One aspect of aging concerns the fear of declining cognitive abilities. The causes can be varied and include a few treatable conditions and many that are currently untreatable.
With increasing life expectancy of the world population, an increase in dementia-related diseases is to be expected. According to current data, 26.6 million people worldwide currently suffer from dementia, with a projected 106.2 million by 2050. An essential question that neurologists regularly receive from previously healthy adults is the following: What can I do myself to prevent dementia?
According to the results of animal and epidemiological studies available to date, there is evidence that physical activity is neuroprotective and can significantly reduce the risk of developing dementia or delay the onset of the disease. Until other therapies are available in the early stages of dementia, regular aerobic physical activity is an essential factor not only for dementia prevention but also for public health.
A prerequisite for the best possible treatment of memory impairment is a sufficient differential diagnosis as well as the recording of the frequently present comorbidities. In Alzheimer’s dementia, cholinesterase inhibitors and glutamate receptor antagonists can be used to slow progression after other causes have been ruled out. It is likely that new effective drugs for the therapy of Alzheimer’s disease will come onto the market in the next few years, as promising substances are already in phase III trials. The demand for non-drug therapeutic services for dementia patients will also increase sharply in the coming years; here, the focus is on neuropsychology with an expansion of therapeutic services.
Close collaboration between neurologists, geriatricians and psychiatrists is of particular importance in this increasingly important area of health policy, especially for patients with dementia.
Prof. Dr. med. Barbara Tettenborn
InFo NEUROLOGY & PSYCHIATRY 2014; 12(3): 4.
