Patricia Inacio, PhD,  science writer—

Healthy lifestyle choices — maintaining an active mind, a nutritious diet, and regular exercise — may help protect against cognitive decline and dementia, new research shows. Moreover, cigarette smoking and alcohol abuse seem to be associated with cognitive impairment and increased dementia risk. These are the main findings of five…

Inhibition of a protein called LIMK1 may help prevent the loss of dendritic spines — the connections between neurons in the brain — triggered by the build-up of beta-amyloid in early stage Alzheimer’s disease, a study has found. “This is the first study to showcase that inhibiting LIMK1 could…

Women who are carriers of the ApoE4 gene — a major genetic risk factor for the development of a late-onset form of Alzheimer’s disease, are more susceptible than men to accumulating toxic tau protein aggregates in the brain, a study suggests. This finding was shared in a study, “…

Regardless of sex, people younger than age 65 who have a first-degree relative with Alzheimer’s disease generally showed poorer verbal and memory skills on a web-based test than their peers without this family history, a study’s results show. The study, “Family history of Alzheimer’s disease alters cognition and is…

A Phase 2a trial testing Oryzon’s investigational therapy vafidemstat for Alzheimer’s disease has enrolled its first patient in the U.S. The trial (NCT03867253), called ETHERAL-US, is an extension of the European trial (2017-004893-32), currently ongoing at 17 sites in the U.K., France, and Spain. Oryzon is…

A vaccine produced using virus-like particles was able to improve cognitive functioning and reduce the accumulation of tau protein aggregates — a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease — in a mouse model of the disease, a study shows. The study, “Qß Virus-like particle-based vaccine induces robust immunity and protects against…

High levels of “bad” cholesterol, known as low-density lipoprotein (LDL), might increase the risk of developing early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, a study suggests. The study, “Association of Early-Onset Alzheimer Disease With Elevated Low-density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Levels and Rare Genetic Coding Variants of APOB,” was published in the journal…

Virtual reality may help improve the quality of life for people with dementia, including those with Alzheimer’s disease, by stimulating them to recall past memories, reduce aggressive behavior, and connect with caregivers, a study suggests. The study, “Bring the Outside In: Providing Accessible Experiences Through VR for People…

Tetra Discovery Partners is launching a Phase 2 clinical trial for BPN14770 — found to improve working memory in older patients in earlier trials — as a treatment for people with early stage Alzheimer’s disease. The trial, called PICASSO AD (NCT03817684), is recruiting in about 60 clinical…

Adding memantine to a cholinesterase inhibitor can significantly ease certain neuropsychiatric symptoms, including psychosis and troubling motor or nighttime behavior, in people with moderate-to-severe Alzheimer’s disease, according to pooled data from three Phase 3 clinical trials. But it was not seen to be of any benefit in addressing problems of…