The Twilight Zone and Dementia by Horst Max Cerni

The Twilight Zone

By Horst Max Cerni

Dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, is like a dark cloud hovering over many families. It is not only a curse for the individual who is affected, but also a major problem for family and friends. My cousin’s husband suffered from Alzheimer’s and became quite violent. He needed to be placed in a special institution, where he remained until he died. We have now heard of a friend who had to be taken off the island to a hospital in the United States.

Dementia is a collection of symptoms that affect memory, language, reasoning, and daily functioning. Alzheimer’s, on the other hand, is a specific, progressive brain disease. According to the Alzheimer’s Society, it is the most common cause of dementia.

I mentioned in my previous article (see here) that I do not remember my dreams. More critically, I also tend to forget words and names, although usually only for a short time. This worries me, so I did some research that might interest others as well. I learned that occasionally forgetting a name or struggling to find a word does not by itself mean dementia. However, changes that become more frequent or interfere with daily life should be discussed with a doctor.

Unfortunately, there is still no cure for Alzheimer’s disease. There are medicines that help manage symptoms, and newer treatments can modestly slow its progression in some people in the early stages, although they are not suitable for everyone and can have serious side effects. On Facebook, people promote all kinds of mixtures to improve brain function, but I have not tried any. Certain lifestyle adjustments, however, might help maintain cognitive health and reduce the risk of developing dementia. They cannot guarantee prevention.

According to the Mayo Clinic, “The risk of dementia rises as you age, especially after age 65. However, dementia isn’t a typical part of aging. It also can occur in younger people.”

What can one do to help reduce the risk of developing dementia?

These are the recommendations from the CDC:

• Stay physically active. Experts recommend at least 150 minutes of physical activity per week—roughly 20–25 minutes a day.
• Keep diabetes under control.
• Manage your blood pressure. Maintain a healthy weight and take prescribed medications.
• Prevent or manage hearing loss. Hearing loss can make people less socially engaged, so it is important to seek help when needed and remain socially and intellectually stimulated.
• Avoid smoking, and limit or avoid alcohol.

With the holiday season approaching, it may be difficult to follow all these recommendations, but it is clearly worth the effort.

To quote the Mayo Clinic again: “Research has found that people at higher risk of dementia who followed a healthy lifestyle lowered their risk of cognitive decline. They ate a diet that included fish, fruits, vegetables and olive oil. They also exercised, had cognitive training and participated in social activities. While no specific diet is known to reduce dementia risk, research indicates that those who follow a Mediterranean-style diet have better cognitive function. A Mediterranean diet focuses on fruits, vegetables, cereals, olive oil, nuts, and fish. The diet includes smaller amounts of dairy and meat.”

The National Institute on Aging, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), also recommends a good night’s sleep—generally seven to nine hours each night. Good sleep is important for brain health, and poor sleep has been associated with an increased risk of dementia.

The NIA also stresses the need to stay active. Physical activity helps improve a person’s overall health—especially the heart, lungs, brain, and circulation. It is also important to remain strong and avoid falls.

Keeping mentally engaged and socially connected may help maintain cognitive health. Cognitive training is something more specific: structured exercises intended to improve skills such as memory, reasoning, or processing speed. Some research is promising, but this does not mean that ordinary computer games and puzzles have been proven to prevent dementia. The NIA also encourages activities we enjoy and find meaningful, as well as staying connected with family and friends.

I also wonder whether relying too much on computers and AI might mean missing opportunities to exercise our own minds. As Ramesh Shrestha pointed out in his article in our late-August blog, artificial intelligence provides results while potentially eliminating the processes of learning and logical thinking. This is not the same as saying that using AI causes dementia, but it seems worth considering how we use it.

It seems to me that our XUNICEF group helps us stay socially connected, and many of the articles and discussions on the blog are quite stimulating. Maybe we are doing our share to reduce the Twilight Zone.