Source - DNA - Dr V S Natarajan     What cannot be cured can be postponed Dementia is a serious disorder that requires close understanding of the issue. Delaying its onset can reduce its prevalence substantially says Dr V S Natarajan Dr Aloces Alzheimer from Germany first detected dementia in 1906. The exact cause is not yet known. For most people, the cause seems to be a combination of genes and environment. It has affected people like former US President Ronald Reagan and writer Enid Blyton. Issues Dementia, a group of disorders that impairs your mind, may develop at any age, but it is common among older people, especially women. However, it is not an inevitable part of ageing. Many people over 100 do not have dementia. In some types of dementia (such as Alzheimer's), the level of acetylcholine in the brain - the hormone that helps in memory, learning and concentration - is low. In India, about three per cent of the population suffers from dementia. Symptoms will start appearing gradually. They include:  Confusion and memory loss  Disorientation - getting lost in familiar surroundings  Problems in performing routine tasks  Changes in personality and judgment  Anxiety, suspicion, agitation  Sleep disturbances, wandering, pacing  Difficulty recognising family and friends  Loss of appetite; weight loss  Loss of bladder and bowel control  Total dependence on caregiver Recommendations The following measures can help improve one's memory: physical exercise, gardening, meditation, and a high protein diet. Above all, avoid loneliness. In the early stages, it is difficult to differentiate between memory loss due to ageing and that due to dementia. The doctor needs to study the history of the patient as well as his relatives, before he can diagnose dementia. Detailed clinical examination and blood test should follow, so that one can rule out treatable dementia, which could be caused by thyroid deficiency, uncontrolled systolic blood pressure, excessive alcohol intake, brain tumour, or vitamin deficiency. Minimental State Examination test will help in assessing the mental function. In certain cases, an MRI brain scan is needed to strengthen the diagnosis. About 15 to 20 per cent of dementia is treatable. When there is high homocysteine level in the blood, the chance for memory loss is more. This can be treated by taking Vitamin B6, folic acid, Ginkgo biloba and Methcobalamine, all of which can help improve memory. Though there are no specific drugs to cure dementia, some, like Donepezil, Rivastigmine, Galantamine, if started on early, can minimise its progression. General measures to improve the mental faculty should also be tried. Use memory cues - verbal, visual and auditory - to help the person stay on track during conversations or day-to-day tasks. For example, place clothes prominently, in the order in which they should be put on, or guide the person during dressing. Write notes to the person to remind him/ her about routine tasks, with clear directions on how to perform them. Delaying the onset of dementia by two years would significantly reduce its overall prevalence; delaying it by five years would cut that prevalence in half and delaying it by 10 years would eliminate the most symptomatic factors in later life. It is important to always stay engaged with the outside world, and avoid social isolation, as it would exercise the brain, keeping it active. Voices "Taking care of seniors with dementia is like handling children. They're innocent and lovable, but at the same time, they can drive you nuts with their stubborn nature." - Pratibha Kamble, care-giver "I retired 45 years ago and I've published nine volumes of poetry. Though I live with my family, I come to this day-care centre to escape boredom and loneliness. Now nothing matters to me." - PR Magnani, 95 (in the early stages of dementia) Dr VS Natarajan, Geriatrician & Chairman, Senior Citizens' Bureau, is the author of Goodbye To Dementia, published in Tamil.n Return to innocence: Dementia, a group of disorders that impairs your mind, may develop at any age, but it is common among older people, especially women - Getty Images patient         Publication:DNA; Section: grandeur; pg:14;Date:5/8/06      URL : http://digital.dnaindia.com/epapermain.aspx?edorsup=Main&queryed=9&querypage=14&boxid=30770430&parentid=21970&eddate=08/05/2006