Dates: April 18-22, 2026
Location: McCormick Place, Chicago, Illinois, USA
Organizer: American Academy of Neurology
Track: Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias
The Alzheimer's disease sessions at AAN 2026 will cover the latest advances in diagnosis, treatment, and research for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. As the premier neurology meeting in North America, AAN provides a critical platform for translating laboratory discoveries into clinical practice.
This year's Alzheimer's track will build on the momentum of recent therapeutic breakthroughs in anti-amyloid and anti-tau immunotherapies, while addressing remaining challenges in biomarker implementation, diversity in clinical trials, and comprehensive care.
¶ Diagnosis and Biomarkers
The clinical implementation of blood-based biomarkers is accelerating:
- p-tau217: High diagnostic accuracy for Alzheimer's pathology, FDA-cleared assays emerging
- p-tau181: Utility in primary care and specialty settings
- Neurofilament light chain (NfL): Disease progression and treatment response marker
- Combination panels: Multi-analyte tests for enhanced accuracy
- Amyloid PET: Standardization and clinical utility
- Tau PET: Correlation with clinical outcomes and treatment response
- Neurodegeneration markers: FDG-PET, structural MRI
- NIA-AA revised criteria implementation
- ATN framework in clinical practice
- Early detection in preclinical stages
- Lecanemab (Leqembi): CLARITY-AD 3-year data, real-world effectiveness
- Donanemab (Kisunla): TRAILBLAZER-ALZ 2 long-term follow-up
- Next-generation antibodies: Different binding profiles, improved efficacy
- Anti-tau therapies in clinical trials
- Synaptic protection strategies
- Neuroinflammation modulation
- Combination therapy approaches
- Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors: Optimizing use
- NMDA receptor antagonists: Memantine combinations
- Novel targets: Sigma-1 receptor agonists, 5-HT6 antagonists
- Individualized treatment approaches
- Quality of life optimization
- Non-pharmacological interventions
¶ Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms
- Agitation and psychosis management
- Sleep disturbances
- Depression and anxiety
- Caregiver education programs
- Respite care resources
- Financial and legal planning
- Representation in clinical trials
- Access to novel therapies
- Cultural considerations in care
- Amyloid and tau mechanisms
- Synaptic dysfunction
- Neuroinflammation pathways
- Cellular senescence
- Risk gene characterization
- Polygenic risk scores
- Family-based studies
- Lifestyle interventions
- Modifiable risk factor targeting
- Primary prevention trials
The field is moving toward combination approaches that address multiple pathological targets simultaneously:
- Anti-amyloid + anti-inflammatory: Exploring synergy between amyloid clearance and neuroinflammation modulation
- Symptomatic + disease-modifying: Combining cholinesterase inhibitors with antibodies
- Precision medicine combinations: Tailoring combinations based on biomarker profiles
Digital biomarkers and remote monitoring are increasingly integrated into AD clinical practice:
- Wearable sensors: Tracking motor function and activity patterns
- Smartphone apps: Monitoring cognitive performance through frequent brief assessments
- Remote cognitive testing: Enabling at-home longitudinal monitoring
- AI-driven analysis: Detecting subtle changes before clinical symptoms emerge
AAN 2026 will address critical disparities in Alzheimer's diagnosis and treatment:
- Underrepresentation of diverse populations in clinical trials
- Barriers to biomarker access in underserved communities
- Cultural competency in dementia care across different populations
- Health system infrastructure needed to deliver new therapies equitably
¶ Regulatory and Policy Updates
- CMS reimbursement decisions for anti-amyloid therapies
- FDA perspectives on biomarker-based endpoints
- Accelerated approval pathway considerations
- Post-approval monitoring requirements for ARIA
- Alzheimer's disease therapeutics: The path forward
- Biomarker-driven diagnosis: Ready for prime time?
- Diversity in Alzheimer's research
- Anti-amyloid therapy: Lessons learned
- Tau targeting: Where are we now?
- Blood biomarkers: Clinical implementation
- Neuroinflammation: Therapeutic opportunities
- PET interpretation workshop
- Biomarker result communication
- Clinical trial design
- AAIC 2026 — Alzheimer's Association International Conference
- CTAD 2026 — Clinical Trials on Alzheimer's Disease
- AD/PD 2026 — Alzheimer's Disease/Parkinson's Disease