Walk 10,000 steps a day, cut back alcohol, get better sleep at night, stay socially active — we’re told that changes like these can prevent up to 40 per cent of dementia cases worldwide. Given that dementia is still one of the most feared diseases, why aren’t we pushing our doctors and governments to support […]
5 min read
A 65-year-old woman repeatedly seeks medical help for her failing memory. She is first told it’s nothing to worry about, then, a year later, that it’s “just normal aging.” Until finally, the penny drops: “It’s Alzheimer’s. There is no cure.” Scenarios like this one are too common. Dementia remains largely underdetected, even in high-income countries […]
5 min read
What happens to older adults who do not have close family when they develop dementia? The truth is, we hardly know. Population aging together with changing patterns of marriage and childrearing mean that growing numbers of people in North America reach advanced ages without a living spouse or children. This matters because the incidence of […]
4 min read
The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work. The big idea Social ballroom dancing can improve cognitive functions and reduce brain atrophy in older adults who are at increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. That’s the key finding of my team’s recently published study in the Journal of […]
3 min read
We spend a third of our lives asleep. And a quarter of our time asleep is spent dreaming. So, for the average person alive in 2022, with a life expectancy of around 73, that clocks in at just over six years of dreaming. Yet, given the central role that dreaming plays in our lives, we […]
4 min read
Dogs get dementia too. But it’s often difficult to spot. Research published today shows how common it is, especially in dogs over ten years old. Here are some behavioural changes to watch out for in your senior dog and when to consult your veterinarian. What is doggy dementia? Doggy dementia, or canine cognitive dysfunction, is […]
4 min read