Dementia

Dementia isn't really a disease, it's a set of symptoms that can be caused by lots of different things. Can't remember where you put your keys? Well, if everything else seems to be working okay then you probably don't have dementia. Dementia is when you have two or more problems with the way your brain works and the list of symptoms is quite extensive. A person with dementia might have hallucinations, language problems, motor skill problems, or emotional and personality problems to name just a few.

Alzheimer's disease is the disease that comes into my mind when I hear the word dementia but vascular problems and stroke can cause it also, and there are several other diseases and disorders that can cause it. The scary thing about dementia is that it can't usually be cured and it gets worse over time.

What I want to know is, what can I do to prevent it from happening to me. There are some computer games and mind bending puzzles and things on the market for that and I was wondering if they were helpful or not. Here is what I've learned about Dementia prevention.

1. Since stroke and vascular problems cause some kinds of dementia, the kinds of things that prevent those problems are helpful. Quitting smoking, exercising, stress reduction, and eating healthier are good ideas.

2. For the above reasons, it makes sense that statin drugs would be a good idea for those at risk. This study seems to support that idea.

3. Ginkgo doesn't seem to help, according to this study.

4 While no one particular mind game seems to have been studied, it does seem that using your brain regularly reduces your risk for dementia.

Links:

Leisure activities and the risk of Dementia in the elderly.

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

A List of Symptoms

Word of The Day

Aphasia: A loss of language ability. This is usually caused by damage to the brain and can occur in some kinds of dementia. It may only be the loss of some words or it could be an inability to use them properly.