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Anthea Rowan

This is the 48th instalment in a series on dementia, including the research into its causes and treatment, advice for carers, and stories of hope.
Dementia is not all about memory loss. The condition comes with a host of symptoms, from trouble finding words to loss of taste. Neither is memory loss the only early sign that something may be amiss. Dementia drops a number of hints on its way in.
American writer and psychotherapist Amy Bloom describes in her memoir In Love – about her husband’s early-onset dementia – the earliest, almost unseen signs that all was not well.
Her husband grew confused over the communications he received regarding a book club he loved going to. She would hear him complaining about all the emails that came in and the schedule changes. He went to meetings on the wrong night and forgot where meetings were on others.
Bloom was shocked some time later to find a message on her husband’s phone – by then she had taken to checking it – from a man who her husband swore had moved away and was no longer in the book club. But he was.

Looking back, I can recall little indications that all was not well in my mother’s brain as dementia began to set in, too. She forgot words, but slid the wrong word in for the right one with such ease you almost did not notice.
Sometimes she could be a little outspoken, even rude on occasion – behaviour that was so out of character in my polite, gentle mother.
Personality changes, I discovered, are one of a handful of clues people often miss, dismissing them as a person just getting old and cranky.
These changes are unlikely to be detected before the onset of cognitive impairment, but tend to be large afterwards, says Dr Antonio Terracciano, a professor in the department of geriatrics at Florida State University in the United States, who has written a number of studies into personality changes that come with cognitive decline.
His latest research, from October 2023, mapped the trajectory of the five major personality dimensions before and from the point when impairment was first noticed. Those traits were neuroticism, extroversion, openness, agreeableness and conscientiousness.
Neuroticism measures an inclination for negative emotions, while conscientiousness measures the inclination to be careful, well organised, goal-directed and responsible.
Neuroticism increased, while all the others – all the more positive traits – decreased.
The report found a pattern of “detrimental personality change” that was small and inconsistent before impairment but more noticeable when people were cognitively impaired.

The loss of awareness of money matters is another telling sign. A friend whose father was diagnosed with dementia discovered that his father had, in the preceding months, been making such poor financial decisions that he had left himself almost impoverished.
When she relates this sad story, I am reminded that I became aware of just how tenuous my mother’s handle on her own financial affairs had become when she announced she had a huge sum in her bank account – many times higher than what was really there.
Because finances are so personal, they are not something we tend to probe in a parent until we become concerned that bills are not being paid, for example. Losing financial acuity also leaves elderly people in the early, less obvious, stages of dementia vulnerable to scammers.
A new risk of a dementia diagnosis was recently identified through a study at Harvard Medical School’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Researchers found that elderly adults who had had falls may be struggling with mild cognitive impairment, a precursor to Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.
Lead author Dr Alexander Ordoobadi was asked why falls might be an early warning sign that all was not well in the brain.
While the study was not designed to identify a reason why falls might be indicative of a risk of developing dementia, he had some hypotheses.
Walking requires “substantial cognitive capacity to coordinate motor movements, maintain balance and safely navigate the environment”, he says. Impairments in motor domains in the brain that involve gait – the way a person walks – often precede the formal diagnosis of dementia, and would place patients at risk of falling.
Because falls are so common among the geriatric population, family members of older adults and their doctors may be in danger of dismissing a fall as a part of ageing, he adds.
My mother fell a number of times before we were aware of her diagnosis – and then increasingly afterwards as her balance grew more precarious.

Falls can lead to serious, even life-threatening injuries in older adults, Ordoobadi says. The World Health Organization cites them as the second leading cause of unintentional-injury deaths worldwide – and older adults are most at risk.
Around the globe, almost 40 million falls annually are severe enough to require medical attention. Often, in the elderly, they come with breaks and fractures that can immobilise a person for months. That immobility can exacerbate other problems and hasten death.
“[In hospitals] we will always assess for acute medical events that could have caused the fall, but we don’t typically think about performing cognitive screening,” Ordoobadi says. “We hope that the results of this study will lead to adoption of routine cognitive screening for older adults who require hospitalisation after a fall.”
What is happening in the brain that could be causing the falls?
Ordoobadi’s best guess is that declines in motor and visuospatial domains are responsible for the increased risk of falls.
Damage to visuospatial areas in the brain is among the earliest blows from Alzheimer’s disease, which is why sufferers can find it hard to get their bearings. That triggers another early sign: driving difficulties.
Driving is “this ultimate blend of the cognitive system”, according to Ganesh Babulal, an associate professor of neurology at Washington University. You are required to do so much at once to drive safely while navigating your route.
A driver with cognitive impairment can get lost, react too quickly or too slowly, or – worst case – have an accident.

In hindsight, my mother’s dementia development adds up now: her sometimes-changed character, her occasional topples – including one from a step that required a visit to hospital – and her surprising claims about how wealthy she was when she was not. I know now that dementia was settling in and slowly making its presence felt.
Studies like those by Ordoobadi and Terracciano lend valuable insights into the earliest and often-missed signs that cognitive damage is progressing.
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Wellness

Early signs of dementia, from falls to personality changes and driving difficulties

A driver with cognitive impairment such as Alzheimer’s disease can get lost, react too quickly or too slowly, or - worst case - have an accident. Photo: Shutterstock

Falls can be another early warning sign of the onset of dementia. Photo: Shutterstock

Dr Antonio Terracciano is a professor in the department of geriatrics at Florida State University in the United States. Photo: Florida State University

Dr Alexander Ordoobadi of Harvard Medical School’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Photo: Brigham and Women’s Hospital 

“Detrimental personality change” can be noticeable before a diagnosis of cognitive impairment. Photo: Shutterstock

How to prevent dementia? Do exercise, experts say, any type – it’s all good for the brain

Multiple studies have found that exercise is good for the brain and can help prevent dementia. One study found that senior participants who took part in high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on a treadmill did better on memory tests six months later than those who took part in lower-intensity training exercises. Photo: Shutterstock

Microglia – resident cells of the brain that regulate a number of systems – become “significantly” rejuvenated through exercise, one study found. Photo: Shutterstock

Dr Joseph Costello is part of the University of Portsmouth’s faculty of science and health in the UK. Photo: X/joecostellophd

A study found that swimming improved both short- and long-term memory, and that the benefits lasted for days.  Photo: Shutterstock

Jana Vukovic is a principal research fellow at the Queensland Brain Institute. Photo: University of Queensland

The everyday foods and drinks that could lower your dementia risk, and how much to have

To get a good helping of flavonoids, your plate should be at least half filled with vegetables and legumes. Photo: Shutterstock

Tea is among the flavonoid-rich foods and drinks whose consumption a study has linked to a lower a risk of dementia. Photo: Shutterstock

Blueberries, blackberries, strawberries and raspberries contain high levels of anthocyanin, a flavonoid which lowers blood pressure and the risk of heart disease. Photo: Shutterstock

To get a good variety of flavonoids, your plate should be at least half filled with vegetables, such as red quinoa, fried tofu, avocado, edamame beans, peas, radish, red cabbage, pomegranate arils and sesame seeds. Photo: Shutterstock

Apples contain the flavonoid quercetin, says nutritional therapist Lucia Stansbie. Photo: Lucia Stansbie

Dark chocolate contains flavonoids that may help in staving off dementia. Photo: Shutterstock

Red wine is a good source of flavonoids – although it should be drunk in moderation. Stansbie recommends having no more than “a small glass, about four times a week”. Photo: Shutterstock

Legumes contain isoflavones, which can help maintain hormonal balance. Photo: Shutterstock

When a parent with dementia forgets you’re their child: coping with Alzheimer’s disease

Anthea Rowan and her mother
Photo: Anthea Rowan

Anthea Rowan and her mother, who has Alzheimer’s disease. Rowan highlights the struggle loved ones face when a parent with dementia no longer remembers their name or relationship. Photo: Anthea Rowan

Rowan (right) with her daughter Hattie and mother in the summer of 2021, when she began her research into dementia. Photo: Anthea Rowan

Rowan with her mother and brother Rob in the mid-1980s. Photo: Anthea Rowan

The cover of Rowan’s new book. Photo: Bedford Square

Rowan has translated her knowledge into the SCMP Lifestyle Series “Decoding dementia”. Photo: Eliza Powell

How fasting, as Chris Hemsworth did on his Disney+ series Limitless, may help us live longer by stopping ‘zombie cells’

Chris Hemsworth fasted to stave off ageing for his Disney+ Limitless series. Scientific studies show restricted eating patterns may stop “zombie cells” and extend our lives. Photo: Disney+

Chris Hemsworth in his documentary series Limitless, in which he explores different ways humans can live better for longer by taking on physical challenges. Photo: Disney+

Colin Selman, professor of biogerontology at the University of Glasgow. Photo: Twitter/@colinselman1

Studies in mice have found that reducing food intake or providing food only within a compressed amount of time provides significant health benefits. Photo: Shutterstock 

Ilaria Bellatuono, co-director of the Healthy Lifespan Institute at the University of Sheffield. Photo: University of Sheffield

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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

Early signs of dementia, from falls to personality changes and driving difficulties

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Memory loss is not the only early warning sign of dementia conditions like Alzheimer’s disease. Experts describe other symptoms to watch for

Memory loss is not the only early warning sign of dementia conditions like Alzheimer’s disease. Experts describe other symptoms to watch for