Many people know that Alzheimer’s disease is caused by proteins ‘going wrong’ in the brain. One of those key proteins is amyloid. But how does amyloid ‘go wrong’? And how does this potentially cause Alzheimer’s disease? Let’s find out. ‘Proteins, glorious proteins’ Proteins are the building blocks of life. They have so many vital functions … Continue reading What is beta-amyloid?
Behavioural symptoms and dementia progression Behavioural symptoms are common in dementia and cause often the greatest distress to the person with dementia and their carers. There have been also suggestions that behavioural symptoms can lead to a faster dementia disease progression. What is the scientific evidence for that? And if so, which behavioural symptoms are … Continue reading Behavioural symptoms and dementia progression
Families and carers of people with dementia often report that the person with dementia seems to be increasingly ‘living in the past’. It seems a strange symptom, as people with dementia can often recall detailed events from long ago but have difficulties remembering what just happened a few days ago. How is this symptom caused … Continue reading ‘Living in the past’ memory symptom
Alzheimer’s disease vs. vascular dementia – Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia are the two most common forms of dementia. For some people, they can even overlap, resulting in mixed dementia. But what is the difference between the two? And how can you have both types of dementia at the same time? Let’s find out. Alzheimer’s … Continue reading Alzheimer’s disease vs vascular dementia
Menopause and dementia risk – Does menopause increase women’s risk for dementia? It might be a surprising question but there is increasing evidence that the hormonal changes during menopause can have a significant impact on our cognitive health and future dementia risk. Continue reading Menopause and dementia risk
What is brain shrinkage/’atrophy’ in dementia When receiving a diagnosis of dementia, many people hear for the first time the term brain ‘atrophy’. The term is usually given by the clinician providing the diagnosis when discussing their brain scan. For example, “you have mild atrophy in your brain, suggesting that you might have the early … Continue reading What is brain shrinkage/’atrophy’ in dementia?
We often think that cognitive changes, such as loss of memory in Alzheimer’s disease, are the earliest changes in dementia. But is that the case? In fact, there is a whole cascade of other disease processes occurring in the brain before memory symptoms emerge, which has implications for how we will diagnose and treat dementia … Continue reading Are memory symptoms the start of Alzheimer’s disease?
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?
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?
A healthy lifestyle has been shown to be good for our brain health and can reduce our risk of dementia. A key component of a healthy lifestyle is a healthy diet, with scientific evidence showing that the healthier our diet the lower our risk for dementia. However, the picture has been less clear for dietary … Continue reading Dietary supplements – Do they make a difference in dementia prevention?
Click here to buy it on Amazon: Amazon UK; Amazon US; Amazon Canada; Amazon Australia; Amazon India
