Poor dream recall associates with Alzheimer's disease biomarkers and dementia risk
Alzheimer s & Dementia Diagnosis Assessment & Disease Monitoring March 30, 2026 Darren M. Lipnicki, Meritxell Valenti, Elizabeth Lucia Valeriano‐Lorenzo et al.
Among cognitively normal older adults, higher blood levels of phosphorylated tau (p-tau) 217 and carrying the APOE ε4 gene variant are each linked to a lower likelihood of recalling dreams, regardless of memory test performance. Not recalling dreams at the start of the study is associated with faster cognitive decline and a greater risk of developing dementia over the next ten years. Poor dream recall in later life may serve as an early, easily assessed marker of neurodegeneration.