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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Diabetes is related to a higher risk of amnestic MCI in a population with a high prevalence of this disorder.
Why it matters
In this multiethnic cohort, diabetes was studied as a possible risk factor for mild cognitive impairment, a stage between normal thinking and Alzheimer's disease. The available text does not report the final result of whether diabetes was linked to a higher risk of MCI.
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It has been assumed that each MCI subtype is associated with an increased risk for a particular type of dementia.
Why it matters
In 980 dementia-free people aged 75 or older in Leipzig, followed for 6 years, mild cognitive impairment without memory problems was as common as the memory type, and Alzheimer's disease was the most common dementia to develop in all but one subtype. Of the definitions tested, a modified version of the Petersen criteria with a 1.0 SD cutoff predicted dementia best, but only moderately (sensitivity 74%, specificity 73%). The authors could "only partially agree" that each MCI subtype points to a particular type of dementia; people with non-memory problems in several areas were more likely to develop a non-Alzheimer dementia.
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Depressive symptoms were associated with increased risk of MCI, and this association was independent of underlying vascular disease.
Why it matters
This longitudinal study found that depressive symptoms at baseline were associated with increased risk of developing mild cognitive impairment. It does not show that treating depression prevents dementia, and it does not provide a cure or treatment for Alzheimer's disease.
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Vitamin E had no benefit in patients with mild cognitive impairment.
Why it matters
In this three-year trial, neither vitamin E nor donepezil significantly reduced progression from mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer's disease compared with placebo, though donepezil showed a reduced likelihood of progression during the first 12 months. The study found no significant overall treatment effect and reports no cure or prevention.
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Atypical antipsychotics are associated with an increased risk of stroke.
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Alzheimer's disease sufferers have been found to have a lack of the enzyme responsible for converting choline into acetylcholine within the brain.
Why it matters
Across 12 randomized trials, lecithin showed no clear benefit for dementia or cognitive impairment, and the only statistically significant result favoured placebo for adverse events. There is no good evidence that lecithin treats or prevents Alzheimer's disease.
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69/100
Hypertension after age 65 years is not associated with AD and does not adversely affect memory, language, or general cognitive function.
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In an elderly population of Southern Italy with a typical Mediterranean diet, high MUFA intakes appeared to be protective against age-related cognitive decline.
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Among 12,327 patients who underwent randomization (6162 to the asundexian group and 6165 to the placebo group), the incidence of ischemic stroke was lower in the asundexian group than in the placebo group (6.2% vs. 8.4%; cause-specific hazard ratio, 0.74; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.65 to 0.84; P<0.001).
Why it matters
In this large trial of people who had a noncardioembolic ischemic stroke or high-risk TIA and were already taking antiplatelet therapy, adding asundexian at 50 mg daily lowered the risk of ischemic stroke and of major cardiovascular events compared with placebo. Major bleeding rates were similar between the two groups, so this treatment may help prevent further strokes without a higher bleeding risk.
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Vaccines to prevent herpes zoster have been associated with reduced dementia risk.
Why it matters
This retrospective cohort study found that two doses of recombinant zoster vaccine were associated with a 51% lower risk of dementia in adults aged 65 and older, and the association remained significant after accounting for healthy vaccinee bias. The study is observational, so it cannot prove that the vaccine causes the reduced risk.
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These findings provide evidence for a relationship between all types of alcohol use and increased dementia risk.
Why it matters
Observational analyses showed a U-shaped link between alcohol and dementia, while genetic analysis suggested risk rises steadily with more alcohol. The genetic findings point to alcohol as a possible risk factor, but this does not establish a treatment or cure.
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The global mortality of ADRD among adults aged ≥65 years increased by 115%, from 6.5 (95% UI 1.5-18) per 100,000 population in 1991 to 14 (95% UI 3.5-37) per 100,000 population in 2021, with an Average Annual Percentage Change (AAPC) of 1.10% (95%CI 0.45%-1.76%).
Why it matters
This population-based study reports that global deaths and prevalence of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias among adults aged 65 and older rose substantially between 1991 and 2021, with high BMI, high fasting glucose, and smoking remaining modifiable risk factors. It describes the growing burden and risk factors, not a treatment or cure.
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The trial occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Why it matters
In the AGELESS trial, a multidomain lifestyle intervention improved selected measures of cognitive and physical function in older adults with cognitive frailty, despite a 50% dropout rate. It reports cost-effectiveness for these outcomes but does not show that the intervention prevents or cures Alzheimer's disease.
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68/100
A total of 5 071 935 participants were included from 27 studies; approximately 49.2% of participants were female, and 14 studies were conducted in Asia, 7 in North America, 3 in Europe, and 3 in Oceania, represented by Australia.
Why it matters
This review is about hearing loss and falls, not Alzheimer's disease, so it provides no information on Alzheimer's treatment, cure or prevention. It found that people with hearing loss had higher odds and risk of falls, and notes that randomized trials are still needed to see whether treating hearing loss prevents falls.
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Between April 30, 2020, and May 9, 2022, we randomly allocated 204 participants (109 [53%] women and 95 [47%] men) to the intervention group and 98 (60 [61%] women and 38 [39%] men) to the control group. 218 (72%) participants at 6 months and 178 (59%) at 12 months provided cost data.
Why it matters
In this economic evaluation within a randomized controlled trial of 302 people with dementia and their family carers, there was an 89% probability that NIDUS-Family was cost-effective compared with usual care from a health and social care perspective at both £20,000 and £30,000 decision thresholds, and an 87% probability from a societal perspective. It addresses cost-effectiveness of a psychosocial and behavioural intervention for goal attainment, not a cure or prevention of Alzheimer's disease.
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In 135 older adults (mean age = 69.3 years; women = 61.5%), no associations were found within AD-signature regions (all p > 0.25).
Why it matters
In 135 cognitively unimpaired older adults, engagement in complex mental activities at different life periods showed no association with brain imaging markers in Alzheimer's signature regions. This observational study does not support a link between these lifestyle activities and the brain measures examined.
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68/100
Subjective cognitive decline (SCD) is recognized to be in the Alzheimer disease (AD) cognitive continuum.
Why it matters
This cohort study assessed whether specific features of subjective cognitive decline predict future mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer's disease, and all-cause dementia. It is about identifying risk, not about treating, curing, or preventing the disease.
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68/100
Studying causal exposure effects on dementia is challenging when death is a competing event.
Why it matters
This is a methodological paper discussing how to define and study causal effects on dementia risk when death is a competing event. It offers no treatment, cure, or prevention and is about research methods rather than patient care.
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Socioeconomic factors and genetic predisposition are established risk factors for dementia.
Why it matters
This study investigated whether the link between socioeconomic deprivation and dementia incidence is modified by genetic risk. It used area-level and individual-level deprivation measures alongside polygenic risk of dementia in UK Biobank participants.
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Although loneliness and social isolation have been linked to an increased risk of non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease and dementia, their association with the risk of severe infection is uncertain.
Why it matters
This study examined whether social isolation and loneliness are linked to the risk of hospital-treated infections. It does not address treating, curing, or preventing Alzheimer's disease.
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On meta-analysis, PARO had no ST or LT compared to UC or AC over 5-12 weeks on agitation (ST vs UC, 4 trials, 153 participants: pooled standardized mean difference (SMD) 0.25; - 0.57 to 0.06; LT vs UC; 2 trials, 77 participants, SMD = -0.24; - 0.94, 0.46), cognition (ST vs UC, 3 trials, 128 participants: SMD= 0.03; -0.32, 0.38), overall neuropsychiatric symptoms (ST vs UC, 3 trials, 169 participants: SMD= -0.01; -0.32, 0.29; ST vs AC, 2 trials, 145 participants: SMD =0.02, -0.71, 0.85), apathy (ST vs AC, 2 trials, 81 participants: SMD= 0.14; 0.29, 0.58), depression (ST vs UC, 4 trials, 181 participants; SMD= 0.08; -0.52, 0.69; LT vs UC: 2 trials, 77 participants: SMD =0.01; -0.75, 0.77), anxiety (ST vs UC: 2 trials, 104 participants, SMD= 0.24; -0.85, 1.33) and quality of life (ST vs UC, 2 trials, 127 participants: SMD=-0.05; -0.52, 0.42; ST vs AC: 2 trials, 159 participants, SMD =-0.36, -0.76, 0.05).
Why it matters
In this meta-analysis, the socially assistive robot PARO had no significant short- or long-term effect compared to usual care or active control on agitation, cognition, neuropsychiatric symptoms, or quality of life in people with dementia. These null results indicate PARO does not treat, cure, or prevent Alzheimer's disease.
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Analysis was performed on 115 participants as the full analysis set (probiotic 55, placebo 60).
Why it matters
In this 24-week trial, the probiotic Bifidobacterium breve MCC1274 improved scores on some cognitive subscales and suppressed brain atrophy progression in older patients with suspected mild cognitive impairment. The cognitive improvements were seen only on certain subscales, which the authors suggest may be due to the limited sensitivity of the tests used for this population.
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Identification of individuals with increased risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) is important.
Why it matters
This study developed a model to predict major adverse cardiovascular events in healthy older people, using predictors including age, sex, smoking, blood pressure, cholesterol, creatinine, diabetes, and antihypertensive use. The model was internally and externally validated in older individuals without prior cardiovascular disease events, dementia, or physical disability.
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This cohort study found that COVID-19 mortality decreased over time during 2020 and that patient demographic characteristics and comorbidities were associated with higher clinical severity.
Why it matters
This cohort study of US adults with SARS-CoV-2 infection found that dementia was independently associated with higher clinical severity of COVID-19. It concerns COVID-19 outcomes and does not test any treatment, cure, or prevention for Alzheimer's disease.
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These findings suggest that benzoate treatment may improve cognitive function in women with later-phase dementia.
Why it matters
In this 6-week secondary analysis of 97 patients with behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia, sodium benzoate improved cognitive scores compared with placebo among women. This is a short post hoc analysis of a small sample and does not show whether the drug changes the disease course or prevents it.
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.
- The Effect of Cochlear Implants on Cognitive Function in Older Adults: Initial Baseline and 18-Month Follow Up Results for a Prospective International Longitudinal Study
- Prevalence of dementia disorders in the oldest-old: an autopsy study
- Effects of Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment on driving ability: a controlled clinical study by simulated driving test
- Spatial cognition and the human navigation network in AD and MCI
- Defining mild cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease
- Ten-year incidence of dementia in a rural elderly US community population: the MoVIES Project
- Dementia as the most common presentation of cortical-basal ganglionic degeneration
- Hypertension is a potential risk factor for vascular dementia: systematic review
- Duration of postoperative delirium is an independent predictor of 6-month mortality in older adults after hip fracture
- Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) for the early detection of dementia in people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI)