Careblazer, I get asked this question a lot.
Are we actually making progress in dementia research, or are we still stuck where we were years ago?
For many families, it feels like the answer should be yes. We hear about new drugs, new studies, and new breakthroughs all the time. But when you are living day to day with dementia, it can feel like nothing has really changed in the places that matter most.
I want to give you a clear and honest answer. Not based on headlines. Not based on hype. And not based on false hope.
Each year, the National Institutes of Health release a comprehensive report that summarizes where dementia research truly stands. The 2025 report shows that things are changing. Not in a way that erases how hard dementia caregiving is, but in ways that affect how dementia is detected, how treatments are developed, and how families can advocate more confidently for their loved ones.
I am going to walk you through what is actually changing in dementia research right now, and what those changes realistically mean for you as a family caregiver.
Why Dementia Research Matters for Families
Right now, about 7 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease. Worldwide, more than 50 million people are living with some form of dementia. Those numbers are expected to grow significantly in the coming decades.
Dementia is not a normal part of aging. And as you know firsthand, it affects far more than memory.
It changes how people think, how they function, how they relate to others, and how families organize their lives. It reshapes roles, routines, finances, and emotional health.
That is why research matters. Not just for scientists in laboratories, but for families trying to make decisions in real time, often under stress and uncertainty.
The encouraging news is that financial investment in dementia research has grown substantially. Because of that, we are seeing meaningful progress in three areas that matter most to families:
Treatment development
Prevention and early intervention
More accurate and earlier diagnosis
Let’s walk through each one.
Dementia Treatments Are Changing, With Important Limits
Over the past few years, we have seen the FDA approval of several anti-amyloid medications, including lecanemab and donanemab.
These drugs target amyloid, a protein that builds up in the brain during Alzheimer’s disease. In people in the very earliest stages of Alzheimer’s, these medications can slow disease progression modestly.
That is real progress.
But it is also important to be very clear about the limits.
These medications are not cures. They do not reverse dementia. They do not work for everyone. And they are not appropriate for later stages of the disease.
Many families hear about these drugs and wonder why they are not an option for their loved one. That confusion and disappointment is completely understandable.
One reason these treatments became possible at all is because of major advances in brain imaging, especially PET scans. PET imaging allows researchers to see amyloid buildup in a living brain.
Not long ago, Alzheimer’s disease could only be confirmed after death. PET imaging changed that by allowing scientists to identify amyloid earlier, track changes over time, and test whether medications were actually affecting the disease process.
But along the way, researchers learned something critical.
Alzheimer’s Is Rarely the Only Thing Happening
One of the biggest insights from recent research is that Alzheimer’s disease is not a single, simple pathway.
Many people have mixed dementia. That means more than one brain process is contributing to cognitive symptoms. Vascular changes, Lewy body pathology, and other neurodegenerative processes often overlap.
So even if a medication successfully targets amyloid, other brain changes may still be driving symptoms.
This realization is shifting dementia research toward what is called precision medicine.
Precision medicine means moving away from a one-size-fits-all approach. Instead, treatments are increasingly matched to an individual’s biology, genetics, health history, and lifestyle.
Researchers are now asking better questions. Why does one person respond to a treatment while another does not? How do we tailor interventions more thoughtfully?
That shift matters for families, even if the benefits are gradual.
What Is Actually in the Dementia Research Pipeline?
Right now, there are hundreds of clinical trials underway for Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.
Some trials are testing medications. Others are testing non-drug approaches. Many are exploring combinations of both.
One example is a medication called CT1812. Unlike anti-amyloid drugs, this medication works by helping push multiple toxic proteins out from between brain cells.
That means it may have potential not only for Alzheimer’s disease, but also for Lewy body dementia or mixed dementias.
CT1812 has completed Phase 2 clinical trials. This phase focuses on safety, whether the drug reaches the brain, and whether there are early signals that it may be helpful.
That last part is important. Just because a drug changes something in the brain does not automatically mean it improves thinking or behavior.
Phase 3 trials are where larger, longer studies compare a drug to placebo to determine whether it should be approved for broader use.
Researchers are also using newer trial designs, such as platform trials, which allow multiple treatments to be tested at the same time. This can significantly speed up research and reduce delays.
Another promising direction is drug repurposing. Medications already approved for other conditions, such as epilepsy, are being studied to see whether they benefit specific dementia subgroups.
Again, this reflects the growing emphasis on individualized treatment rather than blanket solutions.
Prevention and Earlier Intervention Are Major Focus Areas
One of the biggest shifts in dementia research is the move toward prevention.
Researchers are now asking whether treatment works best before symptoms appear.
A large study called the AHEAD 3-45 trial is testing lecanemab in people who have amyloid buildup in their brain but no noticeable memory problems yet.
This matters because by the time dementia symptoms show up, the brain has often been changing for decades.
In that sense, Alzheimer’s disease is not just a disease of old age. It is a disease that begins in midlife, long before outward symptoms appear.
You can think of this approach like treating high blood pressure before a heart attack. The goal is to prevent damage, not chase it after it has already occurred.
Researchers are also exploring combination therapies that target both amyloid and tau, recognizing that multiple pathways may need to be addressed together.
At the same time, safety remains a critical concern.
Understanding Risks and Making Treatments Safer
Some newer anti-amyloid medications carry a risk called ARIA, which involves brain swelling or bleeding.
NIH-funded studies are actively working to identify who is most at risk for these side effects and how treatments can be made safer.
This kind of research does not make headlines, but it matters deeply for families weighing risks and benefits.
Non-Drug Strategies With Real Evidence
Many caregivers want to know what they can do besides medication. That question is incredibly important, especially since no current treatment cures dementia.
Research continues to show that certain lifestyle factors can reduce dementia risk or support brain health.
These include managing blood pressure, treating hearing loss, taking a daily multivitamin, and receiving personalized health coaching.
One study examined a cognitively enriched form of Tai Chi that combined physical movement with mental challenge. Participants showed improvements in memory and thinking that lasted nearly a year.
Diet matters too. Research on a modified Mediterranean diet showed improvements in Alzheimer’s-related markers within weeks.
These strategies are not cures, and they do not work the same for everyone. But they reflect a broader understanding that dementia progression is influenced by many factors, not just one.
They also highlight areas where caregivers and families may have some agency right now.
Getting Earlier and More Accurate Diagnoses
Not long ago, Alzheimer’s disease could only be confirmed after death.
Today, that is no longer true.
Researchers now use brain imaging, spinal fluid tests, and increasingly blood tests to detect Alzheimer’s-related changes before symptoms appear.
One blood test, p-tau217, is highly accurate and may outperform some imaging tools. Another test, PrecivityAD2, combines amyloid and tau markers and predicts Alzheimer’s pathology with close to 90 percent accuracy.
These tools are helping clinicians move beyond educated guesswork and toward earlier, clearer answers.
Researchers are also developing biomarkers for other dementias, including Lewy body dementia and frontotemporal dementia.
This matters because many people live with dementias that are not Alzheimer’s disease, and accurate identification influences care planning and expectations.
What This All Means for Caregivers
So what does all of this actually mean for you?
It means dementia research is moving forward, even if it does not always feel that way in daily caregiving.
It means detection is improving, treatments are becoming more personalized, and clearer answers may be possible earlier than ever before.
None of this makes caregiving easy. It does not remove grief, stress, or uncertainty.
But it does mean families now have more information, more options, and more opportunities to advocate than in the past.
Knowledge does not cure dementia, but it can change how we respond to it.
Support Beyond the Research
Keeping up with research while managing real-life caregiving is exhausting. You should not have to do that alone.
Inside the Care Collective, families receive ongoing education, practical guidance, and support when they need it most.
It is a place to ask questions, get clarity, and feel steadier when the path forward feels uncertain.
You can learn more by clicking here.
Final Thoughts
In the next part of this series, I will go deeper into why dementia happens, who is most at risk, and what research is finally revealing about care quality, planning, and the caregiver experience itself.
For now, I hope this gave you a clearer, more grounded picture of where dementia research truly stands.
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