavior

Find ways to be physically active

Watch NIA’s video to learn more about behavior changes in people with Alzheimer’s and how to manage these changes.

09/04/2025

Infographic: Do’s and Don’ts: Communicating With a Person Who Has Alzheimer's Disease

People with Alzheimer’s disease may have trouble finding the right words or remembering what they want to say. This can make communication difficult. Use the tips below to better communicate with a person who has Alzheimer’s.

To share the image, right-click on it and select “save image as” to save the file to your computer. We encourage you to use the hashtag in your social media posts to connect with people and organizations with similar goals.

View an infographic on communicating with a person who has Alzheimer's disease.

08/26/2025

Today we invite you to participate in an important survey testing different design and branding concepts for future Alzheimer’s disease clinical trials. Your voice matters whether you are:

- Caring for someone with Alzheimer’s disease,
- Living with Alzheimer’s disease yourself, or
- Concerned about your memory or future risk

Your feedback can help us make our materials clearer, more welcoming, and easier to follow so that more people feel informed, respected, and motivated to participate.

https://cvdstudies.clinicalresearch.com/sitecore%20modules/Web/EXM/RedirectUrlPage.aspx