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dementia

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·September 27, 2025·6 min read

Sleep Disorders Predict Parkinson’s or Dementia Years Ahead

Two landmark international studies show that brain biomarkers can predict whether people with REM sleep behaviour disorder (iRBD) will develop Parkinson’s disease or dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). MRI scans revealed that reduced glymphatic system function signals higher risk for Parkinson’s, while increased free water in the basal nucleus of Meynert predicts progression to DLB.

Featured Genetics Neurology Neuroscience

·September 25, 2025·4 min read

Infant Brain Gene Regulator May Predispose Adults to Dementia

A new study reveals that the brain’s vulnerability to disorders like multiple sclerosis and dementia may begin in early life. Researchers identified a developmental “switch” in astrocytes, the brain’s support cells, governed by the NR3C1 gene.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·September 20, 2025·5 min read

Dementia Prevention Must Begin in Childhood, Not Just Midlife

A large international study shows that the accumulation of social hardships across life—known as the social exposome—has lasting effects on the brain. Adverse exposures, including low education, food insecurity, and limited healthcare, were linked to cognitive decline, mental health issues, and altered brain structure and function.

This shows a brain made of sugar cubes, surrounded by sweetener packets.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·September 7, 2025·6 min read

Artificial Sweeteners Tied to Faster Cognitive Decline

A large study of nearly 13,000 adults found that consuming high levels of certain artificial sweeteners is linked to faster declines in memory and thinking over eight years. The effect was particularly strong in people with diabetes and those under 60. Some sweeteners, like aspartame and saccharin, were strongly associated with decline, while tagatose was not.

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Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·August 26, 2025·3 min read

Elderly Positivity Bias May Signal Early Cognitive Decline

New research suggests that the tendency of older adults to misinterpret neutral or negative emotions as positive may be a warning sign of cognitive decline. In a study of 665 participants, positivity bias was associated with poorer cognitive performance but not with emotional decline such as depression.

This shows an older man walking on a golden path, surrounded by networks of people.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·August 25, 2025·6 min read

Having a Purpose in Life Linked to Lower Dementia Risk

A new study of over 13,000 adults found that having a strong sense of purpose in life is linked to a reduced risk of dementia. Those with higher purpose were 28% less likely to develop cognitive impairment, even when accounting for genetic risk and other factors.

This shows an older woman and a cat. A brain is in the background.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·August 12, 2025·5 min read

Feline Dementia Mirrors Human Alzheimer’s

A new study shows that cats with dementia exhibit brain changes strikingly similar to those seen in Alzheimer’s disease, including the toxic build-up of amyloid-beta in synapses. These changes disrupt connections between brain cells and contribute to memory and thinking decline.

This shows an older woman looking through a photo album with her caregiver.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·July 30, 2025·5 min read

Dementia Often Goes Undiagnosed for Over 3 Years

A global analysis has revealed that people with dementia wait an average of 3.5 years after symptom onset before receiving a diagnosis. The delay is even longer—about 4.1 years—for early-onset dementia, with younger patients and those with frontotemporal dementia facing the greatest lags.

This shows an older man listening to music.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·July 17, 2025·5 min read

Music Shows Promise in Easing Distress in Dementia

A new study highlights how music therapy can help ease severe distress in dementia patients on hospital wards. The MELODIC approach embeds a music therapist to deliver sessions and create personalized musical care plans for patients.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·July 16, 2025·4 min read

Herpesvirus Infections May Accelerate Dementia

A new study finds that prior herpesvirus infections are linked to a faster age-related increase in blood biomarkers associated with dementia, even in cognitively healthy women. Researchers measured five key biomarkers in 167 women and found that seropositivity for HHVs doubled the rate of biomarker accumulation compared to those without prior infection.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·July 1, 2025·5 min read

Clearing Brain Sugar Stores Could Protect Against Dementia

New research reveals that sugar metabolism in brain cells may be a crucial defense against Alzheimer’s and related dementias. Scientists found that neurons in both flies and human models of tauopathy accumulate excess glycogen, which disrupts cellular stress management when it can’t be broken down.

Featured Neuroscience

·July 1, 2025·8 min read

Brain Scan Predicts Dementia Risk and Aging Speed in Midlife

A new tool developed by researchers can estimate how fast someone is aging by analyzing a single MRI brain scan, predicting chronic disease risk and dementia years before symptoms appear. Unlike traditional “aging clocks,” this model was trained using longitudinal data from the same individuals, eliminating generational biases.