AAIC is the largest international forum to advance dementia science and clinical practice. It is the destination where the global dementia community gathers to share breakthroughs, accelerate progress and shape the future of the field. Highlight your work in front of dementia researchers from around the globe and bring key opinion leaders together to impact the future of the field. Opportunities to present in person and online are available.
Read Full Submission Guidelines
On This Page:
- Submit an Abstract to AAIC
- Submit Your Art or Reflections to Beyond the Data
- Submit a Session Proposal to AAIC
- Submit an Abstract to a Preconference
- Themes, Topics and Subtopics
Submit an Abstract to AAIC
Individual abstract submissions provide an opportunity for presenting authors to share and discuss designs, data and analyses with AAIC attendees. The following abstract types are eligible for submission to AAIC:
- Original: The abstract primarily contains new designs, data or analyses that will not be published or presented prior to AAIC 2026.
- Update: The abstract provides updates on designs, data or analyses that have been published or presented prior to AAIC 2026.
- Encore: The abstract will be published verbatim prior to AAIC 2026. Please note, encore abstracts will not be published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia®: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association.
“Published” refers to publication in a journal as a full article or conference abstract, or publication on a preprint server, while “Presented” refers to presentation at a regional, national or international conference. If your abstract is currently under review, please select the category your abstract meets at the time of submission then email abstracts@alz.org to change category upon publication.
Individual abstracts can be submitted for consideration for an oral and/or a poster presentation, with original, update, and encore abstracts all eligible for oral or poster presentations. Abstracts first undergo peer review that considers the quality of and interest in the abstract. Then, informed by the peer review scores, the Scientific Program Committee (SPC) selects certain abstracts for oral presentations.
The presenting author of an abstract may attend either in-person or virtually for either oral or poster presentations.
Submit Your Art or Reflections to Beyond the Data
Beyond the Data celebrates the people and experiences behind Alzheimer’s and dementia research. Through visual art, writing and personal or professional reflection, this initiative highlights the human connections that inspire scientific discovery, offering a more holistic view of science as a deeply human endeavor.
Work submitted for Beyond the Data should be original/unpublished and prepared by the presenting author. Images can include research figures (e.g. neuroimaging analysis, immunohistochemistry, brain autoradiography, electron microscopy), illustrations and photography. All submissions will undergo review, and accepted work will be displayed as part of the poster presentations at AAIC 2026.
Three visual art submissions will be shortlisted and invited for the Beyond the Data: Art Competition, which takes place at the ISTAART Reception. Attendees will vote for the best image. The winner of the Beyond the Data: Art Competition wins a conference fellowship for the upcoming AAIC and may have their image featured on the cover of one of the Alzheimer’s & Dementia® journals.
Pictured: "The Timeless Connection" by Lavinia Perquim
Submit a Session Proposal to AAIC
You can also organize and submit a session proposal and help shape the program at AAIC.
Featured Research Sessions (FRS) debut and discuss innovative and impactful research findings, drawing together multiple studies that share a common focus.
- FRS are 90 minutes in length and comprise 2 chairs and 4-6 presenters, with each presenter submitting a structured abstract. Original, update and encore abstracts are all eligible for inclusion.
- The chairs of featured research sessions are akin to journal editors for a special issue, who invite presenting authors to share their latest study findings.
- If an FRS is not accepted, abstracts that receive an appropriate average score are automatically considered by the Scientific Program Committee for an oral or poster presentation. There is no need to submit an abstract twice.
Perspectives Sessions provide both an expert review of recent advances and propose a road-map for the future, incorporating multiple viewpoints to stimulate original discussion and debate. Perspectives Sessions should interest and engage the core audience of the field being discussed, and also offer an entryway for attendees from other fields. Perspectives Sessions can be invited by the Scientific Program Committee or submitted as an entire session.
- Perspectives Sessions are 90 minutes in length and comprise 2 chairs and 4-6 presenters, with each presenter submitting an unstructured abstract that may or may not contain new findings, data or analyses.
- The chairs of perspectives sessions are akin to senior authors of a review paper, who invite presenting authors to prepare individual sections of the review.
- If a Perspectives Session is not accepted, abstracts are automatically considered by the SPC for an oral or poster presentation. There is no need to submit an abstract twice.
Clinical Toolbox Educational Sessions are designed to enhance clinical knowledge, foster collaboration across disciplines and ensure that participants are informed of the latest advancements and best practices within their field. This initiative seeks to provide a holistic view of patient care, incorporating expertise across a range of clinical specialties including geriatricians, neurologists, neuropsychologists, nurses, primary care physicians and psychiatrists.
- Clinical Toolbox Sessions are 90 minutes in length and comprise 2 chairs and 4-6 presenters, with each presenter submitting an unstructured abstract.
- The scope is to provide education to clinicians on current practice, rather than insights into the latest research finding.
- If a Clinical Toolbox Session is not accepted, abstracts are automatically considered by the SPC for an oral or poster presentation. There is no need to submit an abstract twice.
For all sessions, each chair and presenter may attend either in-person or virtually, with any combination of in-person and virtual attendance permitted. Unless the topic demands otherwise, the session should be diverse in terms of the demographics of presenters.
Submit an Abstract to a Preconference
Abstracts submitted to AAIC can also be submitted to the Alzheimer’s Imaging Consortium (AIC) or the Technology and Dementia preconferences as part of the submission process. Please note, the AIC and the Technology and Dementia preconferences take place in-person only and require an additional registration fee to AAIC.
Please submit the abstract to AAIC, and select the appropriate answer to the question "Should this abstract also be submitted to a pre-conference?" in the “Abstract Type” section of the submission process. The abstract will be considered for both AAIC and the selected preconference.
Themes, Topics and Subtopics
Selection of a theme, topic and subtopic for the abstract allows submitters to "self-identify" the area in which the abstract best fits. This identification is the first step in sorting abstracts for the Scientific Program Committee, who will take this identification into consideration and group related abstracts with similar topics into the same session. Selection of a primary theme, topic and subtopic is required.
You may also submit a case study to share your findings with the dementia research and clinical care community. Case studies present findings on a single individual and provide scientific considerations based on the case for the audience. They may describe a rare or unique clinical presentation, novel empirically-based course of treatment or treatment response, or instance when the outcome of a case did or did not fit with the current research literature.
Accepted themes:
- Basic Science and Pathogenesis
- Biomarkers
- Clinical Manifestations
- Dementia Care and Psychosocial Factors
- Drug Development
- Public Health
Theme: Basic Science and Pathogenesis
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Topic: Genetics
- Endophenotypes
- Epigenetics
- Genetic factors of Alzheimer’s disease
- Genetic factors of non-Alzheimer’s disease
- Genetics of cognitive aging
- Genetics of systems biology
- Transcriptomics
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Topic: Human Neuropathology
Your work must include data derived from postmortem human tissue, alone or in combination with other datasets, to meet criteria for human neuropathology.
- AI and digital pathology
- Alpha-synuclein
- Amyloid
- Case study
- Clinico-pathologic correlations
- Etiopathogenesis — links to brain disease
- Imaging-pathologic correlations
- Mixed pathology / comorbidities
- Novel methods
- Proteinopathies
- Selective vulnerability
- Tau
- Topography of pathology
- Vascular
- Other
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Topic: Molecular and Cell Biology
- α-synuclein
- APP/Abeta/Amyloid
- Case study
- Cell cycle disruption
- Endosomal-lysosomal dysfunction
- Innate immunity
- Lipids
- Metabolic stress
- Mitochondrial function / energetics
- Neurodegeneration and neuroprotection
- Neuroinflammation
- Non-coding RNA
- Oxidative stress
- Presenilins
- Prion-like
- Protein-protein interactions
- Proteostasis
- Receptors / signal transduction
- Synaptic disruption
- Adaptive immunity
- Tau
- TDP-43
- Therapeutics
- Vascular factors
- Others
Theme: Biomarkers
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Topic: Biomarkers (non-neuroimaging)
- Case study
- Clinical trials
- Differential diagnosis
- Digital health technologies / digital biomarkers
- Fluid biomarkers
- Human neuropathology
- Longitudinal
- Method development and/or quality control
- Mixed-pathology
- Multi-modal comparisons
- Novel biomarkers
- Preclinical animal models
- Prognostic utility
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Topic: Neuroimaging
- Case study
- Clinical trials
- Differential diagnosis
- Disease progression measures
- Early detection measures
- Evaluating treatments
- Imaging and genetics
- Longitudinal brain aging
- Multi-modal comparisons
- Novel imaging methods
- Preclinical animal models
Theme: Clinical Manifestations
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Topic: Neuropsychiatry and Behavioral Neurology
- Artificial intelligence / machine learning
- Assessment and management of neurodegenerative disease
- Behavioral interventions and clinical trials
- Case study
- Diagnosis and staging — symptomatic (mild cognitive impairment and dementia)
- Diagnosis and staging — preclinical / asymptomatic / subjective cognitive impairment
- Disease targeting interventions and clinical trials
- Geriatrics / allied health
- Longitudinal brain aging
- Neuropsychiatric interventions and clinical trials
- Real-world data / real-world evidence
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Topic: Neuropsychology
- Assessments for diagnosis
- Assessments for early detection
- Case study
- Computerized / digital neuropsychological assessments
- Longitudinal brain aging
- Measurements of cognition and function
- Multicultural considerations in neuropsychological assessment
- Neuropsychological and biomarker correlations
- Neuropsychological profiles of neurodegenerative disease
Theme: Dementia Care and Psychosocial Factors
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Dementia Care and Health Services Research
- Care planning, care pathways, care coordination and transitions of care settings
- Comprehensive and integrated care models
- Digital and mobile health (e.g., telemedicine, virtual care, remote monitoring)
- Disease detection and diagnosis
- Emergency, urgent and hospital-based care
- End-of-life care (e.g., hospice care)
- Health and healthcare disparities
- Health economics and outcomes research (HEOR) (e.g., cost-benefit analysis, cost-effectiveness)
- Healthcare access, delivery and quality
- Healthcare information and technology (e.g., real-world data, health information exchange, AI in healthcare, patient registry)
- Healthcare policy and financing (e.g., insurance coverage, payment models)
- Healthcare utilization and costs
- Home and community-based services (HCBS)
- Implementation science and healthcare innovation
- Innovative methods in health services research
- Long-term care and direct care (e.g., environmental design, technology)
- Person-centered, partnered or led research
- Prevention and risk reduction strategies
- Therapeutic strategies and interventions (e.g., pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments)
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Topic: Dementia Care Practice
- Innovative programs and practices
- Person-centered care strategies and initiatives
- Supportive and therapeutic environments
- Workforce initiatives
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Topic: Psychosocial and Behavioral Factors
- Family relationships, social networks and social support
- Family/informal caregiving
- Instrument development, program evaluation and translation
- Living with dementia, quality of life and wellbeing
- Underrepresented populations and cross-cultural studies (including cultural and linguistic adaptations)
Theme: Drug Development
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Topic: Human
- Amyloid-targeting therapeutics
- Cognitive enhancing therapeutics
- Disease targeting therapeutics
- Genetic therapeutics
- Inflammation-targeting therapeutics
- Neuropsychiatric / behavioral symptom therapeutics
- Nutraceutical and non-pharmacological interventions
- Novel outcomes measures
- Other therapeutics
- Prevention
- Real-world data / real-world evidence
- Tau-targeting therapeutics
- Trial design
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Topic: Nonhuman
- Lead optimization studies
- Natural products and nutraceuticals
- Nonpharmacological interventions
- Novel biomarker and screening strategies
- Target identification and validation studies: Cognitive enhancing therapeutics
- Target identification and validation studies: Disease targeting therapeutics
- Target identification and validation studies: Neuropsychiatric / behavioral symptom therapeutics
- Target identification and validation studies: Other
Theme: Public Health
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Topic: Epidemiology
- Innovative methods in epidemiology (i.e. assessment methods, design, recruitment strategies, statistical methods, etc.)
- Prevalence, incidence and clinical outcomes of MCI and dementia
- Risk, reserve and resilience
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Topic: Population Health Prevention Strategies
- Caregivers' health
- Early detection and diagnosis
- Implementation science in public health
- Risk reduction
- Safety and quality care
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