Light and sound therapy dimming Alzheimer’s decline; AI coach matches humans in diabetes prevention; stillbirths more common than previously thought – Morning Medical Update

Light and sound show promise for dimming Alzheimer’s decline

MIT researchers report that daily 40Hz light and sound stimulation — known as gamma entrainment using sensory stimuli (GENUS) — may slow cognitive decline and reduce biomarkers in patients with late-onset Alzheimer’s disease. In a small extension of an early clinical trial, five volunteers continued the therapy at home for about two years. The three women with late-onset Alzheimer’s maintained significantly higher cognitive scores than comparable patients in national databases and showed marked declines in phosphorylated tau levels, a key disease biomarker. The two men with early-onset Alzheimer’s did not show similar benefits. Published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia, the findings suggest the safe, noninvasive therapy may hold long-term benefits, though larger trials are needed to confirm its effects.

AI coach matches humans in diabetes prevention game

An AI-powered diabetes prevention app performed just as well as traditional, human-led programs in reducing diabetes risk among adults with prediabetes, according to Johns Hopkins researchers. In a phase III randomized trial of 368 participants published in JAMA, 31.7% of those using the AI-based program met CDC benchmarks for diabetes risk reduction — virtually identical to the 31.9% who did so in human-led programs. The AI group also showed higher initiation and completion rates, suggesting that flexibility and 24/7 access may boost engagement. Investigators say AI-driven prevention programs could help expand access to effective lifestyle interventions, especially for patients facing logistical barriers to in-person care.

Stillbirths more common than previously thought

New research from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Mass General Brigham finds that more than 1 in 150 U.S. births end in stillbirth. That rate is higher than previously reported by the CDC and that many occur without identifiable risk factors. Published in JAMA, the study of 2.7 million pregnancies found rates as high as 1 in 112 in low-income areas and 1 in 95 in communities with more Black families. More than 70% of stillbirths were linked to clinical risks like hypertension or diabetes, more than a quarter — and over 40% at 40 weeks or later — occurred in otherwise low-risk pregnancies.