While there's no cure for dementia, various strategies can improve symptoms, cognition, and quality of life, including medications (cholinesterase inhibitors, memantine), regular physical and mental exercise, social engagement, good sleep, managing health conditions, and sensory/creative activities like music, art, and puzzles to stimulate the brain and provide comfort.
You could try activities like:
There is currently no cure for most types of dementia—including the dementia caused by Alzheimer's disease. However, there are treatment options and lifestyle choices that can help with managing symptoms.
Memantine. This medicine (also known as Ebixa, Marixino or Valios) is given to people with moderate or severe Alzheimer's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies and those with a combination of Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia.
Routines help the person with dementia know what to expect, and help them continue to do things on their own. Doing so will make them feel better about themselves. People with dementia will eventually lose the ability to carry out these everyday routines and will depend on others to help.
Get Your Regular Exercise In
The Alzheimer's Research & Prevention Foundation states that regular exercise can reduce your risk of Alzheimer's by up to 50 percent. According to their research, exercise helps the brain make new connections and protect old ones, which works to prevent Alzheimer's and other dementias.
The 90-second rule states that people with dementia may take up to 90 seconds to process information. For example, if you ask Mr. Smith “can you stand up from the chair?” he may take up to 90 seconds to process the command and stand up.
Vitamin D supplements are linked to a significant reduction in dementia risk, with a major study showing users had a 40% lower incidence of developing dementia compared to non-users, particularly benefiting older adults, with even greater effects seen in women and those without existing cognitive issues. This reduction highlights Vitamin D's role in brain health, possibly by clearing amyloid plaques associated with Alzheimer's.
The cause of roughly 70% of all dementia cases is Alzheimer's disease, a progressive brain disorder characterized by the buildup of amyloid plaques and tau tangles, leading to memory loss and impaired thinking that interferes with daily life, making it the most common form of dementia.
Donanemab, like lecanemab, is a type of drug called a monoclonal antibody. Antibodies form part of our immune system and bind to harmful proteins to destroy them. Donanemab contains antibodies that bind to a protein called amyloid, which builds up in the brain in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease.
Life expectancy after a diagnosis of dementia decreases with increasing age. For example, an average person diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease between ages 70-79 can expect to survive seven more years, while a diagnosis after age 90 is associated with an expected survival of only 2.8 additional years.
Cognitively stimulating activities are some of the best ways to slow down the progression of dementia symptoms. Any activities that help patients recall information, think quickly, solve problems, or make decisions can help with cognitive skills.
Signs of late-stage dementia
having a limited understanding of what is being said to them. needing help with most everyday activities. eating less and having difficulties swallowing.
Proven Supplements for Memory for Seniors
Rapidly Progressive Dementias
Key Takeaways
Bananas are suitable for the brain and for those with dementia, but this can't be seen as a cure. A balanced diet full of fruits and vegetables may help guard against cognitive decline, and bananas are one of those foods. 2. Bananas are rich in nutrients that support brain function and neuron health.
Smoking, low physical activity, and a poor diet are all lifestyle and environmental influences that have been linked to rapid dementia decline. Physical activity promotes cardiovascular health, which in turn improves brain function. Those who lead a sedentary lifestyle may experience faster cognitive decline.
Our results confirm that vitamin D deficiency is associated with a substantially increased risk of all-cause dementia and Alzheimer disease.
The majority of dementia is not inherited by children and grandchildren. In rarer types of dementia there may be a strong genetic link, but these are only a tiny proportion of overall cases of dementia.
What are the best vitamins to take daily?
You Miss Out on Sleep
You do a few things you know you shouldn't -- we all do. But some of those bad habits can take a toll on your brain. For example, lack of sleep may be a cause of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease. It's best to have regular sleeping hours.
What Can You Do?
The "2-finger test" for dementia involves an examiner showing a hand gesture (like interlocking index and middle fingers) and asking the patient to copy it, testing motor skills, visual memory, and coordination, as difficulties can signal early cognitive decline, but it's a screening tool, not a definitive diagnosis, prompting further medical evaluation. Other related tests include finger-tapping and finger-to-nose, looking for hesitation or misjudgment in movement.
A recent meta-analysis revealed that higher neuroticism and lower conscientiousness are consistent predictors of higher dementia risk, across dementia types, including Alzheimer's disease (AD), dementia assessment methods, follow-up lengths, and countries (Aschwanden et al., 2021).
There is currently no cure for dementia, but recognising the early signs and symptoms is still very important. We explore why spotting the early signs matters for everyone affected by dementia and why we support research to improve diagnosis.