Farina, F. R., Bridgeman, K., Ntailianis, G., Griffith, J. W., Koychev, I., Malhotra, P., Muniz-Terrera, G., O;Brien, J.T., Lawlor, B., Ritchie, C.W. and Naci, L.
Aging and Mental Health (2026)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2026.2681155
Summary
Dementia-related fear can influence help-seeking and engagement with prevention, yet it is unclear whether these responses vary with objectively measured dementia risk in midlife. This study which recruited participants from the PREVENT dementia programme, tested whether midlife risk was associated with subsequent dementia-related fear and avoidance. Higher midlife risk was associated with greater fear and avoidance. The study concluded that emotional and behavioral responses to dementia risk are evident in midlife, highlighting their potential relevance for mental health-informed communication and prevention strategies.
Alzheimer’s & Dementia (2025)
DOI: 10.1002/alz.70244
Summary
Sleep problems are common in people with dementia and often start years before the diagnosis. However, it is not known to what extent these sleep problems are caused by early changes in the brain areas involved in controlling sleep. In this study we used data from sleep questionnaires and MRI brain scans in the PREVENT and ALFA cohorts, which are both large studies of middle-aged participants without dementia. We found that participants with an increased genetic risk of Alzheimer’s disease (APOE4 gene carriers) had early changes in the hypothalamus, a brain region which is essential for sleeping well. These participants also had more sleep problems. Finally, we found that sleep problems increased with older age, but only in participants with a smaller hypothalamus. These results suggest that early changes in the hypothalamus may partially explain the relationship between sleep problems and the increased risk of dementia.
BMJ Mental Health (2025)
Summary
This study explored mental health conditions in individuals who have experienced physical abuse in intimate relationships in the past. Up to 30% of women worldwide experience IPV, and this often involves blows to the head which can lead to traumatic brain injuries (TBI). TBI can increase the risk of mental health conditions and dementia. Survivors of physical abuse had higher rates of mental health issues. Compared to those without a history of physical abuse, survivors were more likely to experience depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), even decades after the abuse had ended. TBI made mental health problems worse, among survivors, those with a history of TBI were more likely to have PTSD or several ongoing mental health issues in mid-life.
These findings highlight the need for long-term mental health support for survivors, even decades after the abuse ended. They also suggest that healthcare professionals should assess head injuries when treating survivors, as TBI could contribute to worsening mental health in both the short and long term.
Alzheimer’s & dementia (2025)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/dad2.70075
Summary
The study explores whether there is a connection between the tiny blood vessels in the eye’s choroid (a layer behind the retina) and the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease in middle-aged adults who are cognitively healthy. It included 69 middle-aged adults from the PREVENT Dementia programme who had undergone optical coherence tomography (OCT) scanning. We used OCT to measure the choroidal blood vessels. Participants were divided into low, medium, and high-risk groups based on genetic factors, family history of dementia, and the CAIDE score. We found that individuals with a higher genetic risk for Alzheimer’s had thicker choroidal blood vessels and more vascular tissue compared to those with lower risk. Specifically, a small increase in choroidal vascular area was linked to a higher likelihood of having Alzheimer’s risk markers. The results suggest a potential link between the choroidal microvasculature and Alzheimer’s disease risk, but the findings are preliminary and need to be confirmed in larger, more diverse studies. This research highlights the potential of using eye exams to identify early signs of Alzheimer’s disease, which could lead to earlier interventions and better outcomes for those at risk.
Frontiers in Human Neuroscience (2024)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2024.1509223
Summary
Allostatic Load (AL) is a way to describe the damage to your body that happens when you are constantly stressed for a long time. This study looked at how different types of stress over your life, as well as having a healthy lifestyle, can affect Allostatic Load.
The researchers studied information from 620 people who were part of the PREVENT dementia program. They found that doing sports and having a healthy diet directly helped reduce Allostatic Load. They also found that playing sports could help a person handle stress better, but sleep was really important for this to work. Both stress and how well you deal with it affected sleep, which in turn played a big role in how Allostatic Load changed. Using healthy habits, like eating well and getting good sleep, to manage stress is likely to be good for our health.
