EurekAlert! In the Spotlight - Alzheimer's Awareness Month

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

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

Latest News Releases

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 7-Sep-2025 21:11 ET (8-Sep-2025 01:11 GMT/UTC)

Having a sense of purpose may protect against dementia

University of California - Davis Health
Peer-Reviewed Publication

People who reported a higher sense of purpose in life were about 28% less likely to develop cognitive impairment, according to a new UC Davis study. The research shows that psychological well-being may play a vital role in healthy aging.

Journal: American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry
Funder: NIH/National Institutes of Health, Department of Veterans' Affairs, Department of Veterans' Affairs, NIH/National Institutes of Health

Brain’s blood flow could change how we understand and treat Alzheimer’s

University of Southern California
Peer-Reviewed Publication

New research led by biomedical engineers at USC Viterbi School of Engineering has uncovered the key role the brain’s blood flow dynamics play in AD, offering a simpler, non-invasive diagnostic tool that could reshape decades of conventional thinking about how this debilitating disease is understood and treated

Journal: Alzheimer s & Dementia Diagnosis Assessment & Disease Monitoring
Funder: NIH/National Institutes of Health, NIH/National Institutes of Health, NIH/National Institutes of Health, NIH/National Institutes of Health

Mediterranean diet may offset genetic risk of Alzheimer's

Mass General Brigham
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers found dietary changes may help improve cognitive health and stave off dementia

Journal: Nature Medicine
Funder: NIH/National Institutes of Health

Moderate-to-regular daily sleep patterns are associated with enhanced cognitive function

International Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine, University of Tsukuba
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Tsukuba showed that individuals who maintain regular daily sleep patterns tend to have greater global cognitive performance. The study also found that blood biomarkers related to the pathology of Alzheimer's disease were most elevated in individuals with moderate sleep regularity and lowest among those with either highly irregular or excessively rigid patterns—indicating a potential inverse U-shaped relationship.

Journal: Sleep Medicine

How a gift card could help speed up Alzheimer’s clinical research

University of Southern California
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Offering a small gift card boosted enrollment in a patient registry, though other approaches may be more cost-effective for engaging low-income patients.

Journal: JAMA Health Forum
Funder: American Heart Association

Hemoglobin reimagined: A breakthrough in brain disease treatment

Institute for Basic Science
Peer-Reviewed Publication

This new study, led by Director C. Justin LEE of the Center for Cognition and Sociality within the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) in Daejeon, South Korea, set out to identify the brain’s own defenses against a particularly harmful form of ROS — hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂). Using advanced imaging and molecular analysis, the team discovered that hemoglobin exists in the nucleolus of astrocytes — star-shaped brain cells critical for neuronal support — where it acts as a “pseudoperoxidase,” breaking down H₂O₂ into harmless water.

Journal: Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy
Funder: Institute for Basic Science

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