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Dementia Prevention and Treatment: A Narrative Review
Reuben DB, Kremen S, Maust DT.. JAMA internal medicine, 2024-05-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Importance Dementia affects 10% of those 65 years or older and 35% of those 90 years or older, often with profound cognitive, behavioral, and functional consequences. As the baby boomers and subsequent generations age, effective preventive and treatment strategies will assume increasing importance. Observations Preventive measures are aimed at modifiable risk factors, many of which have been identified. To date, no randomized clinical trial data conclusively confirm that interventions of any kind can prevent dementia. Nevertheless, addressing risk factors may have other health benefits and should be considered. Alzheimer disease can be treated with cholinesterase inhibitors, memantine, and antiamyloid immunomodulators, with the last modestly slowing cognitive and functional decline in people with mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia due to Alzheimer disease. Cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine may benefit persons with other types of dementia, including dementia with Lewy bodies, Parkinson disease dementia, vascular dementia, and dementia due to traumatic brain injury. Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia are best treated with nonpharmacologic management, including identifying and mitigating the underlying causes and individually tailored behavioral approaches. Psychotropic medications have minimal evidence of efficacy for treating these symptoms and are associated with increased mortality and clinically meaningful risks of falls and cognitive decline. Several emerging prevention and treatment strategies hold promise to improve dementia care in the future. Conclusions and relevance Although current prevention and treatment approaches to dementia have been less than optimally successful, substantial investments in dementia research will undoubtedly provide new answers to reducing the burden of dementia worldwide.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Reuben, D. B., Kremen, S., & Maust, D. T. (2024). Dementia Prevention and Treatment: A Narrative Review. JAMA internal medicine. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamainternmed.2023.8522
Vancouver
Reuben DB, Kremen S, Maust DT. Dementia Prevention and Treatment: A Narrative Review. JAMA internal medicine. 2024. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2023.8522. PMID: 38436963.
BibTeX
@article{reuben2024-38436963,
author = {Reuben, D. B. and Kremen, S. and Maust, D. T.},
title = {{Dementia Prevention and Treatment: A Narrative Review}},
journal = {JAMA internal medicine},
year = {2024},
doi = {10.1001/jamainternmed.2023.8522},
pmid = {38436963},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1001/jamainternmed.2023.8522}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- Psychotropic medications have minimal evidence of efficacy for treating these symptoms and are associated with increased mortality and clinically meaningful risks of falls and cognitive decline.
Why it matters
This review states that no randomized clinical trial data conclusively confirm that any intervention can prevent dementia. It notes that some Alzheimer drugs modestly slow decline in mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia, and that behavioral symptoms are best managed without psychotropic medications.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthHigh
How this study scored 62/100
Published in a leading specialty journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 9 / 10 | Tier 2 — leading specialty journal (JAMA internal medicine) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | JAMA Internal Medicine: journal h-index 258 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 5 / 5 | Rated “high” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 4 / 5 | 2024 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 201 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 5 / 5 | 50.2 citations a year over 4 year(s) since 2024 |
| Impact for its field and year | 6 / 6 | Cited 54.7× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 3 / 6 | Cited by 24 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 4 / 4 | Cited 201 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Donovan T. Maust: h-index 35 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | University of Michigan: institution h-index 2,240 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 5 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 38436963) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 62 / 100 | — |
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Read the original
- DOI: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2023.8522
- PubMed: 38436963
- Original source →
- Free full text: escholarship.org →
Full text: free to read — Unpaywall lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 10 Oct 2026).
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