Neurodegenerative Diseases Archives

Transcranial Temporal Interference Stimulation (tTIS) May Improve Parkinson’s Motor Symptoms

by GLOOM

Photoreal illustration of two interfering electric fields converging at deep brain regions, conveying non-invasive deep stimulation in Parkinson's.

Deep brain stimulation works for Parkinson’s, but it requires implanted electrodes. A 2026 randomized crossover trial by Stalter and colleagues tested whether transcranial temporal interference stimulation — a non-invasive technique designed to reach deep targets without exciting overlying cortex — can move the needle on motor symptoms when aimed at the putamen.1 Research Highlights Transcranial …

Parkinson’s Disease Prevention: Prodromal Symptoms, RBD, Early Intervention Trials

by GLOOM

Photoreal illustration of a brain with prodromal pathology and a clock indicating early-window intervention opportunity for Parkinson's prevention.

Parkinson’s disease has a years-to-decades prodromal stage where motor symptoms haven’t yet emerged but pathology is accumulating. A 2026 review by Schaeffer et al. synthesizes the case for (and limits of) intervening during this window — with implications for high-risk individuals weighing whether to enter preventive trials.1 Research Highlights Prodromal Parkinson’s disease is the period …

Plasma p-tau217 Blood Test Predicts Alzheimer’s Risk 1.5x Stronger in APOE-e4

by GLOOM

Photoreal illustration representing a blood biomarker test for Alzheimer's disease with imagery of blood vials, neurons, and APOE genetic motifs.

Until recently, Alzheimer’s pathology could only be confirmed in living patients via PET imaging or lumbar puncture. Plasma p-tau217 changed that calculus — but how to interpret a positive result depends substantially on APOE genotype.1 Research Highlights Plasma p-tau217 is a blood biomarker that rises years before Alzheimer’s symptoms. The 2024 Alzheimer’s Association revised criteria …

AD8 Dementia Screening in Chinese-Speaking Older Adults

by GLOOM

Photoreal illustration of older adult with informant during screening interview, conveying culturally-aligned dementia screening.

Brief screening tools for early dementia risk are essential in primary care. A 2026 study by You et al. evaluated the AD8 informant questionnaire in older Chinese-speaking adults in Australia, mapping how cognitive, functional, social, and language-barrier risks stack before dementia is formally diagnosed.1 Research Highlights The AD8 dementia screening interview is an 8-item informant-based …

Schizophrenia Dementia Risk: Diabetes, Head Injury, Substance Use

by GLOOM

Photoreal illustration of an aging brain with cardiovascular and lifestyle risk imagery, conveying preventable dementia drivers in schizophrenia.

Patients with schizophrenia have substantially elevated dementia risk compared to the general population — roughly 2-3 times the age-adjusted rate — but the specific drivers within the schizophrenia population have been less well characterized. A 2026 case-control study by Ho et al. used population-based data to identify which factors specifically elevate dementia risk among schizophrenia …

Lewy Body Dementia Cognitive Fluctuations Affect 75-90% of Patients

by GLOOM

Photoreal illustration of fluctuating brain activity overlay on an older adult, conveying alertness variability characteristic of DLB.

Cognitive fluctuations are a defining feature of dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), helping distinguish it from Alzheimer’s disease — but they remain notoriously difficult to characterize and measure. A 2026 review by Mahajan and colleagues maps the neurobiology, measurement, and clinical implications of fluctuations across the Lewy body spectrum.1 Research Highlights Cognitive fluctuations are episodes …

Ubiquinol for Multiple System Atrophy: First Positive Repurposing Trial

by GLOOM

Photoreal illustration of misfolded alpha-synuclein in glial cells with drug molecule motifs, representing repurposed-drug therapeutics in MSA.

Multiple system atrophy is a rapidly progressive neurodegenerative disease with no proven disease-modifying therapy. A 2026 review by Jeong and colleagues tracks two decades of repurposed-drug trials, with one recent positive Phase 2 result.1 Research Highlights Multiple system atrophy (MSA) is a fatal α-synuclein disorder distinct from Parkinson’s disease. It progresses faster than PD (median …