Context:
A report is released by Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI), a London-based non-profit organization, which was meant to gauge attitudes towards dementia among those suffering from dementia, health practitioners and caregivers and surveyed about 70,000 people in 155 countries.
According to the report, Almost a quarter of Indians surveyed said that they considered those suffering from dementia to be “dangerous” and about three-fourths opined that those with dementia are “impulsive and unpredictable.
Relevance:
Gs- 2 Issues relating to the development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to
Background:
Dementia is not a specific disease. It is an overall term that describes a group of symptoms associated with a decline in memory or other thinking skills severe enough to reduce a person's ability to perform everyday activities.
| TARGET GROUP | This disease affects about one in ten people over the age of 65 and almost one in four over 85 years. People under the age of 65 are also prone to the disease which is known as early onset of Alzheimer’s. |
| SYMPTOMS |
Memory loss, Difficulties with thinking, Visual perception, Self-management, Problem-solving or language and the ability to focus and pay attention, Even dementia people are not able to control their emotions and their personalities may change, This disease may ranges in severity from the mildest stage when it is just beginning to the more severe stage in which a person is completely dependent on others for basic activities of living. |
| CAUSES |
When brain cells are damaged then dementia may occur. Due to this damage the ability of brain cells to communicate with each other interferes. This further interferes with a person’s thinking, behavior, and feelings. Dementia can be caused by a head injury, a stroke, a brain tumor or due to HIV infection. |
| CURE |
Unfortunately, there is yet no cure for it and scientists are still searching for causes of this disease. If brain cell death cannot be reversed, so there is no known cure for degenerative dementia. Management of disorders such as Alzheimer's disease is instead focused on providing care and treating symptoms rather than their underlying cause. Therefore, symptoms of Alzheimer's disease can be reduced by some medications. If dementia symptoms are due to a reversible, non-degenerative cause, however, treatment may be possible to prevent or halt further brain tissue damage like an injury, medication effects, and vitamin deficiency. |
Types of Dementia
- Alzheimer's disease occurs due to protein abnormalities which are characterised by 'plaques' between the dying cells in the brain and 'tangles' within the cells. A person suffering from this disease has his/her brain size shrink.
- Dementia with Lewy bodies is a neurodegenerative condition linked to abnormal structures in the brain. The brain changes involve a protein called alpha-synuclein.
- Parkinson's disease is also marked by the presence of Lewy bodies. Although Parkinson's is often considered a disorder of movement, it can also lead to dementia symptoms.
- Mixed dementia means a person may show both Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia at the same time.
- Huntington's disease is characterized by specific types of uncontrolled movements but also includes dementia.
About the Report
- The study estimates that as much as 50% of all people living with dementia never receive a formal diagnosis and in China and India, this lack of diagnosis is much higher, 70-90%.
- The number of those with dementia worldwide is set to increase to 152 million by 2050.
- The current annual cost of dementia is estimated at $1 trillion (approximately), a figure that is set to double by 2030.
Way ahead
There is no plan and policy in India which targets Alzheimer’s and related diseases. As India has a vast number of people who are below the poverty line, it is imperative for India to consider putting Alzheimer's in health care policy.
