Research

Chad Farris, MD, PhD, Shares Findings About Women and Alzheimer’s Disease at AAIC Conference

Chad W. Farris, MD, PhD, assistant professor of radiology, presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) in Toronto, Canada. Farris shared a number of findings including:

Women who experience traumatic brain injury (TBI) — a well-known risk factor for dementia — are more likely to experience shrinkage in areas of the brain that are associated with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias than men with TBI, according to an analysis of data from the Framingham Heart Study.

• The brain regions that shrink in women with TBI are some of the same ones that shrink in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.
• The Alzheimer’s Association says these findings advance our understanding of how TBI increases the risk for dementia, especially among women.

“Chemobrain” — a term for the thinking and memory problems that about one-third of women experience after chemotherapy for breast cancer — may be linked to inflammation and shrinkage in parts of the brain. A new study reported for the first time at AAIC 2025 shows that these physical brain changes mirror the symptoms women report, including memory lapses, trouble focusing, and difficulty finding words.

• Women who had chemotherapy had reduced brain volume compared to those who did not. The shrinkage occurred in regions involved in memory, attention and language, which also are affected in Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia.
• The Alzheimer’s Association says this pilot study adds to the growing evidence that chemotherapy may have long-term effects on brain health, potentially increasing the risk of neurodegenerative conditions.
• More research is needed to understand the mechanism and identify strategies to prevent these side effects while patients receive this lifesaving treatment.