Alzheimer’s and Related Dementias Press Kit
This toolkit highlights NIA resources and news on Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Browse the sections below to learn more about:
NIA supports and conducts research to better understand the aging process as well as diseases and conditions that can occur as we grow older. It is the lead federal agency for Alzheimer’s and related dementias research.
Have questions? Check the Media Frequently Asked Questions page.
Research progress and discoveries
In recent years, there has been significant progress in developing and testing new treatments for Alzheimer’s and related dementias. For example, ongoing research and advancements in brain imaging techniques enable scientists to view the living brain and study the development and spread of abnormal amyloid and tau proteins, as well as changes in brain structure and function.
Years of public funding have led to the most diverse portfolio yet of promising therapeutic approaches. To sustain momentum, NIA continues to conduct and fund new projects focused on developing innovative drugs that target specific biological processes known to be areas of change in the brain that are related to Alzheimer’s and related dementias.
Alzheimer’s and related dementias research continues to evolve as scientists investigate a growing number of ways to treat symptoms and underlying disease processes. Recent developments include:
- Thanks in part to NIH funding, researchers at C₂N Diagnostics developed the PrecivityAD™ blood test. This is the first amyloid blood test to become available to some doctors — dependent on state-specific availability reflecting FDA guidelines — who can send blood samples to C₂N’s lab to analyze blood for amyloid.
- Advancing brain imaging. For example, in addition to already existing PET (positron emission tomography) scans for amyloid, there is now an FDA-approved diagnostic agent to detect tau tangles in the brain via PET scan. This development marked a major technological advance in biomarker tests for Alzheimer’s.
- Funding more than 400 active Alzheimer’s and related dementias prevention, treatment, and caregiving clinical trials. Of these, approximately 200 are testing interventions for effective prevention and treatment of these diseases, and others are testing dementia care and caregiving interventions.
Quotes for attribution
Contact the NIA press team or call 301-496-1752 for an interview with these and other experts.
- “Progress in Alzheimer’s and related dementias research has been tremendous, and the momentum continues to grow.” — Richard J. Hodes, M.D., Director, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health
- “We are studying Alzheimer’s and related dementias from all angles — the scope is broader and more comprehensive than ever. Scientists have made substantial advances in this research, thanks to significant federal funding increases to NIH, and we continue to build on the momentum.” — Eliezer Masliah, M.D., Director, NIA Division of Neuroscience
- “We know there is an acute need, so we continue to fund research that addresses the care needs and promotes the health, function, and well-being of persons living with Alzheimer’s and related dementias and their caregivers, with an emphasis on improved rigor and real-world applicability across broad and diverse populations.” — Lisbeth Nielsen, Ph.D., Director, NIA Division of Behavioral and Social Research
Learn more about Alzheimer’s and related dementias
- Recent news on Alzheimer’s and other dementias
- How Is Alzheimer’s Disease Diagnosed?
- How Biomarkers Help Diagnose Dementia
- How Is Alzheimer’s Disease Treated?
- What Do We Know About Diet and Prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease?
- Can I Prevent Dementia?
- 8 Frequently Asked Questions about Alzheimer’s Disease
- Alzheimer’s Disease Fact Sheet
Browse more resources and health information on Alzheimer’s and related dementias via Alzheimers.gov (Spanish) and the NIA website (Spanish).
Clinical trials
Scientists continue to identify potential new ways to help diagnose, treat, and even prevent Alzheimer’s and related dementias, but such progress would not be possible without those who have participated in clinical trials and other studies. NIA’s clinical trials portfolio includes but is not limited to the following:
- Funding 33 Alzheimer’s Disease Research Centers (ADRCs) at major medical institutions across the United States. In addition, NIA funds four Exploratory ADRCs designed to further expand and diversify research and education opportunities.
- Alzheimer’s & Dementia Outreach, Recruitment, & Engagement (ADORE) Resources is NIA’s web-based, searchable collection of tools and resources that supports the recruitment and retention of participants into clinical trials and studies on Alzheimer’s and related dementias.
- NIA’s Alzheimer’s and related Dementias Education and Referral (ADEAR) Center provides current, comprehensive, unbiased sources on Alzheimer’s and related dementias. This includes answering questions around participation in clinical trials. Learn more and find a clinical trial near you.
- NIA’s Outreach Pro is a new online research tool to help increase participation by traditionally underrepresented populations in clinical trials and studies on Alzheimer’s and related dementias. Outreach Pro enables those involved with leading clinical research to create and customize participant recruitment communications, such as websites, handouts, videos, and social media posts. It is an integral part of NIA’s implementation of the National Strategy for Recruitment and Participation in Alzheimer’s and Related Dementias Clinical Research.
Learn more about NIA’s efforts to recruit a broad range of diverse participants into clinical trials and studies.
Quotes for attribution
Contact the NIA press team or call 301-496-1752 for an interview with these and other experts.
- “NIA has hundreds of Alzheimer’s and related dementias clinical trials underway. None of these would be possible without people who volunteer to participate in these trials. We are deeply grateful to them, and we hope even more will consider joining an Alzheimer’s and related dementias study.” — Laurie M. Ryan, Ph.D., NIA Division of Neuroscience
- “It is critically important that all clinical research reflects the diversity of the population. For Alzheimer’s and related dementias research, we must have appropriate representation of a wide range of communities to ensure that we have a complete understanding of how well different strategies work across different populations.” — Nina Silverberg, Ph.D., NIA Division of Neuroscience
Read more about Alzheimer’s and related dementias clinical trials
- Participating in Alzheimer’s Disease Research
- NIA IMPACT Collaboratory
- National Strategy for Recruitment and Participation in Alzheimer’s and Related Dementias Clinical Research (PDF, 750K)
- Outreach Pro: A new online tool to improve Alzheimer’s clinical trials
Funding and budget
Annually, NIA prepares a Congressional Budget Justification to provide Senate and House Appropriations Committees with funding estimates and details about our research and related support activities. View NIA's latest Congressional Budget Justification.
In addition, per a congressional mandate, NIH annually submits to the President and then Congress a Professional Judgment Budget that estimates the additional funding, above the base for Alzheimer’s and related dementias, needed to effectively treat and prevent these disorders by 2025.
Read more about NIA’s budget and funding
- NIA Budget & Testimony
- Bypass Budget Proposal Archive
- NIH research funds allocated to Alzheimer’s and related dementias
Multimedia
This section includes scientific images, infographics, and videos on Alzheimer’s and related dementias research. Permission is not required to use NIA-produced materials: As a federal government agency, our content is in the public domain.
When you use our materials in print, on the web, or in a video or audio format, we simply request that you credit the National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Please include a credit such as “Video/Image courtesy of the National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health” if you use our videos or images in print or electronic materials. Note that some NIA webpages incorporate stock images that are not licensed for public use and must be licensed separately.
If you have specific questions, contact NIAPressTeam@mail.nih.gov or call 301-496-1752. Learn more about NIA’s copyright and trademark information.
Scientific images
Explore examples of scientific images depicting Alzheimer’s in the brain from NIA.
Infographics
NIA provides infographics to help tell the visual story of Alzheimer’s and related dementias. Here are a few to share:
Videos
The following are just a few examples of videos available from NIA on Alzheimer’s and related dementias. NIA offers videos (some available in Spanish) about our research and other health-related information. All videos are available to download or embed on a webpage.
You may also be interested in NIA’s Aging and Alzheimer’s Resources and Multimedia for more materials about aging, Alzheimer’s and other topics important to older adults.