Research and Progress
San Antonio Report: His dementia went undiagnosed for over a decade. A new study explains why that’s so common.
August 19, 2026
After experiencing personality changes, memory loss, and other symptoms for more than a decade, Coast Guard veteran George Becerra was finally diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) at UT Health San Antonio in 2024. FTD is less understood compared to more common forms of dementia like Alzheimer’s Disease, according to A. Campbell Sullivan, PsyD, ABPP-CN, a […]
Dementia affecting younger persons strikes Hispanics more than previously thought, UT Health San Antonio-led study shows
July 27, 2026
A new study led by researchers at UT Health San Antonio, the academic health center of The University of Texas at San Antonio suggests that frontotemporal dementia (FTD)—a form of dementia that often affects people under 65—may be more common in Hispanic communities than previously recognized. Researchers found that Hispanic patients were often diagnosed later […]
UT Health San Antonio study links sleeping long hours with higher levels of an Alzheimer’s-related protein
July 16, 2026
Is Sleeping Too Much a Sign of Brain Changes? New research from UT Health San Antonio suggests that regularly sleeping 8.5 to 10+ hours per night may be linked to higher levels of p-tau181, a blood biomarker associated with Alzheimer’s disease. “A lot of people worry about whether their sleep habits are affecting their brain […]
Microbial signatures in gut, mouth linked to cognitive impairment in older adults
June 4, 2026
Did you know that the bacteria in your body—especially in your gut and mouth—may play a role in brain health? Researchers at UT Health San Antonio recently studied older adults and found differences in these “microbiomes” between those with and without memory or thinking changes. “This was our first microbiome study at the Biggs Institute, […]
Having more kids associated with reduced risk of stroke and brain damage, research co-led by UT Health San Antonio shows
April 29, 2026
A new study co-led by UT Health San Antonio researchers suggests that women who have had three or more live births may have a lower risk of stroke and vascular brain injury later in life. Published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, the findings highlight the importance of reproductive history as a potential […]
Research grant to explore how brain Immune cells may influence Alzheimer’s progression
February 20, 2026
The Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases at UT Health San Antonio has received a two‑year, $402,500 grant from the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund to support new research into how Alzheimer’s disease spreads in the brain. The study is led by Sarah C. Hopp, PhD, an associate professor of pharmacology whose lab focuses on […]
Texas Public Radio: Diagnosing CTE before death
December 4, 2024
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy is a rare neurodegenerative disease that develops in people who have many years of hits to the head. We often hear about CTE in former football players, but it can also occur in rodeo riders, soldiers, or someone who has experienced years of intimate partner violence. According to Jeremy Tanner, MD, assistant […]
UT Health San Antonio finds higher levels of leptin indicate brain protection against late-life dementia
September 23, 2024
New research is more closely linking obesity to dementia. Higher levels of leptin, a hormone that helps maintain normal body weight, is associated with better signal-transmitting brain white matter in middle-aged adults, according to a study by The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio). “The findings support the […]
UT Health San Antonio finds genetic risk-factor overlap between Alzheimer’s disease, and all-cause and vascular dementias
September 23, 2024
Researchers achieve largest-ever genome-wide association study of its kind In landmark research, scientists at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio) have reported the largest-ever genome-wide association study of dementia from all causes, revealing an overlap of genetic risks including neurodegeneration, vascular factors and cerebral small-vessel disease. Genome-wide […]
KRGV-TV: Medical Breakthroughs: New device helping patients diagnosed with dystonia
September 3, 2024
Okeanis Vaou, MD, associate professor and chief of the movement disorders division in the Department of Neurology, Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, is featured in this KRGV-TV report about the university’s doctors implanting the first rechargeable, sensing deep brain stimulation […]