As per King’s College london’s World Alzheimer Report 2015, there are more than 9.9 million new cases of dementia each year worldwide, implying one new case every 3.2 seconds. Alzheimer Disease (AD) is a neuro-degenerative condition that gradually destroys memory and thinking ability and, eventually, the ability to carry out the simplest tasks.
Symptoms: They first appear in individuals above 60 years of age, with AD being the most common cause of dementia. It often leads to behavioural symptoms, inability to combine muscle movements, jumbled speech, or loss of appetite. Individuals may face challenges in solving problems or planning even familiar tasks. Affected individuals may also develop confusion with time or location while few others may have poor judgement of things and frequent change in moods. If these are occasional problems then it could be age related changes.
Behavioural changes like aggression, agitation, difficulty with self-care, irritability, meaningless repetition of words, personality changes, restlessness, lack of restraint, or wandering away randomly and not being able to find way back are often seen. This is because the brains cell connections and the cells themselves degenerate and die, eventually destroying memory and other important mental functions.
Diagnosis: Early stages are almost unrecognisable. A single test can’t determine dementia. One can diagnose it at an early stage looking at the medical history of an individual, physical examination, day to day behavior and changes. In the beginning, the patient may forget words and misplaces objects.
The early stages do not interfere with ability to work or live independently. In later severe stages, the patient loses memory to the extent that he can’t remember even basic abilities like eating, walking, sitting etc. An earlier diagnosis helps. Along with this, MRI or CT scan is also conducted to determine Alzheimer’s.
Treatment: At present, there is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease. Management only includes supportive care and medications. Cellular therapy, (with the help of cells taken from one's own body) is making innovations and attempting newer heights in the field of science and making possible treatments for conditions that was difficult to treat earlier.
Damaged nerves were earlier considered to be difficult to treat, but regeneration of these nerves is possible with cellular therapy. As stem cells exist in the brain, it helps repair neurological damage. With the help of a personalised holistic treatment plan encompassing cellular therapy, memory tasks to boost mental health as well as physical exercises and diet modifications treatment is offered.
What to eat: It is advisable to have leafy vegetables, beans and legumes, whole grains, berries, dry fruits, nuts and foods rich in omega 3 acids. These foods help improve cognition, reduce depression, help with general body function and protect the brain from further damage. Spices like cinnamon, sage, turmeric and cumin help break-up brain plaque and reduce inflammation of the brain which can cause memory issues.
Activities to do: Organise items, play music, work on brain stimulating items like puzzles. Indulge in small household work or watch videos and read together.
With the progress of Alzheimer’s the interest in regular activities may decline so it’s important to make these activities enjoyable for them.
The Writer is Dr Pradeep Mahajan Regenerative Medicine Researcher,Chairman & MD StemRx Bioscience Solutions, Mumbai