A tiny region in the brain works like a reset button that separates memory of one meaningful event from the next. Without this reset mechanism, moments could blur together and lead to the kinds of memory disruptions seen in PTSD, Alzheimer’s disease, anxiety and even healthy aging. Data from the study suggests that stress may disrupt processes that organize events in memory. The findings not only reveal how the brain builds distinct episodes in memory but also identify a potential target for interventions to restore memory function and improve quality of life.

University of New Mexico researchers have received funding to launch an early-stage clinical trial of a vaccine engineered to clear pathological tau protein from the brains of patients suffering from Alzheimer’s dementia.

In a remarkable achievement that is already impacting how we detect and diagnose disease, UK Biobank has completed the world’s largest whole body imaging project, scanning the brains, hearts, abdomens, blood vessels, bones and joints of 100,000 volunteers. These scans, on this scale, show us what is happening in people’s bodies as they age so we can understand how, why and when we get sick.

A Finnish population study shows that signs related to Alzheimer’s disease may already be found in the brain in middle age. In the future, blood-based biomarkers associated with Alzheimer's disease could allow earlier detection of the disease. This would allow preventive treatment to be targeted at the right individuals while the disease is still at the mild stage.

Findings from a new Northwestern Medicine study of 174 donated brains, including some from former high school and college football players, pump the brakes on the theory that playing contact sports like football and hockey may increase the risk of brain diseases like Alzheimer’s disease or chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) due to a buildup of a specific protein in the brain.