Over the years I have been regularly approached by people with dementia, their carers or people affiliated with them, to know how they can get involved in research. It highlights that many people are keen to help research but do not know how to get involved and make this happen. Time to change that. In … Continue reading How to get involved in research
My recent entry on the scientific evidence behind reminiscence therapy has generated interesting comments and feedback. In a way, this should have not been a surprise, since the science behind reminiscence therapy is – so far- pretty weak, despite it being so commonly used. Two points raised by some of my Twitter followers, in particular, … Continue reading The individual vs the science
Reminiscence therapy has become increasingly popular in dementia over the last two decades. Many care homes or dementia groups offer reminiscence therapy as part of their activities and ‘non-pharmacological’ treatments. Despite the wide use of this form of therapy, the actual benefit for people with dementia is not as clear as one would think. So, … Continue reading Reminiscence therapy in dementia
A blood test for Alzheimer’s disease has been the ‘holy grail’ for dementia diagnostics for many years, if not decades. Not only would a simple blood test confirm a diagnosis much quicker but it would also allow better and earlier treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. However, only recently these blood tests coming into reality. Why did … Continue reading Blood tests for Alzheimer’s disease – Are they becoming a reality?
Brain imaging, also called neuroimaging, encompasses a range of different techniques which can be used for dementia diagnostics. Some of the neuroimaging techniques have been around for many years, while others are cutting-edge. But how can the different neuroimaging techniques support a diagnosis of dementia and what are the changes seen in dementia on brain … Continue reading How does brain imaging help with dementia diagnostics?
Changes in sleep patterns are very common in dementia. Once the disease advances these changes can develop into more severe sleep disturbances, with people having either problem falling asleep, waking up multiple times in the night or having increased daytime sleepiness. Sleep medication is often prescribed by clinicians in those cases, however, recent evidence suggests … Continue reading Sleep medication in dementia and its hidden risks
One of the most common question I get asked when giving public talks is: “What is the difference between dementia and Alzheimer’s disease?” So, let’s get this question out of the way first. Alzheimer’s disease is one type of dementia. More precisely Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, accounting for ~60-70% of … Continue reading How many types of dementia are there?
The current post originated from two questions by my Twitter follower @juliagapowell: What is the evidence for mindfulness improving wellbeing of people living with dementia? What stage of dementia can be best supported by mindfulness? Great questions. Thank you. Non-pharmacological interventions, those that do not rely on medication, have become increasingly popular in dementia over … Continue reading What’s on your mind? – Mindfulness in dementia
The above question came from one of my Twitter followers (@muekekasimu). Thank you for the question! So, what brain aeas are affected by dementia? It is a deceptively simple question but fiendishly difficult to answer. The reason why it is so difficult to answer is that the brain areas affected by dementia differ for each … Continue reading Which brain areas are affected by dementia?
Animal therapy has become increasingly popular in dementia, as it shows positive effects in the behaviour, mood and quality of life in people with dementia. This has been recently extended to robotic animals which seemingly show similar positive effects in people with dementia. But what is the scientific evidence for the effectiveness of such animal … Continue reading Animals versus robots – Do robotic animals help as much as living animals in dementia therapy?
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