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Anthea Rowan

This is the 41st instalment in a series on dementia, including the research into its causes and treatment, advice for carers, and stories of hope.
I do the Wordle word game every day, and if I have time, Connections. I frequently have a stab at Spelling Bee. I don’t do them just to pass time. I worry that not doing them may dull my brain.
I’m not unusual – lots of people play these mind games to protect their brains from atrophy. But how useful are they?
Remaining cognitively active, studies have found, can delay dementia by several years in vulnerable older adults.

Games are certainly good at stimulating our grey matter, and can be good for mental health as the need to focus can be distracting and calming. But to have value, experts say, they must challenge you.
The Alzheimer’s Association, based in the US state of Illinois, suggests the best way to build cognitive muscle is to “stump yourself”. If the puzzles you undertake no longer foil you – because you’ve cracked the code or because they have become so familiar – they will not be much more than just a daily habit.
“Learning and remembering are great for the brain and increase the volume of the hippocampus,” says Professor Barbara Sahakian of the University of Cambridge’s department of psychiatry.
The hippocampus, a seahorse-shaped structure deep in the temporal lobe, helps to form, organise and store long-term memories. It shrinks with age, and at a faster rate in the face of Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. Learning and brain-training apps can help exercise it, to restore and improve its function.
There are thousands of games available as apps. The brain training app market was estimated to be worth almost US$10 billion in 2023 and is expected to increase sixfold by 2031.

As Sahakian observes, though, not all games are created equal. They need to really test you to make a difference and they need to challenge the right parts of the brain in the right way.
As a professor of clinical neuropsychology, Sahakian focuses on understanding the relationships between brain and behaviour, how to apply this to diagnosing brain disorders, and designing effective treatment.
She has worked with game designers to develop games that do give the brain a good workout, based on evidence from research.
The game Decoder was developed to help the brain pay better attention – and in a world where our attention span is on the wane, that is key.
According to Dr Gloria Mark at the University of California, Irvine, who wrote a book on the subject, our attention span has fallen dramatically in the past 20 years, from around two and a half minutes to 75 seconds, to less than 50.

We need to focus our attention to learn and remember.
Sahakian’s game Decoder is designed to help people maintain the “flow” of attention despite distractions – even the dopamine-arousing buzz of a smartphone.
Players must detect sequences of digits such as two-four-six, three-five-seven, or four-six-eight. Digits from two to nine appear in a white box in the middle of the screen, at a rate of 100 digits a minute. Players press a button every time they detect a sequence.
Playing Decoder on an iPad for eight hours over one month improved attention and concentration, a study showed.
The game has been licensed to app developer Peak.
What’s important about any brain game you play, says Sahakian, who also helped develop a game for memory, is to ensure you are being cognitively challenged.


“If a game becomes too easy, it will not be beneficial to your brain and cognition,” she says.
Some brain training apps can be helpful to track changes if you’re worried about your memory. Dementia Australia recommends BrainTrack, a free app that helps you monitor and understand changes in your cognition over time.
Players visit a different country virtually each month, with different travel companions. They must keep track of luggage, calculate expenses and more – to test their brain function.
It can be useful to discuss your results with this app in conversation with your GP if you are concerned, it suggests.
Brain challenges need not come as apps on screens to be good for our brains. According to one study, old-fashioned jigsaw puzzles – invented in the 1760s – are good, too.
The authors wrote that jigsaw puzzling requires many cognitive skills, including visual perception in recognising objects, patterns, and line orientation, and cognitive flexibility in having to switch attention between different strategies and puzzle pieces.

I remember watching my mother grow increasingly challenged by jigsaws as her dementia grew more advanced, until she really had no clue what she was meant to do with the pieces at all.
Many studies point to reading, chess and even knitting as being neuroprotective; they all demand focus, can be calming, and may be done with friends.
Reading for pleasure is beneficial, provided that the book is stimulating and you are learning new things, says Sahakian.
“Reading can stimulate the imagination, generate creative ideas, reduce stress and increase well-being,” she adds.
A study her team published in Psychological Medicine showed that reading for pleasure in early childhood is beneficial for the brain, cognition, mental health and well-being in adolescence.
“Those adolescents who read for pleasure early in childhood also had better school attainment.”

Reading can begin and be encouraged at any age irrespective of formal education. Researchers found that women denied access to the workplace in the 1950s furthered themselves – and helped to protect their brains – because of their at-home reading.
To age well, Sahakian reminds me, avoid smoking, excessive alcohol, social isolation and lack of exercise. Challenge yourself by learning new things, reading, and yes, if they stretch you cognitively or relax you, playing brain training games.
Puzzles, it seems, are just another small weapon to add to the arsenal we need to employ against dementia. I’ll keep doing mine.
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Wellness

How brain training apps, puzzles and reading keep the mind sharp, and ward off dementia

Playing brain game apps helps fight dementia, but they have to be challenging and preferably unfamiliar, say experts. Reading, doing jigsaw puzzles and chess are also beneficial for the brain. Photo: Shutterstock

Many people play brain game apps such as Wordle in a bid to preserve their cognitive abilities as they age. Photo: NurPhoto via Getty Images

Learning and remembering are great for the brain, says Professor Barbara Sahakian of the University of Cambridge’s department of psychiatry, who worked on the mind game Decode. Photo: University of Cambridge

Sahakian’s Decoder brain training game helps players focus and maintain attention despite life’s distractions. Photo: Peak

Studies have shown that doing jigsaw puzzles is another good way to challenge the brain to maintain cognitive function. Photo: Shutterstock

Reading for pleasure can stimulate the imagination, generate creative ideas, reduce stress and increase well-being, say experts. Photo: Shutterstock

Gut-brain health link reinforced as studies show food affects decisions, mental disorders

Certain grains, seeds, fruit and vegetables are rich in prebiotic fibre, essential to a healthy gut microbiome. Photo: Shutterstock

The gut and the brain are inextricably linked, and new studies shed more light on the relationship, showing food choices affect everything from decision-making to mental health conditions like bipolar disorder. Illustration: Shutterstock

An illustration showing how the gut and brain communicate via the vagus nerve. Illustration: Shutterstock

Dr Paul Clayton, a leading scientist in the field of nutrition, has been studying the gut-brain axis for decades. Photo: Dr Paul Clayton

Dr Michael Gershon is still working at the age of 86, having long examined the connection between the gastrointestinal tract and the brain. Photo: Columbia University

The cover of Gershon’s book. Photo: Amazon

Modern diets are deficient in prebiotic fibre – found in certain grains, seeds, fruits and vegetables – according to Clayton. This upsets the balance in the microbiome, which can lead to leaky gut syndrome. Photo: Shutterstock

Dementia study links genes inherited from parents to development of Alzheimer’s disease

A researcher at the Spanish hospital where the study was carried out. Photo: Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Paul

New dementia research found that people with two copies of the APOE4 gene, one inherited from each parent, will almost certainly develop the biological signs of Alzheimer’s disease. Photo: Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Paul

Amyloid plaques and tau, or neurofibrillary tangles, are hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease. Photo: Shutterstock 

Dr Juan Fortea, the director of the memory unit at the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, in Barcelona, Spain, was the study’s lead author. Photo: Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau

Having the responsible genes does not mean you will experience cognitive decline. Healthy lifestyle choices such as regular exercise can protect against its onset. Photo: Shutterstock

How to live to 100 and beyond: blue zones’ healthy longevity secrets spread to new places

Buettner with 102-year-old Jose Bonifacio, a cowboy in Nicoya, Costa Rica, who still rides his horse every morning. Photo: David McLain

Dan Buettner with a 93-year-old Greek Orthodox priest on the Aegean island of Ikaria, in Greece. There are no magic solutions to long life, says Buettner, who coined the term ‘blue zones’ for communities with healthy centenarians. Photo: David McLain

Dan Buettner speaks with 101-year-old Maria Roberta in Nicoya, Costa Rica. Photo: David McLain

100-year-old Marge Jetton does some strength training in Loma Linda, California. Photo: David McLain

Buettner has a bowl of butternut squash soup with a centenarian in Nicoya, Costa Rica. Photo: David McLain

Almost all Okinawan centenarians grow or used to grow a garden, providing daily physical activity that can help reduce stress and boost mood – and a regular source of fresh vegetables. Photo: David McLain 

In Blue Zones project cities in North America, small changes make big differences, such as creating a “walking school bus” – a group of children who walk to school with one or more adults – to curb childhood obesity. Photo: Shutterstock 

Lifestyle

Health & Wellness

Health

Decoding dementia

How caring for a parent with dementia taught me about symptoms, prevention and why seeking out the latest research is so important

Author Anthea Rowan (right) with her mother.

Author Anthea Rowan (right) with her mother, who has Alzheimer’s disease, the most common type of dementia. Photo: Anthea Rowan

Anthea with her mother. Photo: Anthea Rowan

Studies suggest that regular exercise lowers the risk of cognitive decline by 35 per cent. Photo: Getty Images

Staying active can help prevent or delay the onset of dementia, studies suggest. Photo: Shutterstock

Why should you have a brain scan to test for dementia when there’s no cure? Knowing can help you delay its onset, neurologist says

It can be daunting to get a brain scan to test for signs of dementia, but a neurologist behind new research reveals the advantages of knowing early. Photo: Shutterstock

New research has found that dementia can be detected as early as nine years before symptoms manifest, and this could have significant implications for treatment. Photo: Shutterstock

Timothy Rittman, the neurologist who led the dementia research at Cambridge University. Photo: Cambridge University

A brain scan showing signs of dementia. Photo: Getty Images

Lizzie Perry, founder of This is Dementia, with her father, who was diagnosed with the disease at 58. Photo: This is Dementia

The approval in the US of a new drug that slows the onset of Alzheimer’s makes Rittman hopeful about the future of dementia treatment. Photo: Cambridge University

Why women are more likely to have dementia than men as they age, and how exercise and engagement can help lower your risk

Women may be at a greater risk of developing Alzheimer’s than men for a number of reasons: biological, societal or cultural. Experts suggest exercise and social engagement can help offset the risk. Photo: Getty Images

The spread of tau – the protein that clumps into the telltale tangles of dementia – may contribute to Alzheimer’s disease. Photo: Shutterstock

Female twins with a male co-twin were less likely to be diagnosed with dementia than female twins with a female co-twin. Photo: Shutterstock

Prenatal care and monitoring pregnant women’s health is key, as it may impact cognition and dementia risk in later life. Photo: Shutterstock

Taking regular exercise is key for women – and men – to reduce the risk of dementia. Photo: Shutterstock

How high or low blood pressure increases the risk of dementia, and why it’s never too late, or early, to adopt a healthy lifestyle to manage it

Having blood pressure that is too high or too low has been linked to a higher risk of dementia, but it’s never too late to start living a healthy lifestyle that will help maintain optimal blood pressure. Photo: Shutterstock


An optimal blood pressure reading, easily measured with a home device, is around 120/80. Photo: Shutterstock

Dr Ruth Peters was lead author of a study looking at the links between blood pressure and dementia. Photo: Dr Ruth Peters

It’s never too late, or too early, to start thinking about brain health and living a healthy lifestyle. Photo: Shutterstock

Problems with reasoning, planning, judgment, memory and other thought processes may result from damage caused by impaired blood flow to the brain – which may be brought on by high blood pressure. Photo: Shutterstock

6 dementia fighting tips from Dr Sanjay Gupta and Marc Milstein, experts on brain health – walk, talk, read, learn, relax, and eat and drink properly

We can protect ourselves against the risk of dementia with some simple lifestyle practices. Exercising (above), eating a good diet, drinking less alcohol, socialising, reading more and trying new things all help keep the brain sharp, say brain experts including Dr Sanjay Gupta. Photo: Shutterstock 

The cover of one of Dr Sanjay Gupta’s book. Photo: Simon & Schuster

The cover of Marc Milstein’s book. Photo: Marc Milstein

Drink alcohol mindfully and ask yourself why you are having that drink. Photo: Shutterstock

Learning new things creates new brain cell connections and helps keep your mind sharp. Photo: Shutterstock

Reading is good for brain health. Try to read a wide range of book styles, and join a book club to discuss with others what you are reading. Photo: Shutterstock

During sleep, our brains are restored and repaired, so relaxing is important if we’re going to get those seven hours of quality sleep. Photo: Shutterstock

Relationships keep us engaged, interested and interesting, and may help prevent dementia. Photo: Shutterstock

‘Like a light switch’: how sundowning syndrome affects dementia sufferers – and their carers; what it is and tips for how to cope

A person with dementia may experience “sundowning” syndrome - towards the end of the day they become more agitated, confused, panicked, resistant to instruction and restless. This affects their carers, too. Photo: Shutterstock

A person in bed, unable to sleep. Conservative estimates suggest about 20 per cent of dementia patients experience sundowning at some point.

Trey Todd is a neuroscientist at the University of Wyoming. Photo: Trey Todd

Sundowning was coined in 1987 by Lois Evans of Penn Nursing at Pennsylvania University. Photo: University of Pennsylvania

The pineal gland in our brain produces melatonin, which is what helps prompt us to sleep and awaken. In a broken system it is disrupted. Melatonin supplements might help fight sundowning. Photo: Shutterstock

Taking a patient with sundowning syndrome for a walk at a consistent time each day, morning or evening, may alleviate symptoms. Photo: Shutterstock

Getting out into the daylight early in the day is good for our sleep patterns, whether we have dementia or not. Photo: Shutterstock

Healthy marriage, healthy mind? Dementia risk lower for people married a long time, studies show; expert suggests why

Research suggests that people who have stayed married for a long time have a lower risk for dementia because they feel less lonely, are more likely to eat well and exercise more, and are more cognitively engaged. Photo: Shutterstock

Vegard Skirbekk is a researcher at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health. Photo: Norwegian Institute of Public Health

Anthea Rowan’s parents on their wedding day. Photo: courtesy of Anthea Rowan

A long-time married partner represents a security that provides a buffer against stressors. Photo: Shutterstock

Anthea Rowan and her husband on their wedding day. Photo: courtesy of Anthea Rowan

If you live with a partner long term, you are more likely to develop healthy daily patterns, to eat well and exercise more. Photo: Shutterstock

‘Dementia village’ that’s the first of its kind helps residents live normal lives, has a restaurant, theatre and supermarket – and no one wears a white coat

Residents are free to live their lives as they like at the world’s first “dementia village”, The Hogeweyk in The Netherlands. Photo: The Hogeweyk

The Hogeweyk, a “dementia villlage” in the Netherlands, provides care and a familiar and safe environment in which people with dementia live while retaining their own identity and autonomy as much as possible. Photo: The Hogeweyk

Jannette Spiering is the senior managing adviser and co-founder at The Hogeweyk in the Netherlands, which offers “humanising care for people with dementia”. Photo: The Hogeweyk

Residents relax around the fountain in the theatre square at The Hogeweyk. Photo: The Hogeweyk 

Residents of The Hogeweyk respond positively to their increased autonomy. Photo: The Hogeweyk

Residents at the healthcare facility take part in a painting class. Photo: The Hogeweyk

Hearing loss dramatically raises the risk of dementia, so why are so many people in midlife doing nothing to prevent it? A test is easy to arrange

Hearing loss has been linked to a higher risk of dementia and cognitive decline,  say experts, who recommend testing for preventable hearing problems (above).  Photo: Getty Images

Alison Huang, a senior research associate at the Cochlear Centre at Johns Hopkins, in the US, says hearing loss makes the brain work harder to process sounds. Photo: Johns Hopkins

Jiang Fan from the School of Public Health at China’s Shandong University. Photo: Shandong University

Checking your hearing in midlife is crucial, and can help you stave off cognitive deterioration. Photo: Shutterstock

Can HRT reduce dementia risk? New hormone replacement therapy studies say yes, upending 2002 reports

HRT use has been linked to better cognition, blood flow and brain size and a reduction in all neurodegenerative disease in recent studies. Photo: Shutterstock

HRT (hormone replacement therapy) use has been linked to better cognition, blood flow and brain size and a reduction in dementia and other neurodegenerative disease in recent studies. Photo: Shutterstock

If HRT is started after the age of 65, brain cells will have already been deprived of oestrogen for many years. This could mean there is a decline in neuronal connections – the brain’s messaging system. Photo: Shutterstock

HRT was found to be most effective when introduced early in menopause, says Anne Marie Minihane, director of the UK’s Norwich Institute of Healthy Ageing at the University of East Anglia. Photo: University of East Anglia

Dr Andrea Kwakowsky from at the University of Galway in Ireland believes the “critical period” for starting HRT is within five years of menopause. Photo: University of Galway

How can you prevent dementia? Free brain health online tool teaches the risks and gives essential tips on avoiding it

The new free “Think Brain Health Check-in” online tool from Alzheimer’s Research UK doesn’t test your memory but checks how well you’re looking after your brain and gives tips to help prevent dementia. Photo: Shutterstock

Dr Susan Mitchell is head of policy at Alzheimer’s Research UK. Photo: Dr Susan Mitchell

The Think Brain Health Check-in asks how often you challenge your brain - and then highlights why challenging your brain is key to staving off dementia. Photo: Shutterstock

Getting a good night’s sleep every night is one way to lower the risk of developing dementia. Photo: Shutterstock

Up to 40 per cent of dementia cases could be prevented if people were mindful of the risk factors for the illness and made lifestyle changes to prevent them. Photo: Shutterstock

Can lack of sleep raise dementia risk? Yes, studies say – but with one exception

Having only five hours of sleep a night can increase dementia risk by 30 per cent for adults over 50, one study says. Photo: Shutterstock

One tip to overcome insomnia is to avoid clock-watching. Photo: Shutterstock

Taking a warm shower or bath in the hour or so before bed may help you fall asleep – and stay asleep. Photo: Shutterstock

Professor Roger Wong of the department of public health and preventive medicine at the State University of New York’s Upstate Medical University. Photo: Roger Wong

Sleep aids can heighten dementia risk, Wong says. Photo: Shutterstock

Can’t sleep? Try getting up and engaging in cognitively stimulating activities, like reading or making jam. Photo: Shutterstock

Dementia and ACB scores: how common prescription and over-the-counter drugs raise the risk of memory loss and cognitive decline

Certain common drugs, including antihistamines, antacids, antidepressants and anti-anxiety medicines, can disrupt the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, dubbed the “memory molecule” increasing the risk of dementia. Photo: Shutterstock

The writer, Anthea Rowan, with her mother. Photo: Anthea Rowan

Taking medications that block the action of acetylcholine can lead to memory loss, problems with spatial awareness, and cognitive decline. Photo: Shutterstock

Studies have found that anticholinergic drugs carried “significant’ dementia risk” for the over-65s. Photo: Shutterstock

Doctors need to be mindful of the risks posed by anticholinergic drugs, especially to an already at-risk population: the over 65s. Photo: Shutterstock

How to safeguard your ageing brain: build ‘cognitive reserve’ with mental and physical exercise, and stay active and socially engaged

The phrase ‘use it or lose it’ is not just a hypothesis, it’s a basic biological fact that holds as true for our brains as our muscles or bones. Photo:
Shutterstock

Our brains, like our muscles need regular use to stay healthy and flexible, say experts, and keeping our brains active builds our ‘cognitive reserve’, helping us to stave off dementia. Photo: Shutterstock

Geriatric psychiatrist Dr David Merrill recommends the active pursuit of activities that keep the brain sharp to stave off dementia. Photo: Dr David Merrill

Dorina Cadar says cultural and social engagement, reading, doing crossword puzzles, visiting art galleries, clubs and cinemas, and volunteering all increase our cognitive reserve. Photo: Dorina Cadar

Visiting an art gallery or doing something new and different are good ways to build up cognitive reserve. Photo: Shutterstock 

How yoga benefits dementia patients: new study uncovers brain-health boosts, supporting earlier research

Yoga has health benefits including better brain neuroplasticity, improved sleep quality, and more robust cardiorespiratory fitness, all of which help people experiencing cognitive decline or dementia. Photo: Shutterstock

Dr Diana Karamacoska is a research support programme fellow in healthy ageing and dementia at the NICM Health Research Institute at Western Sydney University. Photo: Courtesy of Diana Karamacoska

Yoga could be helpful in managing brain inflammation, particularly with its mindfulness component. Photo: Shutterstock

Wendy Du is the founder of Shan Studios in Hong Kong. Photo: Wendy Du/Shan Studios

Du has maintained a daily yoga practice for 10 years. Photo: Courtesy of Shan Studios

5 nutrients good for brain health that can delay dementia, or prevent it, and foods to eat with a high concentration of them

Research has identified some key nutrients we need in our diets to maintain good cognitive function and delay or prevent the onset of dementia. Photo: Shutterstock

Eating healthy isn’t just good for our bodies, it’s good for our brains, too. Photo: Shutterstock

Zahinoor Ismail, of the O’Brien Institute for Public Health at the University of Calgary. Photo: University of Calgary

Kale with pine nuts is a dish high in magnesium, and so good for brain function. Photo: Shutterstock

Oatmeal, and other wholegrain foods such as brown rice and quinoa, are rich in magnesium. Photo: Shutterstock

Mackerel is a fish that is especially high in magnesium. Photo: Shutterstock

Why you have to keep smiling at a dementia patient – you’ll feel better and it could evoke a positive response

A smile can bring a smile in return from a dementia patient, and may make them more amenable to your requests. Photo: Shutterstock

Author Anthea Rowan with her mother, who suffered from dementia. As a carer you’ve got to keep smiling, an expert on the condition tells her - and it’s not for the reason you might think. Photo: Anthea Rowan

Timothy Kwok, professor of geriatric medicine at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and Director of the Jockey Club Centre for Positive Ageing. Photo: Timothy Kwok

Dementia sufferers cannot be reasoned with, and their emotions can run the gamut from highly positive to negative in the course of a day. Photo: Shutterstock

Many dementia sufferers end up in residential care homes because caring for them is difficult and time-consuming – especially for family members with jobs. Photo: Shutterstock

The living room at Jockey Club Centre for Positive Ageing, in Hong Kong. Photo: Jockey Club Centre for Positive Ageing

‘An attack by aliens’: how to deal with a dementia patient’s delusions – experts’ tips for carers

Carers often find it challenging to calm a dementia patient down when they suffer from paranoia, hallucinations and delusions. Experts offer advice on what to do. Photo: Shutterstock

It can be heartbreaking for a carer, especially if they are a family member, when a dementia patient cannot recognise them. Photo: Shutterstock

Disinhibition, poor control or restraint over emotions or actions, is common in patients with advanced dementia. Photo: Shutterstock

Professor Fiona Kumfor is a neuropsychologist at the University of Sydney in Australia. Photo: Fiona Kumfor

When a dementia patient cannot remember where they put something, they might jump to the conclusion that it has been stolen. Photo: Shutterstock

Dementia begins in the memory centres, the hippocampus and the medial temporal lobe, then moves to other parts of the brain like the temporal lobes and then into the frontal lobe and the parietal lobes. Photo: Shutterstock

Sometimes dementia patients lose the ability to recognise loved ones’ faces, and so they may say they have never met them before. Photo: Shutterstock

Timothy Kwok is a professor of geriatric medicine at Chinese University of Hong Kong. Photo: Timothy Kwok

Unravelling 2 Alzheimer’s markers: what are amyloid plaques and tau tangles, how do they form and what do they do to the brain?

“Sepia galactic storms”: the rust coloured clumps are the stained amyloid plaques, the little black squiggles are the tau tangles. Photo: Andrew Lee

Amyloid plaques and tau tangles found in Alzheimer’s sufferers’ brains are caused by build-ups of proteins that block electrical messages. 
Photo: Shutterstock

Dr Andrew Lees, author of “The Silent Plague”, is a professor of neurology at the National Hospital in London and University College London. Photo: Dr Andrew Lees

Lee’s image of “sepia galactic storms”: the rust-coloured clumps are stained amyloid plaques, the little black squiggles are tau tangles. Photo: Andrew Lee

Two neurons: a healthy one and one with Alzheimer’s disease – with tangles and disintegration of the microtubules. Photo: Shutterstock

Daniele Vigolo and his team were able to monitor the change from liquid to solid in “fused in sarcoma” proteins, and study their internal structure. Photo: Daniele Vigolo

5 Alzheimer’s experts’ lifestyle advice on avoiding and delaying the onset of the most common form of dementia

Lifestyle tips for avoiding or delaying the onset of Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia, include staying active and socially engaged. Photo: Shutterstock

Keep your brain active throughout your lifetime – particularly by learning new skills as you age. Photo: Shutterstock 

Regular physical activity – even having a daily walk – can help delay the onset of dementia. Photo: Shutterstock

Dr Andrew Lees is professor of neurology at the National Hospital in London, and University College London. Photo: Dr Andrew Lees

Professor Timothy Kwok is professor of geriatric medicine at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. 

Professor Craig Ritchie is professor of the psychiatry of ageing at the University of Edinburgh. Photo: Professor Craig Ritchie

Dr David Merrill is an adult and geriatric psychiatrist and director of the Brain Health Centre at the Pacific Neuroscience Institute in California. Photo: courtesy of David Merrill

David Robinson is a consultant geriatrician at St James’s Hospital in Dublin. Photo: David Robinson

At risk for Alzheimer’s disease? 2 new blood tests could detect it early – here’s how they do it

New blood tests developed in Hong Kong and the US deliver an easier, less invasive and more cost-effective way to detect Alzheimer’s disease early. Photo: Shutterstock

Professor Amy Fu is on the Cognitact team at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. Photo: Professor Amy Fu

Previously, Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis relied on costly MRI scans. Photo: Shutterstock

Simulated results of Quest’s AD Detect Test for Alzheimer’s Disease. Photo: Quest

The author, Anthea Rowan, pictured with her late mother, who suffered from Alzheimer’s disease. Photo: Courtesy of Anthea Rowan

Excess belly fat linked to higher dementia risk, research shows. Experts explain, and advise how to shrink your waist to protect your brain

Having excess belly fat increases the risk of suffering from dementia, especially for women, according to recent research. Experts explain the link and give tips on how to shrink your waist to prevent your brain shrinking. Photo: Shutterstock

How brain training apps, puzzles and reading keep the mind sharp, and ward off dementia

.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;}Online mind games can stimulate grey matter and ease stress, as long as they are challenging. Other activities, such as reading, do the same

Online mind games can stimulate grey matter and ease stress, as long as they are challenging. Other activities, such as reading, do the same