EurekAlert! In the Spotlight - Alzheimer's Awareness Month

In honor of Alzheimer's Awareness Month, we’re exploring the science and stories surrounding Alzheimer’s disease.

Hippocampus microstructure, aging, and Alzheimer's disease

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Researchers analyzed longitudinal quantitative MRI data from 224 healthy older adults at risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD) as well as 37 young adults.

Journal: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

27-Oct-2025

A new tool to find hidden ‘zombie cells’

Mayo Clinic
Peer-Reviewed Publication

When it comes to treating disease, one promising avenue is addressing the presence of senescent cells. These cells — also known as "zombie cells" — stop dividing but don't die off as cells typically do. They turn up in numerous diseases, including cancer and Alzheimer's disease, and in the process of aging. While potential treatments aim to remove or repair the cells, one hurdle has been finding a way to identify them among healthy cells in living tissue. In the journal Aging Cell, Mayo Clinic researchers report finding a new technique to tag senescent cells.

Journal: Aging Cell

27-Oct-2025

Small study suggests 40Hz sensory stimulation may benefit some Alzheimer’s patients for years

Picower Institute at MIT
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Five volunteers continued receiving 40Hz stimulation for around two years after an early-stage MIT clinical study. Those who had late-onset Alzheimer’s performed significantly better on several assessments than comparable Alzheimer’s patients outside the trial

Journal: Alzheimer s & Dementia

23-Oct-2025

UC Irvine researchers find new Alzheimer’s mechanism linked to brain inflammation

University of California - Irvine
Peer-Reviewed Publication

In a study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a team of UC Irvine discuss their discovery that amyloid precursor proteins – best known as the source of amyloid-beta peptides that aggregate into plaques in Alzheimer’s disease – form a structural and functional complex with voltage-gated proton channels in human brain immune cells, known as microglia.

Journal: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

23-Oct-2025

FAU Engineering researchers make great ‘strides’ in gait analysis technology

Florida Atlantic University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A first-of-its-kind study explored whether more accessible technologies – foot-mounted wearable sensors and a 3D depth camera – could accurately measure how people walk, offering a practical alternative to traditional gait analysis tools. Gait, or walking pattern, is a key health indicator used to detect fall risk, monitor rehabilitation and identify early signs of conditions like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. Traditional systems like the Zeno™ Walkway, the gold standard for gait analysis, are accurate but expensive, bulky and not easily used outside of lab settings.

Journal: Sensors
Funder: U.S. National Science Foundation

Welcome to In the Spotlight, where each month we shine a light on something exciting, timely, or simply fascinating from the world of science.

Latest News Releases

Hippocampus microstructure, aging, and Alzheimer's disease

A new tool to find hidden ‘zombie cells’

Small study suggests 40Hz sensory stimulation may benefit some Alzheimer’s patients for years

UC Irvine researchers find new Alzheimer’s mechanism linked to brain inflammation

FAU Engineering researchers make great ‘strides’ in gait analysis technology

Africa’s first five-year brain health action plan unveiled at DAC G20 side meeting