Mental and Cognitive Health Library
Every article, presentation, spotlight, and news item we've tagged to Mental and Cognitive Health.
Showing 121–144 of 215
Psychosocial Pain Relief in Older Adults: Evidence Gaps
Psychosocial interventions for chronic non-cancer pain in older adults show modest but clinically meaningful effects across cognitive-behavioral therapy, acceptance-based approaches, and mindfulness-based interventions. The evidence base remains fragmented, with heterogeneous outcome measures limiting comparative effectiveness and generalizability to diverse older populations.
NeuroTherapia clears Phase 2a in novel Alzheimer’s treatment
NeuroTherapia's oral Alzheimer's candidate NTRX-07 completed Phase 2a with safety clearance and early signals suggesting effects on neuroinflammation, the chronic immune dysregulation increasingly recognized as a major driver of cognitive decline. The drug targets brain inflammation rather than amyloid alone, representing a shift toward multi-system disease understanding.
The Mediating Role of Sleep Duration in the Association Between Adverse Childhood Experiences and Depressive Symptoms Among Middle-Aged and Older Chinese Adults: A Nationwide Longitudinal Study
Sleep duration mediates the relationship between adverse childhood experiences and depressive symptoms in middle-aged and older adults, suggesting that inadequate sleep represents a mechanistic pathway through which early trauma influences long-term mental health outcomes. This finding identifies a modifiable factor that may interrupt the trajectory from childhood adversity to depression in aging populations.
Purpose and Cognition: Mood Mediates Usefulness Effects
Perceived usefulness to others correlates with better cognitive performance in adults over 50, with this relationship mediated by depressive symptom burden and moderated by cognitive reserve. The finding suggests that psychological sense of purpose operates as a modifiable factor in cognitive aging trajectories.
Caregiver Participation Shapes Reminiscence Outcomes in Dementia
Reminiscence-based interventions that involve caregivers alongside persons with dementia show measurable cognitive benefit and strengthen family relationships. The extent to which caregivers actively participate in these interventions remains poorly characterized in the research literature, limiting optimization of treatment protocols.
Cellular mapping strategy repositions neurodegeneration research
The Allen Institute's $400 million Brain Health accelerator shifts neurodegeneration research from protein-focused investigations toward cellular and circuit-level mapping in human brain tissue. This approach targets the architectural vulnerabilities where disease actually initiates, rather than pursuing single molecular culprits that have historically failed to yield effective therapies.
Quantitative brain imaging detects MS decline before symptoms emerge
Viz.ai and Cortechs.ai are integrating quantitative brain imaging into clinical workflows to detect neurological decline through objective measurement rather than visual comparison. This partnership represents a shift from subjective radiologist interpretation to measurable biomarkers in multiple sclerosis care, with implications for earlier intervention in neurodegenerative disease.
Tau Neurodegeneration Traced to Immune Priming Outside the Brain
Dendritic cells outside the central nervous system prime CD8+ T cells that subsequently drive tau-associated neurodegeneration, according to work published in Nature Aging. The finding places a peripheral adaptive immune step upstream of neuronal loss in tauopathy, rather than confining the process to resident brain immunity. Interrupting that priming step represents a potential point of intervention in age-related cognitive decline.
CB2 Activation Reduces Neuroinflammation in Alzheimer's Phase 2a
NeuroTherapia's Phase 2a trial of NTRX-07 in mild cognitive impairment and mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease showed reduced neuroinflammation on MRI and stabilized neurofilament light chain in cerebrospinal fluid, with favorable safety and tolerability. These findings suggest CB2 receptor activation may modulate the neuroinflammatory and amyloid pathology underlying cognitive decline.
ALS drug PrimeC cuts death risk by 65%
Long-term follow-up data from NeuroSense's PrimeC trial in ALS patients demonstrates a 65% reduction in death risk and median survival extension of 14+ months—a magnitude rarely achieved in neurodegenerative disease. This represents a potential shift from symptomatic management toward disease modification in a rapidly progressive condition.
#382 ‒ AMA #80: Longevity optimization through strength benchmarks, VO₂ max targets, nutrition principles, brain health, supplements, GLP-1 RAs, wearables, and more
Exercise emerges as the most protective intervention for brain health across the lifespan, with specific performance benchmarks in strength and aerobic capacity serving as measurable proxies for cognitive preservation and longevity. This positions physical capacity as a foundational biomarker that integrates multiple physiological systems rather than a secondary health outcome.
APOE4 tau reduction slows cognitive decline in early Alzheimer's
Valiltramiprosate reduced plasma phosphorylated tau-217 and slowed cognitive decline in APOE4 carriers with early Alzheimer's disease, with biomarker improvements sustained over 78 weeks and correlated with preserved brain structure. This represents a targeted approach to intervening before symptom severity, addressing a genetically defined high-risk population where earlier treatment may alter disease trajectory.
GLP-1 drugs fail to slow cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s disease
Recent evidence indicates GLP-1 receptor agonists do not slow cognitive decline in established Alzheimer's disease, despite theoretical mechanistic rationale and their known metabolic benefits. This finding redirects focus toward earlier intervention windows and prevention strategies rather than disease reversal in advanced stages.
Human brain aging decoded through living tissue
Researchers mapped how living human brain cells coordinate structural changes across the lifespan, revealing that brain aging is an active, regulated biological process rather than passive deterioration. This represents the first large-scale analysis of living tissue, enabling identification of molecular targets for intervention in age-related neurological decline.
Microglial Metabolism Drives Cognitive Aging
Microglia—the brain's immune cells—undergo metabolic shifts with age that correlate with chronic inflammation and increased risk of neurodegenerative disease. These metabolic changes are reversible targets for intervention, offering a mechanistic pathway to slow cognitive decline and protect against Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.
The dynamic physiology of the brain with menopause
Brain imaging reveals menopause involves significant neurological changes beyond reproductive shifts, with alterations in cerebral blood flow, neural connectivity, and metabolic function that persist into the post-menopausal years. Understanding these changes is essential for optimizing cognitive function and preventing age-related neurological decline in midlife women.
Neuron-specific mitophagy decline reveals aging's uneven cognitive impact
Selective removal of damaged mitochondria varies by neuron type in aging brains, with certain cells losing mitophagy capacity earlier than others. This cell-specific decline in mitochondrial quality control directly impacts neural energy metabolism and may explain differential cognitive aging patterns across brain regions.
Epigenetic Clocks of Biological Aging and Risk of Incident Mild Cognitive Impairment and Dementia: The Women's Health Initiative Memory Study
Accelerated biological aging measured by the epigenetic clock AgeAccelGrim2 was associated with increased risk of mild cognitive impairment and dementia in 6,069 cognitively unimpaired women over 9.3 years of follow-up, independent of chronological age. This establishes epigenetic markers as measurable indicators of neurodegeneration risk.
Digital cognition testing closes early detection gap in Alzheimer's
Plasma biomarkers can identify Alzheimer's pathology years before cognitive decline becomes clinically apparent, yet clinical assessment protocols lag far behind this detection capability. Digitized cognitive testing that targets vulnerable neural networks bridges this gap, enabling functional decline detection concurrent with biomarker identification—a prerequisite for meaningful early intervention.
APOE variants shape brain protein patterns before neurodegeneration
APOE ε2 and ε4 genetic variants produce distinct proteomic signatures that emerge before amyloid accumulation, mechanistically explaining their opposing effects on Alzheimer's disease risk. This proteomic mapping offers a foundation for identifying intervention points specific to genetic risk profiles rather than treating all cognitive decline uniformly.
Pathways to Falls Among Community-Dwelling Older Women: The Mediating Role of Cognitive Decline and Fear of Falling
Fear of falling and cognitive decline act as mediating pathways linking physical and psychological risk factors to fall incidence in older women living in community settings. This identifies actionable intervention points beyond treating isolated fall risk factors.
Infection-Triggered Neuroinflammation Links Acute Illness to Dementia
Severe infections predict subsequent dementia risk independent of frailty or comorbidity burden, suggesting infection-related neuroinflammation may trigger lasting cognitive decline. This connection identifies a modifiable pathway in dementia prevention that operates through acute immune activation rather than baseline health status alone.
Social isolation accelerates molecular aging via epigenetic pathways
Social experiences correlate with mortality risk through measurable physiological pathways: epigenetic aging, allostatic load, and health status. This evidence demonstrates that the quality and frequency of social engagement directly influence aging rate and disease burden at the molecular level.
Glycosylation Dysregulation Drives Alzheimer's Neurodegeneration
Hyperglycosylation—excessive attachment of complex carbohydrates to proteins—emerges as a hallmark molecular feature of Alzheimer's disease, concentrated in memory and cognitive regions. Experimental reduction of glycosylation improved behavioral outcomes in animal models, suggesting this metabolic alteration may be a causal driver rather than merely a downstream consequence.