Things You Can Do To Help Prevent Dementia

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Dr. Dean Foti, MD, FRCPC, Behavioural Neurologist, discusses Things You Can Do To Help Prevent Dementia.

Dr. Dean Foti, MD, FRCPC, Behavioural Neurologist, discusses Things You Can Do To Help Prevent Dementia.

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Video transcript

Turns out the tannins in red wine are very good for the brain, so people who drink a small amount of wine, maybe one or two glasses per day, in fact have less dementia than people who do not drink any wine. So these are some of the things that you may want to do, if you want to prevent developing dementia. 

Other important things that we’ve learned are that keeping your brain active, particularly with new tasks, really is good for keeping it stronger. We think that maybe it keeps the brain cells better connected, so studies have shown that if you retire later, in fact you have less of a risk for dementia.

Similarly, if you get involved in social activities and keeping strong social connections, it seems to keep the brain quite strong. So, all of these things, exposing yourself to new information, new tasks, working longer, to a later age, in fact seems to protect the brain against dementia. 

Presenter: Dr. Dean Foti, Neurologist, Vancouver, BC

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97-100 People got two or more of these video questions wrong... ( 74 participated.)

Quiz: Do You Understand Dementia?

Questions
 
True
False
1

Dementia isn’t just one condition.

Explanation:

Dementia isn’t just one condition - it’s a term that refers to symptoms that cause a decline in mental ability that interferes with daily life. Alzheimer's is the most common type of dementia and accounts for 60 to 80 percent of cases.

2

Alzheimer's disease is not a type of dementia.

Explanation:

In addition to Alzheimer's, some of the other things that can cause dementia include previous or new brain infections, a bad head injury, stroke or multiple sclerosis. There are some treatable conditions that can produce similar symptoms to dementia, such as thyroid disease, vitamin deficiencies, mental illness or sleep disorders.

3

Visual perception is a core mental function that can be impaired by dementia.

Explanation:

To have dementia, at least two of these core mental functions must be significantly impaired: memory, visual perception, reasoning and judgment, ability to focus or problem-solve and language and communication.

4

There is one test that can diagnose dementia.

Explanation:

There isn’t one test to diagnose dementia. A physician will usually do a physical examination, ask health history questions, test memory and recommend a blood test, MRI or CT scan. He or she will probably double check symptoms and answers with a loved one as well.

5

There is no cure for dementia.

Explanation:

Dementia treatment may include medications to slow progression, but they’re not a cure. Counselling, family support and social programs can help people and their loved ones deal with dementia.

This content is for informational purposes only, and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare professional with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

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