December 19th 2025
Your daily dose of the clinical news you may have missed.
December 15th 2025
The mobile-based program targets cognitive processes underlying attention and is intended for use alongside medication, therapy, or education.
Missed endpoints in midstage tau trials are reshaping the Alzheimer pipeline, with growing focus on inflammatory and vascular pathways. Review them here.
December 12th 2025
A population-based study finds stimulant prescribing accelerated after 2020, with the largest increases among adults and women.
A new review examines whether neuromodulation techniques may help address excessive daytime sleepiness across neurologic and psychiatric conditions.
New AI Tool Detects Missed Alzheimer Disease Diagnoses, Reduces Disparities
Findings highlight an AI-based machine-learning approach designed to work around incomplete diagnostic labeling in Alzheimer disease using routine clinical data.
10 Questions on The Holiday Spirit
How does alcohol figure in to American holiday celebrations? We checked with Alcohol.org for this quiz. Are answers what you expect?
Agitation in Alzheimer Disease: Proactive Assessment and Caregivers' Roles with Carolyn Clevenger, GNP
Clevenger speaks to primary care clinicians, emphasizing 3 priorities: engage family as partners, ask about agitation, and recognize its danger to patient and caregiver.
Weekly Dose Podcast: New AD Blood Test, Elinzanetant’s Sleep Effects, Lung Cancer Screening Success, Menopause Symptom Burden, and VMS Treatment Approval
Episode highlights include a new AD blood test for PCPs, sleep effects of elinzanetant among postmenopausal women, lung cancer screening gains, and more.
New AHS Emergency Department Migraine Guideline Elevates Prochlorperazine and Nerve Blocks, Advises Again Against Opioids
The revised AHS guideline recommends treatments that offer the strongest benefit at ED discharge and identifies options with limited or no supporting evidence.
Kallyope's Oral TRPM8 Antagonist Advances Toward Registrational Studies for Acute Migraine Treatment
Kallyope reported favorable phase 2b data in acute migraine for elismetrep, a novel ion channel protein, highlighting competitive efficacy and good tolerability.
Longitudinal Blood Biomarkers Show Promise for Monitoring Alzheimer's Disease Progression in Subjective Cognitive Decline
Blood-based monitoring could enable earlier intervention as approximately 20% of initially negative participants transitioned to positive biomarker status.
Quality Improvement Program Greatly Expands Sleep Apnea Testing After Stroke in VA Hospitals
The study supports the feasibility of structured operational strategies to narrow dangerous gaps in guideline-recommended inpatient OSA testing, authors wrote.
Lecanemab Data Suggest Sustained Delay in Alzheimer Disease Progression With Long-Term Maintenance Therapy
CTAD 2025: Early, continued treatment with lecanemab may delay Alzheimer disease progression by up to 8.3 years; SC dosing demonstrates bioequivalence.
Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation Responds With Optimism to Disappointing Results from evoke Late Stage Trials
The phase 3 results offer key lessons for metabolic and inflammatory pathway targets, ADDF notes, highlighting biomarker findings that advance Alzheimer science.
“There’s Always Something We Can Do" for Agitation in Alzheimer Disease, Says Carolyn Clevenger, GNP
Clevenger, a professor of nursing at Emory University, shares practical strategies to manage agitation in Alzheimer disease, emphasizing that this symptom is treatable.
Semaglutide’s Setback in Alzheimer Disease Trials: Commentary on Outcomes of evoke and evoke+
Semaglutide did not slow AD progression in phase 3 evoke trials. UK and US experts express disappointment but laud value of outcomes to continuing research.
Elinzanetant Provides VMS-Independent Sleep Improvement in Postmenopausal Women: Daily Dose
CTAD 2025: Lecanemab Boosts CSF Aβ Protofibrils, Confirming Target Engagement and Pharmacodynamic Effect
New data reveals lecanemab's significant impact on amyloid-beta protofibrils in Alzheimer disease, showcasing its potential to slow disease progression.
Lifestyle Intervention Shows Benefits Beyond Cognition in US POINTER Trial, Highlighting Modifiable Risk Factors for Dementia
Two-year structured lifestyle "recipe" slowed cognitive aging and enhanced both cardiovascular and sleep health in older adults at risk for cognitive decline.
First Blood Test for Alzheimer Disease Diagnosis Cleared by FDA for Primary Care Use: Daily Dose
Why Caregivers Don't Talk About Alzheimer Agitation, With Geriatric NP Carolyn Clevenger, GNP
Nearly one-third of caregivers hesitate to discuss agitation in a patient with AD. Emory's Clevenger, shares why and how clinicians can proactively address this barrier.
Obesity Linked to Faster Alzheimer Disease Progression in Longitudinal Blood Biomarker Analysis
Biomarker trajectories over 5 years in study participants with AD show steeper rises in pTau217, NfL, and amyloid burden among those with obesity, highlighting risk factor relevance.
Understanding Agitation in Alzheimer's: Why Memory Care Isn't Enough – with Carolyn Clevenger, GNP
Emory's Clevenger discusses the neurotransmitter dysregulation behind agitation in AD and why memory-focused care doesn't address behavioral symptoms.
Merck Secures Fast Track for Novel AD Antibody and Reports First-in-Human Data
New safety and biomarker results from MK-2214 and MK-1167 advance Merck’s dual approach to Alzheimer therapy.
Galcanezumab Efficacy and Safety Confirmed in Meta-Analysis of Real-World Studies
Two-thirds of participants experienced clinically meaningful response within 3 months; effects sustained through 12 months with mild adverse event profile.
Geriatric NP Carolyn Clevenger Discusses Agitation in Alzheimer Disease: Overlooked, Misunderstood, and Progressive
Clevenger reviews survey findings behind the recent report "The Agitation Blindspot in Alzheimer’s Care."
FDA Approves Itvisma, First Gene Therapy for Older Children and Adults With Spinal Muscular Atrophy
Novartis's Itvisma gains FDA approval as the first intrathecal gene therapy for spinal muscular atrophy, promising improved motor function and independence.
J&J's Investigational Anti-Tau Alzheimer Drug Posdinemab Fails to Meet Primary Endpoint in Phase 2b Trial
J&J halts phase 2b AuTonomy trial after anti-tau antibody posdinemab fails to slow clinical decline, marking another setback for tau-targeting therapeutics.
Semaglutide Fails to Slow Progression of Alzheimer Disease Compared to Placebo: Novo Nordisk Phase 3 Trial Update
Evoke trials testing semaglutide for Alzheimer disease missed primary endpoint, failing to demonstrate benefit on cognition despite positive effects on disease markers.
Bayer's Asundexian Reduces Ischemic Stroke Risk Without Raising Major Bleeding in Phase III Trial
Topline data show the factor XIa inhibitor cut ischemic stroke risk without increasing ISTH major bleeding, pointing to a possible new option for secondary prevention.
Physical Activity in Mid- and Late Life Linked to Markedly Lower Risk of Dementia
Life-course analysis sheds light on how movement patterns influence brain resilience, giving clinicians new context for counseling about dementia prevention.
Two Alzheimer Disease Therapies to Watch at CTAD 2025: Lecanemab and Sabirnetug Updates
Eisai and Acumen Therapeutics will present new data in areas including long-term outcomes, brain delivery strategies, and early-stage Alzheimer disease.
How Neurodivergent Adults View Neurodiversity Terminology: Findings From a Large UK Survey
UK neurodivergent adults report strong views on neurodiversity terminology, emphasizing correct usage and its role in stigma, identity, and communication.
Chronic Pain Linked to Greater Risk of Hypertension, Depression Mediates the Relationship
Individuals who have chronic widespread pain showed a 75% increased risk of developing hypertension compared to fellow UK Biobank participants who were pain-free.