Toronto Memory Program

10/19/2026

What Is Sundowning in Dementia?

Have you noticed that a loved one living with dementia becomes more confused, restless, or anxious later in the day?

This is sometimes referred to as sundowning, a term used to describe increased confusion or changes in behaviour that may occur in the late afternoon or evening.

What might sundowning look like?
• Increased confusion or disorientation
• Restlessness, pacing, or agitation
• Anxiety or irritability
• Difficulty settling down or sleeping
• Increased need for reassurance

What can help?
• Maintain a consistent routine: Regular times for meals, activities, and sleep can provide comfort and familiarity.
• Keep spaces well-lit: Adequate lighting in the late afternoon and evening may help reduce confusion caused by shadows.
• Encourage daytime activity: Gentle exercise and exposure to natural daylight may support healthier sleep patterns.
• Create a calming evening environment: Reduce noise, distractions, and overstimulation.

Learn more from the Alzheimer Society of Canada:

When someone becomes confused, anxious, upset, or restless consistently later in the day (usually late afternoon or early evening), try these ways of understanding and responding.

10/15/2026

Do you have an elevated risk of Alzheimer’s disease?

If your ApoE genotype shows an elevated risk of Alzheimer’s disease, contact us today to learn more about your potential study eligibility.

The SPINOZA clinical study is exploring whether an investigational drug can delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease in people who have a high genetic risk but no current symptoms.

https://spinoza.longboat.com/?lang=en -about

10/01/2026

As the days get shorter, changes in daylight and daily routines can affect our body clock, sleep, and mood.

Sleep patterns also naturally change as we age. Older adults may sleep more lightly, wake more often during the night, and go to bed and wake earlier. Quality sleep is important for memory, attention, mood, and overall health.

This fall, consider:
• Keeping a consistent sleep and wake time
• Staying physically active during the day
• Spending time outdoors and getting natural daylight
• Avoiding late-day naps when possible
• Speaking with a healthcare provider if sleep, mood or memory changes are persistent or interfering with daily life

Learn about insomnia, sleep apnea, periodic limb movement disorder, and other sleep disorders. Get tips on how to fall asleep and sleep better.

09/24/2026

The phase III trial, called the PrevenTRON study, will investigate whether prescribing a new drug, trontinemab, to participants who have elevated levels of p-tau217 and meet the trial criteria can stop dementia from developing in the first place.

Healthy middle-aged people deemed to be at higher risk of developing condition among those eligible to participate

09/17/2026

Why do some people stay cognitively strong despite Alzheimer’s-related changes in the brain?

Researchers are studying a fascinating concept called cognitive resilience — why some people can have changes in the brain associated with Alzheimer’s disease, such as amyloid plaques and tau tangles, while continuing to maintain their memory and thinking abilities.

Understanding what makes these brains more resilient could help researchers uncover new ways to protect brain health and potentially guide future approaches to Alzheimer’s disease prevention and treatment.

🔗 Read more from UBC about the research into Alzheimer’s resilience:

Understanding Alzheimer’s resilience could be the key to finding treatment.

09/14/2026

Concerned about changes in your memory or thinking — or those of a loved one?

Toronto Memory Program offers free memory testing as a first step to better understand whether a referral for further assessment may be needed or whether there may be suitable research opportunities to consider.

To get started, visit our website and complete the Contact Us form:

Memory Clinic specializing in 's disease & related dementias. Canada’s largest and most experienced site for in Alzheimer’s

09/10/2026

Alzheimer’s disease does not begin the day memory problems appear.

Research shows that biological changes linked to Alzheimer’s disease can begin many years — sometimes decades — before noticeable symptoms develop. Two of the key changes researchers study are the buildup of amyloid and tau proteins in the brain. These changes can gradually accumulate while a person is still living independently and may feel that their memory is completely normal.

This early stage is often referred to as preclinical Alzheimer’s disease. It is one of the reasons researchers are increasingly focused on prevention: if Alzheimer’s disease can be identified before significant memory and thinking changes occur, could treating it earlier help delay or prevent symptoms?

Newer tools, including specialized brain imaging and blood-based biomarkers, are helping researchers detect these changes earlier than was possible in the past.

Clinical trials are now studying people at different stages of Alzheimer’s disease — including some who have no noticeable cognitive symptoms — to better understand when treatment may have the greatest impact.

The more we learn about the earliest stages of Alzheimer’s disease, the closer we may get to changing its course before it changes someone’s life.

09/03/2026

Could a simple blood test help identify Alzheimer’s risk years before memory symptoms begin?

New research presented at the 2026 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference looked at a blood marker called p-tau217, a protein associated with Alzheimer’s-related changes in the brain. Researchers followed nearly 2,700 older adults who had no memory or thinking problems when the study began and found that higher p-tau217 levels were associated with a greater risk of developing cognitive impairment over the following years.

These findings are especially exciting for Alzheimer’s prevention research, where identifying people at increased risk before symptoms appear could one day allow for earlier monitoring and intervention.

🔗 Read more from the Alzheimer’s Association:

A blood test detecting p-tau217, a protein linked to Alzheimer’s, may help predict cognitive impairment in older adults a decade before symptoms appear.

08/20/2026

This may look overwhelming, but it represents something very exciting: the breadth of Alzheimer’s disease treatments currently in development.

As of January 1, 2026, this figure maps drugs in clinical trials across Phases 1–3, spanning disease-modifying therapies, biologics, cognitive treatments, and approaches targeting behavioral and neuropsychiatric symptoms.

Each point represents another avenue being explored to improve how Alzheimer’s disease is treated—and a reminder of just how active the research pipeline has become.

Source: Cummings et al., Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Translational Research & Clinical Interventions

08/17/2026

While there is no cure for dementia, up to 45% of the risks can be attributed to modifiable risk factors such as to***co, alcohol use, social isolation, physical inactivity, air pollution and noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), including high blood pressure and diabetes.

The World Health Organization (WHO) today released updated guidelines on reducing the risk of cognitive decline and dementia, providing countries with evidence-based recommendations to help prevent or delay the onset of dementia across the life course.