dementia

In a preliminary study, the cancer drug nilotinib seemed to help patients with Parkinson's and dementia. Now two larger and more rigorous studies of the drug are under way.

Scientists now have a fairly noninvasive way to test for Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, a rare form of dementia. A similar test, they say, might offer earlier diagnoses of Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.

The prevalence of Alzheimer's and other dementias declined by almost 3 percent from 2000 to 2012, a study finds. That could be a result of people getting more education, and better health overall.

Hugging a doll can soothe an upset toddler, and some say it can do the same for people with dementia. But critics say this form of therapy infantilizes adults.

Most potential Alzheimer's drugs are tested on mice. But rats may be a better choice because they seem to have a type of memory that's more like ours, and also are highly vulnerable to Alzheimer's.