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Dementia therapy: Non-pharmacological approaches preserve independence

Dementia therapy is often reduced to prescribing medication. However, non-pharmacological measures such as regular exercise, targeted cognitive activation, occupational therapy, or music therapy can make a significant contribution. They stabilize cognitive abilities, promote everyday skills, and alleviate accompanying symptoms such as restlessness, apathy, or depressive moods – often with a lasting effect on the quality of life of those affected and their families. "Non-pharmacological therapies build on people's existing resources and abilities," emphasizes Dr. Anne Pfitzer-Bilsing, Head of Science at the Alzheimer Research Initiative (AFI). "When properly guided and carried out regularly, they help maintain independence for longer and improve well-being." The AFI informs those affected and their families about which approaches have been scientifically investigated and what should be considered when choosing a therapy. Exercise as one of the best evidence-based measures: Physical activity is among the best-documented non-pharmacological interventions. This includes brisk walking, cycling, gymnastics, etc. 

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Blood test predicts the onset of Alzheimer's symptoms

A blood test for the protein p-tau217 can predict when the first symptoms of Alzheimer's disease will appear in the brains of people with these changes. A US research team has developed a so-called Alzheimer's "clock" that links the age of the first increase in p-tau217 to the onset of the disease. The model is based on repeated blood tests from 603 older individuals. It predicts the age at which elevated p-tau217 levels first appear, with an average deviation of three to four years from the actual onset of symptoms. The older the affected individuals are, the shorter the period until the onset: If the increase occurs at age 60, it takes about 20 years, while if it occurs at age 80, it takes only about eleven years. The results were published on February 19, 2026, in the journal Nature Medicine. The researchers, led by Suzanne Schindler of Washington University in St. Louis, see this as a step forward for… 

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G-BA sees no added benefit in Leqembi – AFI criticizes methodology

The Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) has determined that the Alzheimer's drug Leqembi (lecanemab) offers no proven additional benefit compared to the current standard therapy. The decision, issued in February 2026, is based on the benefit assessment conducted by the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) in December 2025. This assessment forms the basis for the upcoming price negotiations between statutory health insurance funds and the manufacturer Eisai, which are expected to result in a nationwide reimbursement amount within six months. Leqembi is the first monoclonal antibody drug approved in the EU for the early stages of Alzheimer's disease. It is intended exclusively for patients with confirmed amyloid pathology in the stage of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or early-stage dementia. Approval was granted based on the Phase 3 CLARITY AD study, which demonstrated a moderate slowing of cognitive decline by approximately 27 percent. The medication does not cure the disease, but aims to slow cognitive decline and preserve independence for longer. In Germany… 

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Blood markers detect hereditary Alzheimer's disease

In people with a genetic predisposition for Alzheimer's disease, altered blood values ​​indicating damaged nerve cell connections appear as early as eleven years before the expected onset of dementia symptoms. This is reflected in the level of the protein "beta-synuclein." An international team, including researchers from the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Ulm University Hospital, and Halle University Hospital, reports on this in the journal "Alzheimer's & Dementia." The biomarker studied could potentially help to detect neurodegeneration early and thus determine an appropriate time to begin treatment. New medications are currently available for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease, the most common form of dementia. These so-called amyloid antibodies trigger the breakdown of tiny deposits in the brain and can thus slow the progression of the disease. However, this requires treatment in the early stages of the disease. "Early diagnosis is therefore becoming increasingly important. Currently, however, Alzheimer's is usually diagnosed very late. We therefore need advances in diagnostics. Otherwise…" 

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Blood values ​​of dementia: An overview

Research is making significant progress in the early detection of dementia through blood tests. Here are the most important developments: Beta-synuclein as a promising biomarker. Scientists have identified the protein beta-synuclein in the blood as an important indicator of incipient Alzheimer's disease. This protein increases in the early stages of the disease and could indicate nerve damage approximately ten years before the onset of the first symptoms [1]. The method was tested in studies with 374 patients and showed a clear correlation between beta-synuclein concentration and structural changes in the brain [2]. MicroRNAs as a molecular fingerprint. A German-American research team developed a test based on microRNAs in the blood. Approximately 20 specific microRNAs form a molecular fingerprint that is analyzed using artificial intelligence. This method enables the identification of people with Alzheimer's dementia as well as those with an increased risk of dementia [4]. Protein biomarkers for long-term prognosis. Scientists identified four crucial proteins in the blood: – GFAP (indicates brain inflammation) – NEFL (associated with… 

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B1 Pill for Alzheimer's Disease

A completely different approach to stopping the progression of Alzheimer's disease pioneered by a research institute based in Westchester County, NY is now being tested nationwide. The Burke Neurological Institute (BNI), an affiliation of Weill Cornell Medicine, in partnership with the Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study (ADCS) at University of California San Diego and Columbia University Irving Medical Center, have launched a national clinical trial to investigate the therapeutic potential of a BNI and Weill Cornell Medicine-developed form of benfotiamine, a synthetic version of vitamin B1 (thiamine), as a treatment for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and early Alzheimer's disease (AD). The BenfoTeam trial (The Phase 2A-2B study) taking place at 50 sites across the US will evaluate the effects of benfotiamine on cognitive function and whether high doses benefit people 50-89 with mild AD and MCI. The trial is funded by… 

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Fish oil against Alzheimer's

A clinical trial at Oregon Health & Science University suggests that a subset of older adults with a genetic predisposition to Alzheimer's disease may benefit from taking fish oil supplements. The study was published today in the journal JAMA Network Open. The findings come amid claims that fish oil supplements can improve brain function in people with memory problems. The study found no statistically significant benefit for all older adults in general. However, among those who also carried a gene associated with Alzheimer's disease, there was a reduction in the degeneration of nerve cells in the brain. The lead co-author of the study from OHSU pointed out that fish oil may be beneficial for people with the APOE4 gene, which indicates a higher risk of developing Alzheimer's, but not necessarily for all older adults. The study… 

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Leqembi approved for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease

BioArctic AB's (publ) (NASDAQ Stockholm: BIOA B) partner Eisai announced today that the Department of Health in Hong Kong has approved Leqembi® (brand name in Hong Kong: “???®”, generic name: lecanemab) for treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Treatment with Leqembi should be initiated in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or mild dementia stage of disease, the population in which treatment was initiated in clinical trials. Hong Kong is the fifth approval following the US, Japan, China and South Korea. Leqembi's approval in Hong Kong is based on the large global Phase 3 Clarity AD study. In the Clarity AD study, Leqembi met its primary endpoint and all key secondary endpoints with statistically significant results.[1] In Hong Kong, 9.3% of people aged 70 years and older are living with dementia, and 32% of those aged 85 years and older, of… 

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