Dementia Is Not A Disease For The Old

Dementia is a prolonged or progressive syndrome that results in deterioration in cognitive function. The ability to process thought is greatly severed beyond the expected in cases of normal aging. Dementia affects language, calculation, thinking, orientation, memory, comprehension, judgment, and learning capacity. It never affects one’s consciousness. Deterioration in emotional regulation, motivation or social behavior mostly accompanies or precedes the impairment in cognitive function.

A variety of diseases and injuries cause dementia. They primarily or sometimes secondarily affect the brain, with perfect examples being the Alzheimer’s illness or stroke. It is not only those who suffer from the condition that bear the brunt of its effects but also the caregivers and families of those living with the condition. The responsibility and stress of taking care of a friend or loved one who is suffering from the dementia can be great. It has been identified as an important cause of disability and dependency especially among older people across the globe. It impacts severe physical, physiological, social and economic ramifications on those affected. 

Dementia comes in different forms or causes. There is no distinct margin between the various forms of dementia and mixed forms of the problem do co-exist. The most common form of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease that has been identified to contribute to 60-70% of the cases. Some other forms of dementia include several conditions that cause frontotemporal dementia, vascular dementia, and dementia with Lewy bodies. The Lewy bodies are strange protein aggregates that usually develop inside nerve cells. 

Though dementia is commonly associated with seniors, it sometimes affects people with not so advanced ages. Though rare, several cases of people suffering from the condition while still young have been identified. Stan Mikita, a retired professional ice hockey player, has been well-known to suffer dementia with Lewy bodies. The Slovak-born Canadian is regarded as one of the best players of the game in the 1960s. His memory and cognitive function are known to have been slowly waning for years since he was relatively young. Once old age caught up with him, his cognitive function rapidly deteriorated and a few months later, his diagnosis of Lewy body dementia was made public.

It is suspected that Mikita's problems could have started way back during his playing days due to the repeated concussions the players suffer during gameplay. Science has it that repeated head trauma can result in a progressive neurodegenerative disease known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). The neurodegeneration eventually results in dementia. 

Lewy body dementia severely disrupts movement, thinking, sleep, movement, and behavior. Hallucinations and symptoms of Parkinson’s disease may accompany it. Mikita’s family has no objection to giving out his brain for a postmortem on his demise to pave the way for further scientific research on the disease. An illness that could have started way back during his playing days, yet people so often mistake it as a disease of those who are elderly.

Can Regular Exercise Help With Alzheimer's and Dementia?

Alzheimer's disease is known as the leading cause of dementia. Currently, there is no cure for this disease, and medications that are available do not stop the progression of this disease. These medications may improve some of the symptoms experienced for some people, but they are not effective for everyone. Research is showing that there may be an actual preventative measure that can be used to reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's and dementia. This preventive measure is exercise.

Everyone knows that exercise is good for overall health. Engaging in heart-rate increasing exercise for 30 minutes a few times a week can strengthen the heart, lower blood pressure and cholesterol, help with blood sugar levels in diabetes, help with weight loss, and now, research shows that exercise helps to prevent a decrease in brain function as well.

Exercise that increases heart rate pushes more blood through the body, including the brain. More blood means more oxygen, fluid, and vital nutrients to the cells. This keeps brain cells functioning properly. By improving heart function and decreasing cholesterol, small arteries in the brain can remain open, improving blood flow to all areas of the brain for better health of brain cells.

Studies have show that exercise can increase growth of tissue involved with brain function, allow for regeneration of neurons, increase the brain's resistance to oxidation and stress, and improve memory and cognitive functioning. All of these may help to prevent the onset of Alzheimer's disease on an aging population.

A study performed by the Mayo Clinic found that regular exercise reduced the risk of mild cognitive impairment in more than thirty percent of those studied. Researcher's believe that exercise helps by increasing brain volume, improving connections within the brain, and improving blood vessel health within the brain.

Why do these research studies matter? As mentioned above, there is no cure for Alzheimer's disease and the related dementia that occurs as a result of this disease. A substantial portion of the population is reaching the age where Alzheimer's becomes a major concern. Because of this, Alzheimer's rates are expected to increase exponentially in the next decade. If Alzheimer's disease risk can be reduced by simply adding daily exercise to a person's lifestyle, this can prevent a lot of expense to people and the health care system as well as personal trauma experienced by Alzheimer's victims and their loved ones.

Prevention of Alzheimer's disease isn't the only benefit that exercise has shown on this disease. A study published in The Journal of the American Geriatrics Society showed that for persons already diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, exercise can slow the progression of this disease. Patients in a nursing home setting who were given an exercise regimen that included walking, strength training, flexibility training and balance training showed significant results with less decline in cognitive functioning over those who did not exercise.

It is important to note that even if exercise cannot help reverse Alzheimer's disease once it occurs, exercise can help with other symptoms experienced by those who suffer from this disease. Exercise can relieve depression and anxiety, as well as prevent physical decline often associated with Alzheimer's patients. This can reduce the risks of falls and other injuries often experienced at a higher rate in Alzheimer's patients.

Studies are proving the benefits of exercise to the brain and in the prevention of Alzheimer's related dementia, as well as the benefits of exercise to those already experiencing Alzheimer's disease symptoms. Adding exercise to a healthy lifestyle can improve health in many ways and may even decrease your risk for developing Alzheimer's and dementia.

Resources:

Carl W. Cotman and Nicole C. Berchtold; Exercise: a behavioral intervention to enhance brain health and plasticity; Trends in Neuroscience

Mayo Clinic; Exercise Best Medicine to Prevent Alzheimer's; Mayo Clinic News; January 25, 2013

Yves Rolland MD, PhD, et. al.; Exercise Program for Nursing Home Residents with Alzheimer's Disease: A 1-Year Randomized, Controlled Trial; The Journal of the American Geriatrics Society