The Hidden Brain Source Possibly Fueling Dementia

You describe dementia as a cruel disease because it quietly changes memories, moods, and relationships, from forgetting dates to snapping at loved ones and not remembering their names.

Memory Loss, Mood Swings, and Everyday Life

In my opinion, dementia is one of the most cruel diseases out there. From simply forgetting about days on a calendar and misplacing items to worst of all: mood swings that make people angrily snap at their loved ones at a random time as well as forgetting their names of family members and friends.

While most people with dementia use medications prescribed by their doctors or go on a different diet or increase their social interaction, scientists have recently done more research on dementia and after doing some tests on their antioxidants, they have found a source in the brain on what can be what fuels dementia.

The way dementia can lead to memory loss, confusion, and mood changes, including snapping at loved ones or forgetting names, fits with how dementia symptoms are described by medical sources such as Harvard Health.

If you want to reconnect with the idea that small, everyday kindness still matters even when life feels heavy, you might like The Power Of Kindness: How It Can Truly Change Your Life.

The Hidden Brain Source That May Fuel Dementia

You then focus on new research from Weill Cornell Medicine that looks at how mitochondria, free radicals, and targeted compounds might uncover a hidden brain source that fuels dementia.

Free Radicals, Mitochondria, and S3QEL Compounds

When researching, the scientists at Weill Cornell Medicine focused on the mitochondria which is what converts food into usable energy. During that process, the mitochondria releases reactive oxygen species (ROS) which are molecules more known as free radicals. At normal levels, these molecules help regulate essential cell functions, but the scientists discovered that excessive or poorly timed production can damage the cells.

Dr. Adam Orr developed a drug discovery platform designed to find molecules that specifically suppress the ROS molecules at individual mitochondrial sites while leaving normal functions intact. Through this approach, the team identified a group of compounds called S3QELs (“sequels”), which showed potential to block harmful ROS activity.

Because of this connection, scientists have long tested antioxidants as a potential way to neutralize ROS and slow neurodegeneration. However, these clinical trials have largely failed. “That lack of success might be related to the inability of antioxidants to block ROS at their source and do so selectively without altering cell metabolism,” Dr. Adam Orr explained.

As a postdoctoral researcher, he developed a drug discovery platform designed to find molecules that specifically suppress ROS at individual mitochondrial sites while leaving normal functions intact. Through this approach, the team identified a group of compounds called S3QELs (“sequels”), which showed potential to block harmful ROS activity.

Treatment with S3QELs suppressed much of this rise, while blocking other ROS sources did not have the same effect. The researchers then focused on Complex III, a mitochondrial site known for producing ROS that can leak into the rest of the cell, potentially causing damage.

To their surprise, the excess ROS did not originate from neurons, but from non-neuronal cells that provide structural and metabolic support to the neurons. While working on the experiments, the study’s lead author named Daniel Barnett said, “When we added S3QELs, we found significant neuronal protection but only in the presence of astrocytes,” said Daniel Barnett, a graduate student in the Orr lab and the study’s lead author. “This suggested that ROS coming from Complex III caused at least some of the neuronal pathology. It also shows that

The Weill Cornell team’s work on free radicals, astrocytes, and S3QEL compounds is summarized in a news release featured on ScienceDaily, which describes how targeting ROS at their source may protect neurons.

Staying Hopeful and Supporting People With Dementia

After explaining the science, you come back to hope, kindness, and the importance of staying present and loving toward people in your life who are living with dementia.

Hope, Kindness, and Caring for Loved Ones

While the cure for dementia may not be found immediately, it is great to know that there is progress in the works. It’s also nice to see that there’s more people looking into dementia and learning more about it so that they can help their friends or family members that have it.

It shows that while there are cruel people out there, it’s also clear that there’s still kind and caring people in the world. It may take a while, I can’t wait to see when the cure for dementia will come and I know several families will be beyond grateful.

To conclude, I want people to stay hopeful and help those they love with dementia. While dementia may make people forget certain things, they’ll never forget kindness and love when they see it.

Family members and friends who care for loved ones with dementia can also find practical guidance and emotional support through resources collected by the American Psychological Association.

For stories that celebrate gentleness, compassion, and showing up for each other in hard seasons, you can explore the self-kindness collection on DivsFeed.

Works Cited

Here are the sources you cited about dementia research and ways people are trying to treat or better understand the disease.

Sources

Medicine, Weill Cornell. “Scientists find hidden brain source that fuels dementia.”
ScienceDaily, 6 November 2025
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251106003155.htm

Tervort, Thomas J. “12 Ways to Treat Dementia at Home Naturally.”
Neural Effects, 6 October 2025
https://neuraleffects.com/blog/dementia-treatment-at-home-natural/

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