LATE Dementia: NY Times Article Summary
1/16/26
In a New York Times article originally published in November 2025, Pam Belluck, who covers brain health and neuroscience, explains a new and different type of dementia, LATE dementia. This blog post summarizes Belluck’s article.
What is LATE Dementia?
Late dementia (Limbic Predominant Age-Related TDP-43 Encephalopathy) is a recently identified form of dementia. LATE dementia is noted to affect the hippocampus, crucial in forming new long-term memories, spatial navigation, and learning. The hippocampus is described as helping convert recent experiences into lasting memories by linking them with emotions and sensory sensations). LATE dementia results in shrinkage of the hippocampus, often to a greater degree than occurs with Dementia of the Alzheimer’s Type. The clinical presentation of LATE dementia includes a decline in memory, and sometimes in word-finding. LATE dementia is present in about one third of people over age 85, and 10% of those over age 65.
How is LATE Dementia Diagnosed?
LATE dementia is diagnosed with brain imaging of the hippocampus, testing for Alzheimer’s pathology, and evaluating whether cognitive symptoms appear more consistent with LATE or with Alzheimer’s dementia (such as with a neuropsychological evaluation).
How is LATE Similar to and Different from Alzheimer’s Dementia?
Many people (estimated at 20%) who are diagnosed with Dementia of the Alzheimer’s Type are now felt to actually have LATE dementia, and not Dementia of the Alzheimer’s Type. How is LATE different from Dementia of the Alzheimer’s Type? On its own, LATE dementia progresses more slowly than Dementia of the Alzheimer’s Type, and is less severe. Alzheimer’s symptoms are broader than LATE symptoms, and include difficulty planning, organizing, performing tasks, and mood and behavior changes. LATE dementia typically emerges at an older age than does Dementia of the Alzheimer’s Type. Dementia of the Alzheimer’s Type is characterized by plaques formed by amyloid, and tangles formed by tau proteins in the brain. LATE involves accumulation of a different protein in the brain, TDP-43. How are LATE Dementia and Dementia of the Alzheimer’s Type similar? Both LATE dementia and Dementia of the Alzheimer’s Type are notable for difficulties with memory and language. In addition, a genetic variant (APO4) that increases the risk for Dementia of the Alzheimer’s Type and vascular conditions also increases the risk of developing LATE dementia.
What Happens when a Person has Both Alzheimer’s and LATE Dementia?
About half of 85 year olds with severe Dementia of the Alzheimer’s Type also have LATE. When these two types of dementia co-occur, the symptoms appear more severe than when the person has only one or the other type of dementia. In addition, when both LATE dementia and Dementia of the Alzheimer’s Type are present in an individual, cognitive decline appears to occur faster than it does with either type of dementia on its own.
How is LATE Dementia Treated?
As of yet, there is no treatment specifically for LATE dementia. A two-year clinical trial for treatment of LATE is now underway, with a drug used to treat angina called nicorandil. This drug increases the circulation in small blood vessels. It is hoped this treatment will prevent the hippocampus from shrinking, protecting the brain tissue.
Reference:
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/28/health/late-dementia-alzheimers.html?campaign_id=190&emc=edit_ufn_20251231&instance_id=168649&nl=from-the-times®i_id=93038334&segment_id=212950&user_id=6b1faa505f182fc9d9fd501a840640e8