Create second-generation memory clinics, more personalized care, and prevent cognitive decline before the first signs appear. These are the main proposals for the approach to dementia from an international working group.
Scientists from more than twenty institutions have proposed a series of guidelines to prevent dementia, an initiative led by the University of Geneva (UNIGE) and the University Hospitals of Geneva (HUG)in which he participates Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center (BBRC)research center of the Pasqual Maragall Foundation.
The current reality of Alzheimer’s
Con 10 million people affected in Europe, Alzheimer’s is the most frequent neurodegenerative disease and entails a drastic loss of autonomy for the people affected and a great impact on healthcare costs. For this reason, its prevention has become a real social challenge.
Image courtesy of the Pasqual Maragall FoundationThe doctor Orio Grauresponsible for Clinical Research Group and Risk Factors for Neurodegenerative Diseases of the BBRC and one of the authors of the study affirms that large-scale prevention protocols on improvements in lifestyles, such as physical activity, attention to nutrition, or cardiovascular prevention, have reduced the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. or related forms.
“However, the prevalence of dementia continues to increase with the aging of the population and it is estimated that the number of people with Alzheimer’s in Europe will double by the year 2050,” says the expert.
“Brain Health Services”
In this context, the project collaborators have developed a new preventive protocol that is committed to offering innovative brain health services.
In the guidelines collected, the research group has identified four pillars of this new approach:
- Risk assessment
- risk communication
- Prevention personalized
- Improvement cognitive
“Alzheimer’s disease begins to develop long before the onset of symptoms; therefore, strategies aimed at prevention are crucial”, says Grau.
The four aforementioned pillars will allow Brain Health Services, second generation memory clinics, to reach the segment of the population whose memory still works fine and what do they want preserve or improve it.
An innovative proposal to prevent dementia
The ultimate goal of the protocol is to be able to provide support and individualized information to people with complaints of subjective memorybut without objective alterations in tests that evaluate their cognitive performance, similar to the current one protocol management of risk of cardiovascular diseases.
How does it work?
In this sense, the procedure established by the research group Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center takes into account risk factor’s Alzheimer’s disease or related disorders:
- With the geneticssuch as the APOE4 gene.
- With the Lifestyle as alcohol consumption, social isolation, obesity.
- With the conditions of the individual, such as hypertension, diabetes, hearing loss, depression or head trauma.
Based on this information, a risk index that communicates accurately and understandably to the patient following a series of recommendations based on his personality and history.
Finally, they study pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions to reduce these risks and memory reinforcement or stimulation methods based on exercises, games and/or transcranial electrical or magnetic stimulation are provided.