Each study has a usefulness score out of 100 (rubric version 4.0). Tap a score to see what makes it up.
Highest usefulness score first. Studies without a score come last.
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Thirty-three studies were included, most published after 2019 (72.7%).
Why it matters
This review found that rural Medicare beneficiaries with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias are underrepresented in research despite carrying a disproportionate burden. It calls for future studies to address inconsistent definitions of rurality and to examine medication use, lifestyle, environmental exposures, and rural-specific policies.
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Cognitive decline and dementia represent major and growing global health challenges, driven largely by population aging and increased longevity.
Why it matters
This narrative review reports that up to 45% of dementia cases may be attributable to potentially modifiable lifestyle and environmental factors, and that healthy dietary patterns such as Mediterranean, DASH, and MIND diets have been associated with better cognitive outcomes. It notes that findings across studies remain heterogeneous and that uncertainties persist about causality and optimal timing, so prevention through lifestyle is suggested but not proven.
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Subjective cognitive decline (SCD) is increasingly recognised as a potential preclinical stage of Alzheimer's disease, yet the physiological mechanisms underlying its progression remain poorly understood.
Why it matters
In 21 people with subjective cognitive decline followed about 12 months apart, there were no significant group-level changes in cognitive performance or heart rate variability over time. Individual changes in heart rate variability were associated with some cognitive measures, but this is an exploratory small study, not a treatment or cure.
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As of a data cutoff of December 3, 2024, 243 participants were screened and 197 randomized in DIAN-TU-001 Tau NexGen trial (Cohort 1: 97; Cohort 2: 100).
Why it matters
This reports baseline characteristics of participants in the DIAN-TU-001 Tau NexGen trial, which is a trial in people with dominantly inherited Alzheimer's disease. It provides no results on whether any treatment works to treat, cure or prevent Alzheimer's disease.
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Among 1154 participants (46% men, mean age 70.9±8.7 years), 92 (8%) developed stroke over a median follow-up of 8.6 years (Q1-Q3: 5.1-12.5).
Why it matters
In 1154 community-dwelling people followed for a median of 8.6 years, having three or more markers of small vessel disease was linked to a higher risk of stroke. This supports using small vessel disease burden to identify people for preventive strategies, but it does not test a specific treatment for Alzheimer's disease.
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Among 403 participants (mean age 56.4 ± 5.7 years, 62.5% female), the median number of dementia risk factors was 5.0; hyperlipidaemia (92.5%), low cognitive activity (72.5%), obesity (57.6%), and hypertension (52.7%) were the most prevalent.
Why it matters
This cross-sectional study identified three distinct dementia risk profiles among at-risk middle-aged Australians. It suggests that tailored multidomain interventions may improve risk profiles, but it did not test whether any intervention prevents dementia.
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A total of 9,656 (13.5%) participants had at least 1 CMD at baseline.
Why it matters
Among older adults with cardiometabolic diseases, those with a high healthy plant-based diet index had lower dementia risk, while those with a high unhealthy plant-based diet index had higher risk. The study is observational, so it cannot show that changing diet prevents dementia.
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The prevalence of MetS was low in adults with DS.
Why it matters
Metabolic syndrome as a whole was not associated with Alzheimer's disease in adults with Down syndrome, so it does not appear to be a useful target on its own. Obesity, a subcomponent, was positively associated with Alzheimer's disease in this group, which the authors say may inform targeted treatments in the future.
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47/100
Lifestyle medicine interventions were associated with reductions in vasomotor symptoms, improved sleep quality, enhanced mental well-being, healthier weight regulation, and reduced cardiometabolic and osteoporosis risk.
Why it matters
This review is about lifestyle medicine for menopausal health and reports reductions in vasomotor symptoms, improved sleep and mental well-being, healthier weight and lower cardiometabolic and osteoporosis risk. It does not report any effect on Alzheimer's disease, dementia or cognition.
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Among 18 614 ORCHARD-EPR patients (mean/SD age = 82.9/7.4 years, dementia = 20%), certain delirium (delirium = yes or ICD-10 delirium code) was present in 3077/18 614 (17%,95%CI 16%-17%) of whom 1199/3077 (39%) had dementia, and uncertain delirium (delirium = uncertain and no ICD-10 code) in 2007 (11%,10%-11%) of whom 773/2007 (39%) had dementia.
Why it matters
This study checked whether a large electronic health record database could identify delirium cases accurately by comparing it with prospective reference groups. It found that uncertain delirium diagnoses were common and overall delirium prevalence was lower than in the prospective groups, but co-occurrence with dementia and outcomes were similar, suggesting the database has research potential.
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Our data show changes in innate immune cells in MCI-LB compared to healthy controls in this small exploratory study.
Why it matters
In a small exploratory cohort, immune cell changes were examined in early dementia with Lewy bodies compared to Parkinson's disease and healthy controls. This is early preliminary work and does not provide a treatment, cure, or prevention for Alzheimer's disease.
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A total of 2369 caregivers participated in the survey.
Why it matters
This Italian national survey of 2369 caregivers found differences in caregiver profiles and in services across the country, with caregiver training poorly reported. It calls for a comprehensive, accessible, and well-integrated network of services across all stages of the disease.
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In 2022, among a total of 2 189 231 Medicare beneficiaries aged 45 to 64 years, 71 092 (3.25%) received a diagnosis of YOD.
Why it matters
This cross-sectional study found that Medicare beneficiaries from minoritized racial and ethnic groups younger than 65 had a higher burden of young-onset dementia and more comorbidities. The authors suggest improved early detection and care coordination may help address their needs, but no treatment, cure, or prevention was tested.
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Growing dementia prevalence underscores the need for efficient screening methods, but lengthy digital assessments often cause fatigue among older adults.
Why it matters
This study developed a brief mobile cognitive assessment that distinguishes cognitively impaired older adults with minimal test duration. It may improve accessibility of cognitive screening, but future studies are needed to validate its feasibility and performance in unsupervised home settings.
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The ACoE's overall cognitive assessments were significantly reliable (ICC [intraclass correlation coefficient]=0.89; P<.001).
Why it matters
This randomized controlled trial found that a machine learning-based cognitive assessment was reliable across cognitive domains and diagnosed patients similarly to standard paper-based tests. It is a screening and phenotyping tool, so it does not treat, cure or prevent Alzheimer's disease.
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Dementia syndromes involve cognitive but also early motor impairment.
Why it matters
In 104 participants, those with cognitive impairment had prolonged finger tapping strike duration, and paratonia was prevalent and correlated with age and executive function. This study describes motor deficits and their associations with cognitive decline, not a treatment or cure.
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Among 90 participants included in the analyses, 34 had moderate to severe WMH.
Why it matters
In this secondary analysis of 90 older adults with type 2 diabetes, multidomain intervention improved cognition in those with moderate to severe white matter hyperintensities but not in those without. The authors call for further studies to validate the finding, so it does not yet establish a treatment or prevention for Alzheimer's.
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Caregivers whose care recipients were female ( B = −0.29, p = 0.006), had more chronic conditions ( B = 0.31, p = 0.011), and had lower Mini-Mental State Exam scores ( B = −0.20, p = 0.015) reported higher task time burdens.
Why it matters
In this cross-sectional study of 107 paid and unpaid caregivers, higher task time burden was associated with care recipients being female, having more chronic conditions, lower Mini-Mental State Exam scores, having other paid caregivers, and more months/years of caregiving, and task time burden was positively associated with caregivers' emotional stress. It identifies factors linked to caregiver burden but does not test any treatment, cure or prevention for Alzheimer's disease.
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Dementia risk is influenced by the social conditions in which people live.
Why it matters
This scoping review found clear evidence for some social determinants of dementia, such as education and air pollution, while evidence for others like housing and incarceration is still emerging or lacking. It suggests that education and air pollution are key targets for public health interventions, but it does not test whether changing these factors prevents dementia.
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The mean age of the participants was 68 ± 9 years and 39% were female.
Why it matters
In this post-hoc analysis, adults with white matter hyperintensity volume above the median had higher risk of cardiovascular events, death, and mild cognitive impairment or probable dementia. Intensive blood pressure treatment reduced cardiovascular events in this group, but was associated with a higher risk of mild cognitive impairment or probable dementia, which the authors say merits further study.
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The global prevalence of dementia is increasing.
Why it matters
This review examined how lifestyle interventions for dementia risk reduction may work, finding the most evidence for neuroimaging biomarkers and less conclusive evidence for fluid biomarkers, vascular markers, inflammatory markers and neurotrophins. Physical exercise consistently appeared to affect several of these pathways, but the review does not establish that any intervention prevents dementia.
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A total of 327 patients were included in this study.
Why it matters
This cohort study of 327 patients found that a machine learning model could predict delirium within 24 hours of admission, with dementia among the most influential predictors. It is about predicting delirium, not about treating, curing or preventing Alzheimer's disease.
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Among a cohort comprising 109,778 individuals, the use of GLP-1RA demonstrated a reduced risk of dementia compared with its non-use (aHR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.83-0.97).
Why it matters
In this cohort of 109,778 people with type 2 diabetes, use of GLP-1 receptor agonists was associated with a reduced risk of dementia compared with non-use. The study reports an association and does not establish that these drugs prevent dementia.
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BackgroundA decline in driving skills is well documented in people with dementia.
Why it matters
This forecasting study estimates that drivers with dementia in Ontario, Canada will rise substantially by 2046, projecting a 221% to 226% increase. It is about planning for driving and public services, not about treating, curing or preventing Alzheimer's disease.
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47/100
Of the participants, 25, 92, and 61 were classified as cognitively normal, with mild cognitive impairment, and with dementia, respectively.
Why it matters
This study found that a specific oral movement task, oral diadochokinesis /ka/, was independently associated with mild cognitive impairment. This suggests that dental examinations could help identify possible cognitive impairment, but no treatment or prevention is tested.
From across this topic
10 of the 7,967 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.
- Long-term anticholinergic use and the aging brain
- Do people with dementia die at their preferred location of death? A systematic literature review and narrative synthesis
- The four-factor model of depressive symptoms in dementia caregivers: a structural equation model of ethnic differences
- Cognitive impairment without dementia in older people: prevalence, vascular risk factors, impact on disability. The Italian Longitudinal Study on Aging
- Reminiscence therapy for dementia
- Cognitive dysfunction in diabetes: how to implement emerging guidelines
- Palliative Excellence in Alzheimer Care Efforts (PEACE): a program description
- Magnetic resonance spectroscopy in AD
- Neuropathological background of phenotypical variability in frontotemporal dementia
- Neurocognitive impairment in obstructive sleep apnea