Alzheimer’s disease affects approximately 600,000 people in Italy, according to figures discussed during the Tempo della Salute event covered by Corriere della sera.
The event brought together medical experts and public figures to examine how early signs of cognitive decline emerge years before a formal diagnosis. Researchers emphasize that distinguishing between normal age-related memory lapses and pathological decline remains critical for patients and their families.
“The first distinction that must be made is between physiological aging of our brain, what we call aging, and pathological aging that then leads to dementia,” said Maria Salsone, associate professor of Neurology at Vita-Salute San Raffaele University and head of the Neurology Unit and Stroke Unit at Policlinico San Donato, told Corriere della Sera.
Brain changes linked to Alzheimer’s often begin two decades before symptoms become apparent. Specialists point to subjective memory complaints as an early indicator that warrants clinical evaluation.
Data indicates that about 70 percent of dementia cases, particularly Alzheimer’s, occur in women. When individuals over 60 experience persistent difficulties with attention, recent memory, or complex daily tasks, clinicians investigate whether these signs point toward neurodegeneration or other factors such as sleep disturbances, depression, or medication side effects.
“When a person feels that something is changing—they are changing, or the person close to them is changing—the first step is to contact a doctor, a specialist, before starting with diagnoses made, for example, online,” said Alessandra Mocali, president of the Italian Alzheimer’s Research Association (Airalzh), told Corriere della Sera.
Lino Banfi, an actor and ambassador for Airalzh ETS who cared for his wife Lucia until her passing in 2023, shared his experience with the audience at Palazzo Giureconsulti.
“My advice: whoever you are and whatever job you do, become an actor for a moment and act. You can’t keep saying no, but you’ve asked me this 50 times, that’s enough,” Banfi told Corriere della Sera.
To raise awareness, Banfi stars alongside Lucia Zotti in the short film I’ll remember it for you, written and directed by singer-songwriter Michele Bravi. The project depicts the endurance of love amid memory loss to support scientific research and combat social stigma.
Therapeutic options have evolved with the advent of monoclonal antibodies such as lecanemab and donanemab, which target beta-amyloid protein to slow cognitive and functional decline in selected patients during early stages.
In July 2026, two patients aged 63 and 67 began treatment with donanemab under compassionate use protocols at Policlinico San Donato.
“We are thrilled to be able to offer the two youngest patients treated at our Center a new therapeutic opportunity, potentially capable of slowing the progression of the disease,” Salsone told Corriere della Sera.
Alongside pharmacological treatments, non-pharmacological interventions like cognitive stimulation and community inclusion programs help preserve patient autonomy and reduce caregiver isolation.