The MBWC is the proud home of an NIA-designated Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC). Here, we highlight some recent studies supported by our faculty. Many of these discoveries relied on data from our research participants.
‘Super agers’ show unique cell signatures in the brain // C. Dirk Keene
“Super agers” are people over 80 whose brains show remarkable memory and cognitive function. This study reports that people whose brains continue to produce new neurons have better cognitive function than those whose neurogenesis slows with age.
The researchers studied autopsied brains of participants at different stages of cognitive health - superagers and people with normal cognition, preclinical Alzheimers disease, and dementia. The superagers came from the Northwestern University ADRC, and all other samples came from the UW ADRC and the affiliated Adult Changes in Thought Study.
The study found that super agers had twice the neurogenesis of the other healthy older adults. People who had been experiencing cognitive decline or Alzheimer’s disease showed far fewer immature neurons.
This profile of neurogenesis is a new “resilience signature” in the human brain. It could help researchers identify strategies to protect brain health as people age.
A. Disouky et al. Nature, Feb 2026
Scientists find genetic factor tied to African ancestry that protects against Alzheimer’s // Julianna Brutman, Paul Valdmanis, Suman Jayadev, Elizabeth Blue, Ellen Wijsman
One variation of the APOE gene, called the APOE e4 allele, is the strongest risk factor for developing Alzheimer’s disease, especially for individuals who carry two copies of APOE e4.
Now, researchers have identified a gene variant near APOE e4 that is protective against Alzheimer’s disease in individuals of African ancestry.
The research relied on genetic sequence data from the 1000 Genomes Project and compared 5 African participants with APOE e4 to non-African participants with APOE e4, Africans with an APOE e3 allele, and non-Africans with an APOE e3 allele. They found a genetic variant present only in the African APOE e4 carriers.
The researchers estimate that this genetic variant is present in 60% of African Americans who carry 2 APOE e4 alleles.
This newly discovered genetic variant affects genes near APOE, providing insight into its role in health and disease.
J. Brutman et al. Nature Communications. Feb. 2026
Creating meaningful dementia-friendly programs // Marigrace Becker
In a roundtable discussion, experts shared their “secret sauces” for creating meaningful and sustainable dementia-friendly programs or research methods.
Recipes for success included listening to the stories and ideas of people living with memory loss and following their lead. Marigrace Becker of the UW MBWC shared that 15 years ago, the act of listening to—and then helping to enact—an individual’s idea for dementia-friendly improv groups led to an early offering of the Momentia Seattle grassroots movement.
In Canada, Alison Phinney of the University of British Columbia has drawn on community strengths to foster dementia-friendly nature and arts programs.
In his tribal health research, Jordan P. Lewis of the University of Hawai’i at Manoa emphasized the importance of working in partnership with communities, which involves not only forming relationships and trust but also prioritizing community goals over institutional goals.
Fayron Epps of Alter Dementia and Alison Phinney shared about the importance of creating a small team of trusted colleagues who share the passion and dedication to dementia-friendly community goals.
N. Berlinger. The Hastings Report. Sept. 2025
Finding the best clinic infrastructure to administer lecanemab // Michael Rosenbloom
In 2023, the FDA approved Eisai’s amyloid-clearing infusion treatment lecanemab (Leqembi) for early-stage Alzheimer’s disease. This study addressed the question: ‘Is it better to get Leqembi treatment at a large academic-affiliated clinic, such as the MBWC, or a private practice neurology clinic?’
The study assessed the treatment of 165 patients with Leqembi across two types of clinics. Patients treated at the academic clinic were more likely to have mild cognitive impairment (MCI), suggesting they received early diagnoses. Those seen in a private clinic were at a later stage of Alzheimer’s disease.
However, even though people got diagnoses of Alzheimer’s earlier in the academic clinic, it took an average of 50 days longer to start treatment after the diagnosis than in the private clinic.
The results show that Leqembi treatment in private clinics is just as safe as it would be in an academic setting. The authors argue that the sooner someone is diagnosed and starts treatment, the better.
M. Rosenbloom et al. The Journal of Neurology. May 2025
The role of the nighttime glymphatic system in brain health // Jeffrey Iliff, Donald Elbert
During sleep, the brain’s waste clearance system gets to work. In the glymphatic system, fluid rushes along spaces next to blood vessels, delivering nutrients while clearing away debris and toxic proteins. During the day, these spaces are very narrow. But during sleep, the system relaxes a bit, allowing fluid to move faster.
In this study, researchers tested whether overnight glymphatic function contributes to the clearance of the hallmark Alzheimer’s proteins, amyloid and tau, from the human brain.
The team recruited 48 healthy older adults, aged 49 - 66. Study participants wore a novel wearable device from the Applied Cognition company, during nights of sleep and nights of sleep deprivation. This in-ear device measures key aspects of glymphatic function, such as shifts in fluid within brain tissue, the neural activity from sleep to wakefulness, and changes in the brain’s blood vessels.
The study identified several changes during sleep that sped up the clearance of amyloid and tau through the brain tissue. These results support a key role for glymphatic function in brain health and Alzheimer’s disease.
P. Dagum et al. Nature Communications. Jan. 2026
Care preferences for persons with cognitive impairment // Soo Borson
A diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease or a related disorder can present a number of difficult decisions. Families may talk about transitions in supportive care, such as hiring more support within the home or moving from home-based care to institutional care settings.
However, there is a lack of evidence around the preferences of persons with cognitive decline and their care partners about dementia care.
This publication emerges from the 5-year NIH-funded Decision Making in Alzheimer’s Research study, which aims to ensure the voices of adults living with dementia are heard in care decisions. The researchers recruited older adults with cognitive decline or dementia and their care partners from the UW ADRC and other community partners.
The team conducted online interviews with the dyads, to understand attitudes and preferences for supportive care transitions. They found that persons with cognitive decline engaged in decisions about the imagined future. Both partners preferred in-home care. Care partners felt that transitions to assisted living were more acceptable as the symptoms progressed.
D. Regier et al. Alzheimer’s and Dementia. Feb. 2026
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