Facts on Dementia and Alzheimer's Disease - Neuria App

1. Facts on Dementia and Alzheimer's Disease - Neuria App Dementia is a major cause of disability There are around 55 million dementia patients globally with ca. 10 million new cases each year.1 Considering the general trend of aging populations around the world, it is estimated that dementia patient numbers will nearly triple by 2050. Even though dementia is generally associated with old age, let’s not forget that there is also young-onset dementia in people who

2. show symptoms before the age of 65 years. These account for up to 9% of all cases. Dementia is considered the 7th leading cause of death, with women being more frequently affected than men. Despite dementia being widely spread, there is often a lack of understanding of this disease, “Ach, he’s just getting old.” or “Oh, she’s getting a bit dotty.” Such attitudes can result in stigmatization, and prevent proper diagnosis and care. Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia What we generally call ‘dementia’ is, in fact, a group of medical conditions. With 60-70% of cases, Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia. Vascular dementia ranks second with about 20% of all cases. Dementia with Lewy bodies ranks third with 5–25% of cases.4 Other dementia types include frontotemporal dementia and Parkinson’s disease with dementia. Whilst such classification into disease types helps us talk about and manage dementia, it can be difficult for physicians to distinguish between the different types and come to a conclusive diagnosis. This is because symptoms, underlying processes in the body, and risk factors overlap. We are developing our mobile app NEURIA App to offer a curated list of experts from clinics and medical practices specializing in dementia diagnosis and treatment. Alzheimer’s drugs aim to manage symptoms Whilst the root cause of Alzheimer’s remains unknown, we do know that there is a shortage of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, a substance used by nerve cells to communicate, and an excess of glutamate, another neurotransmitter.5 The former is commonly treated in mild to moderate Alzheimer’s stages with drugs called cholinesterase inhibitors that prevent the breakdown of the needed acetylcholine. The latter is commonly treated in moderate to advanced disease stages with so-called glutamate inhibitors that aim to counteract the effect of the surplus glutamate. Since nerve cells keep dying in the course of the disease despite such interventions, these drugs eventually stop working. In addition, patients respond differently to these treatments and there is always a trade-off between desired and undesired effects of the medication.

3. In June 2021 a drug called aducanumab (Biogen) gained FDA accelerated approval in the USA under the condition that more data must be provided to substantiate its benefits.6 This treatment is noteworthy because it is the first approved drug to tackle a possible cause of Alzheimer’s directly – the amyloid beta neurodegenerative disease. deposits, which are a hallmark of this Non-pharmaceutical treatment of Alzheimer’s is for both patient and caregiver One of the principal goals of dementia care is the optimization of physical health, cognition, activity, and well-being. Drugs on their own cannot cater to all of this. That is why non-pharmaceutical therapy is so important. In general, help here comes from the disciplines of physiotherapy, ergotherapy, speech therapy, and psychotherapy.7 Whilst non-pharmaceutical approaches can be pursued at every dementia stage, it depends on the severity and the patient’s individual situation, which activities are appropriate. Therapeutic activities ideally relate closely to daily life to stimulate the patient physically and mentally in an effective manner. In addition to training and therapy, non-medical measures also include the introduction of aids that make daily life easier, which may involve modifications to the accommodation. Ultimately, these approaches are not only there to help the patient but also to relieve the caregiver. Some activities are even performed together with the caregiver. As part of daily and therapeutic interaction with patients, it is important to treat them with respect instead of correcting errors or ridiculing seemingly ludicrous behaviors. This strengthens self-confidence and stabilizes the mood, as it validates the person within their own world. There is scarce scientific evidence that non-pharmaceutical methods are indeed effective, as outcomes are difficult to measure, can be very specific to the individual as well as the therapist, and most research so far has focused on pharmaceutical intervention. It has been noted that training is more effective when the patient moves physically during activities, even when those are aimed at memory or other cognitive abilities. Generally, the focus should be on enhancing the patient’s best-functioning skills to slow their decline.

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