Get help now — free helplines

You can call any of these for free. You do not need a diagnosis, an appointment, or a crisis to call — questions and plain exhaustion are reasons enough.

  • Alzheimer's Association 24/7 Helpline 800-272-3900 24 hours a day, 365 days a year Free, confidential support and information for people with dementia, caregivers, families and the public. Master's-level clinicians. Also Spanish.
  • 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline 988 24/7 Call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org. For anyone in emotional distress or a mental-health crisis, including caregivers.
  • Alzheimer's Foundation of America (AFA) Helpline 866-232-8484 9:00 am - 9:00 pm ET, seven days a week Licensed social workers providing support, info and referrals. Also text message and web chat. Text: 646-586-5283

In a medical emergency, call 911. More numbers, and what each line does, on the help page.

Each study has a usefulness score out of 100 (rubric version 4.0). Tap a score to see what makes it up.

Download bibliography of all 5,209 studies, highest score first: BibTeX (.bib) · RIS (.ris)

Highest usefulness score first. Studies without a score come last.

  1. Actin dynamics and cofilin-actin rods in alzheimer disease

    ✓ Peer-reviewed alzhub usefulness score 39 out of 100. Cytoskeleton (Hoboken, N.J.) 2016-03-01 Inflammation and the immune system

    Cytoskeletal abnormalities and synaptic loss, typical of both familial and sporadic Alzheimer disease (AD), are induced by diverse stresses such as neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, and energetic stress, each of which may be initiated or enhanced by proinflammatory cytokines or amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides.

    Why it matters

    This review describes cofilin-actin rods, rod-shaped filament bundles found in Alzheimer's disease brain but not normal brain, and how they relate to cytoskeletal abnormalities and synaptic loss. It is a summary of existing research and reports no new treatment, cure or prevention.

  2. Rural-Urban Differences in Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Diagnostic Prevalence in Kentucky and West Virginia

    ✓ Peer-reviewed alzhub usefulness score 39 out of 100. The Journal of rural health : official journal of the American Rural Health Association and the National Rural Health Care Association 2015-10-31 Risk factors

    Older adults living in rural areas may face barriers to obtaining a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease and related disorders (ADRD).

    Why it matters

    Using Medicare data on every beneficiary in Kentucky and West Virginia, this county-level study found that diagnosed Alzheimer's and related disorders were 11% less common in rural counties than urban ones in 2013 (95% CI: 9%–13%), after adjusting for age, sex, Medicaid eligibility and Appalachian location. The authors say this suggests rural older adults "may be underdiagnosed." It does not show that they have less dementia. Because the data are county averages, and some rural areas had younger, more male beneficiaries, the authors say individual-level studies are needed to confirm it.

  3. Inflammation in Alzheimer's Disease and Molecular Genetics: Recent Update

    ✓ Peer-reviewed alzhub usefulness score 39 out of 100. Archivum immunologiae et therapiae experimentalis 2015-08-01 TREM2 and immune genetics

    Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a complex age-related neurodegenerative disorder of the central nervous system.

    Why it matters

    This review reports that inflammatory pathways are activated in Alzheimer's disease brains and that people on long-term anti-inflammatory drugs have shown a reduced risk of developing the disease. It is a review of existing evidence, not a clinical trial, so it does not establish that anti-inflammatory drugs treat or prevent Alzheimer's.

  4. An investigation of the molecular mechanisms engaged before and after the development of Alzheimer disease neuropathology in Down syndrome: a proteomics approach

    ✓ Peer-reviewed alzhub usefulness score 39 out of 100. Free radical biology & medicine 2014-08-20 Down syndrome and Alzheimer's

    Down syndrome (DS) is one of the most common causes of intellectual disability, owing to trisomy of all or part of chromosome 21.

    Why it matters

    Proteomic analysis of frontal cortex found overlapping and independent molecular pathways contributing to Down syndrome, aging, and Alzheimer's pathology in Down syndrome. The authors say this may provide putative targets for therapeutic approaches, but no treatment was tested.

  5. Update on the core and developing cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers for Alzheimer disease

    ✓ Peer-reviewed alzhub usefulness score 39 out of 100. Croatian medical journal 2014-08-01 Tau biomarkers

    Alzheimer disease (AD) is a complex neurodegenerative disorder, whose prevalence will dramatically rise by 2050.

    Why it matters

    This review notes that there is still no effective treatment for Alzheimer disease and that many trials produced negative or inconclusive results, possibly because they enrolled only patients with severe disease. It suggests that detecting and treating the disease in preclinical stages might be needed, but it reports no treatment that has been shown to work.

  6. Alzheimer´s disease and oxidative stress: a review

    ✓ Peer-reviewed alzhub usefulness score 39 out of 100. Current medicinal chemistry 2014-01-01 Risk genes beyond APOE

    Alzheimer´s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder with no known cure and rapid rise in incidence.

    Why it matters

    This review notes that Alzheimer's disease has no known cure and that current treatment mainly uses cognitive enhancers such as cholinesterase inhibitors. It describes molecular hallmarks and possible pathological mechanisms but reports no new treatment or preventive intervention.

  7. Both Targeted Mass Spectrometry and Flow Sorting Analysis Methods Detected the Decreased Serum Apolipoprotein E Level in Alzheimer's Disease Patients

    ✓ Peer-reviewed alzhub usefulness score 39 out of 100. Molecular & Cellular Proteomics 2013-12-08 Risk factors

    Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) polymorphism has been appreciated as a valuable predictor of Alzheimer disease (AD), and the associated ε4 allele has been recognized as an indicator of susceptibility to this disease.

    Why it matters

    Using two different detection methods, this study found significantly lower serum apolipoprotein E levels in Alzheimer's disease patients compared to controls. This is a biomarker finding and does not test any treatment, cure, or prevention.

  8. Treatment strategies targeting amyloid β-protein

    ✓ Peer-reviewed alzhub usefulness score 39 out of 100. Cold Spring Harbor perspectives in medicine 2012-09-01 Risk genes beyond APOE

    With the advent of the key discovery in the mid-1980s that the amyloid β-protein (Aβ) is the core constituent of the amyloid plaque pathology found in Alzheimer disease (AD), an intensive effort has been underway to attempt to mitigate its role in the hope of treating the disease.

    Why it matters

    This review describes efforts to target amyloid beta for treating Alzheimer's disease, including anti-Abeta aggregation inhibitors and immunization with Abeta that reduced pathology in animal models. It does not report a proven treatment or cure in people.

  9. Evidence for Elevated Cerebrospinal Fluid ERK1/2 Levels in Alzheimer Dementia

    ✓ Peer-reviewed alzhub usefulness score 39 out of 100. International journal of Alzheimer's disease 2011-11-24 Tau biomarkers

    Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from 33 patients with Alzheimer dementia (AD), 21 patients with mild cognitive impairment who converted to AD during followup (MCI-AD), 25 patients with stable mild cognitive impairment (MCI-stable), and 16 nondemented subjects (ND) were analyzed with a chemiluminescence immunoassay to assess the levels of the mitogen-activated protein kinase ERK1/2 (extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2).

    Why it matters

    This study found that a protein called ERK1/2 was higher in the spinal fluid of people with Alzheimer's dementia than in people with stable mild cognitive impairment or in people without dementia. However, as a diagnostic test for Alzheimer's, this protein was worse than the standard markers total tau, phosphorylated tau, and beta-amyloid 42.

  10. Inverse association of cortisol serum levels with T-tau, P-tau 181 and P-tau 231 peptide levels and T-tau/Abeta 1-42 ratios in CSF in patients with mild Alzheimer's disease dementia

    ✓ Peer-reviewed alzhub usefulness score 39 out of 100. European archives of psychiatry and clinical neuroscience 2008-09-19 Tau biomarkers

    Hypercortisolemia and increased levels of hyperphosphorylated tau proteins in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) are common features with pathogenic relevance in Alzheimer;s disease (AD).

    Why it matters

    In 26 patients with mild Alzheimer's dementia and 20 healthy controls, serum cortisol levels were inversely associated with cerebrospinal fluid tau markers. This small observational study does not show that changing cortisol levels treats or prevents Alzheimer's disease.

  11. CSF beta-amyloid 1-42 and tau in Tunisian patients with Alzheimer's disease: the effect of APOE epsilon4 allele

    ✓ Peer-reviewed alzhub usefulness score 39 out of 100. Neuroscience letters 2008-05-24 Tau biomarkers

    Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the leading cause of dementia.

    Why it matters

    This study examined cerebrospinal fluid beta-amyloid 1-42 and total tau for diagnosing Alzheimer's disease in Tunisian patients and whether the APOE epsilon4 allele affected this. It is a diagnostic biomarker study, so it does not provide a treatment, cure or prevention.

  12. Apolipoprotein E, amyloid-beta, and blood-brain barrier permeability in Alzheimer disease

    ✓ Peer-reviewed alzhub usefulness score 39 out of 100. Journal of neuropathology and experimental neurology 2008-04-01 Genetics

    There is increasing evidence for blood-brain barrier (BBB) compromise in Alzheimer disease (AD).

    Why it matters

    This review examines how apolipoprotein E, amyloid-beta, and blood-brain barrier permeability are related in Alzheimer's disease. It notes that therapies targeting apoE/amyloid-beta and sealing a compromised blood-brain barrier are under development, but none are established treatments.

  13. Biomarkers for early diagnosis of Alzheimer disease: 'ALZheimer ASsociated gene'--a new blood biomarker?

    ✓ Peer-reviewed alzhub usefulness score 39 out of 100. Journal of cellular and molecular medicine 2008-03-19 Biomarkers

    Simple, non-invasive tests for an early detection of degenerative dementia by use of biomarkers are urgently required.

    Why it matters

    This paper describes a newly discovered gene and protein called ALZAS, expressed in brain regions and lymphocytes of Alzheimer's patients, and proposes it might become a simple blood test for early diagnosis. It is a proposal about a possible diagnostic marker, not evidence of any treatment, cure or prevention.

  14. High levels of Alzheimer beta-amyloid precursor protein (APP) in children with severely autistic behavior and aggression

    ✓ Peer-reviewed alzhub usefulness score 39 out of 100. Journal of child neurology 2006-06-01 Risk genes beyond APOE

    Autism is characterized by restricted, repetitive behaviors and impairment in socialization and communication.

    Why it matters

    This study examined plasma neuronal proteins, secreted beta-amyloid precursor protein and amyloid-beta 40 and 42 peptides in children with and without autism. It is about autism, not Alzheimer's disease treatment, so it does not show how to treat, cure or prevent Alzheimer's disease.

  15. Basal forebrain cholinergic dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease--interrelationship with beta-amyloid, inflammation and neurotrophin signaling

    ✓ Peer-reviewed alzhub usefulness score 39 out of 100. Neurochemical research 2005-06-01 Risk genes beyond APOE

    Alzheimer's disease, the most common neurodegenerative disorder of senile dementia, is characterized by two major morpho-pathological hallmarks.

    Why it matters

    This review describes basal forebrain cholinergic dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease and its suggested relationship to cognitive deficits, alongside amyloid, inflammation, and neurotrophin signaling. It summarizes mechanisms and does not establish any treatment, cure, or prevention.

  16. EEG coherence reflects regional corpus callosum area in Alzheimer's disease

    ✓ Peer-reviewed alzhub usefulness score 39 out of 100. Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry 2005-01-01 Brain scans and imaging

    Region specific correlations between corpus callosum size and EEG coherence suggest that the decline in interhemispheric connectivity in Alzheimer's disease results from a specific loss of cortical association neurones projecting through the corpus callosum.

    Why it matters

    In this small study of 11 patients, corpus callosum size was reduced in Alzheimer's disease and correlated with interhemispheric EEG coherence. It is about understanding brain connectivity changes, not about a treatment, cure or prevention.

  17. CSF tau and β-amyloid as biomarkers for mild cognitive impairment

    ✓ Peer-reviewed alzhub usefulness score 39 out of 100. Dialogues in clinical neuroscience 2004-12-01 Tau biomarkers

    Early diagnosis of Alzheimer s disease (AD) is relevant in order to initiate symptomatic treatment with antidementia drugs.

    Why it matters

    This review discusses whether CSF tau and beta-amyloid can help identify which people with mild cognitive impairment will progress to Alzheimer's. It is about improving early diagnosis, not about treating or preventing the disease.

  18. A pilot study of vitamins to lower plasma homocysteine levels in Alzheimer disease

    ✓ Peer-reviewed alzhub usefulness score 39 out of 100. The American journal of geriatric psychiatry : official journal of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry 2003-03-01 Treatments

    High-dose vitamin supplementation reduces homocysteine levels in patients with AD.

    Why it matters

    This small open-label study found that high-dose vitamins lowered homocysteine levels in people with Alzheimer's disease. It did not test whether this affects cognitive decline, so it does not show a treatment or prevention benefit.

  19. Cotton wool plaques in non-familial late-onset Alzheimer disease

    ✓ Peer-reviewed alzhub usefulness score 39 out of 100. Journal of neuropathology and experimental neurology 2001-11-01 Biomarkers

    Cotton wool plaques (CWP) are large, ball-like plaques lacking dense amyloid cores that displace adjacent structures.

    Why it matters

    This describes a sporadic late-onset Alzheimer disease case with cotton wool plaques and compares it with 16 late-onset cases, finding that cotton wool plaques are not specific for early-onset familial disease. It is a pathology description and does not report a treatment, cure or prevention.

  20. Single and multiple transgenic mice as models for Alzheimer's disease

    ✓ Peer-reviewed alzhub usefulness score 39 out of 100. Progress in neurobiology 2000-06-01 Genetics

    Transgenic mice expressing in brain different mutant forms of the Amyloid Precursor Protein, develop functional, cognitive and pathological defects which resemble or are reminiscent of symptoms observed in Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients.

    Why it matters

    This paper describes transgenic mice that express mutant forms of the amyloid precursor protein and develop cognitive and pathological features resembling Alzheimer's disease. These animal models are useful for studying early biochemical and pathological aspects not accessible in human patients, and breeding them with other strains may help define how genetic factors interact, but this is animal research.

  21. Visual analogue scales for pain assessment in Alzheimer's disease

    ✓ Peer-reviewed alzhub usefulness score 39 out of 100. Gerontology 2000-01-01 Disparities

    Visual analogue scales may improve pain assessment in those AD patients who fully comprehend the meaning of the scales.

    Why it matters

    People in early and midstage Alzheimer's disease understood visual analogue pain scales less often than non-demented elderly people, and reported less intense pain and pain affect. This concerns how to assess pain in people with Alzheimer's disease, not how to treat, cure, or prevent it.

  22. Cell mediators of inflammation in the Alzheimer disease brain

    ✓ Peer-reviewed alzhub usefulness score 39 out of 100. Alzheimer disease and associated disorders 2000-01-01 Inflammation and the immune system

    Lesions of Alzheimer disease are associated with low-grade but sustained inflammatory responses.

    Why it matters

    This paper describes activated microglia clustering in the center of senile plaques and reactive astrocytes bordering amyloid beta deposits, with both cell types able to secrete inflammatory molecules. It is a descriptive account of inflammation in the Alzheimer's brain and tests no therapy.

  23. Interindividual differences in the levels of the glutamate transporters GLAST and GLT, but no clear correlation with Alzheimer's disease

    ✓ Peer-reviewed alzhub usefulness score 39 out of 100. Journal of neuroscience research 1999-01-01 Biomarkers

    Alzheimer's disease is a common progressive neurodegenerative disease of unknown etiology.

    Why it matters

    This autopsy study found individual variation in the glutamate transporters GLAST and GLT but no significant correlation with Alzheimer's disease, except for a 14% lower ratio of N-terminal to central GLT immunoreactivity. It does not test any treatment, cure or prevention.

  24. Rediscovery of the case described by Alois Alzheimer in 1911: historical, histological and molecular genetic analysis

    ✓ Peer-reviewed alzhub usefulness score 39 out of 100. Neurogenetics 1997-05-01 Risk genes beyond APOE

    In 1911, Alois Alzheimer published a detailed report (Zbl. ges.

    Why it matters

    Re-examination of Alois Alzheimer's 1911 case found numerous amyloid plaques but no neurofibrillary tangles, corresponding to a less common form of the disease. This is a historical and genetic analysis of one case and reports no treatment, cure or prevention.

  25. Apolipoprotein E and Alzheimer disease: genotype-specific risks by age and sex

    ✓ Peer-reviewed alzhub usefulness score 39 out of 100. American journal of human genetics 1997-02-01 Genetics

    The distribution of apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotypes as a function of age and sex has been examined in a French population of 417 Alzheimer disease (AD) patients and 1,030 control subjects.

    Why it matters

    In this French population, the APOE ε4 allele was associated with increased Alzheimer disease risk compared with the ε3 allele, and risk estimates varied by age and sex. It is an observational genetic risk study and does not test any treatment, cure, or prevention.

From across this topic

10 of the 5,172 studies in this topic, picked by a fixed rule (a hash of each study's address), not by score or date; each page of this list shows a different 10. The same 10 appear here every time.

Other topics