John C. Morris photo: Winner 2005 Potamkin Prize for Alzheimer's research
“The Clinical Dementia Rating [CDR] is more or less gold standard in dementia diagnosis across the world and we would like the score to be adopted in a country like India which is tipped to have a substantial proportion of elderly population,” said Dr. Morris.
Implications
He pointed out that the implications of a greying society go far beyond being saddled with an overwhelming dementia caseload. “The costs of lifelong treatment can be a severe drain on resources, both at the level of a country’s economy as well as the affected families.”
The University in St. Louis was keen on research tie-ups with tertiary neurology care centres in India to develop better diagnostic and treatment protocols for dementia.
The CDR, which relied on a combination of physical examination and interviews of patient and family members, classifies dementia as very mild (0-0.5), mild (0.5-1), moderate (1-2) and severe (2-3).
According to Dr. Morris, it was imperative for the public not to misunderstand dementia — the most common manifestation of which being Alzheimer’s Disease — as a natural process of ageing.
The bouts of forgetfulness or blankness and radical personality change commonly associated with dementia were in fact serious signs of a brain disorder.
“Apart from diagnosing dementia stages in a patient, a credible bio-marker becomes all the more significant if it can predict people who are at risk of developing dementia.” These apparently normal individuals in whom incipient, but asymptomatic, changes in the brain had set in could be guided to prevent dementia.
Risk factors
According to the neurology expert, cardio-vascular health, diabetes, obesity, elevated cholesterol and modern lifestyle were the commonly implicated risk factors for dementia.
Alongside the drug regimen, psycho-social support, behavioural therapy and interventions to keep the patient active and engaged were integral to modern management of dementia, Dr. Morris said.
Research
Contemporary research was focussed on developing reliable imaging and spinal fluid bio-markers to improve dementia diagnosis, said Dr. Morris.
There was a lot of scientific interest on the protein Amyloid and its impact on the brain.
“As of now, benefits for treating dementia using stem cell therapy appear extremely remote. I would rather apply stem cell therapy for patients with Parkinson’s Disease than Alzheimer’s Disease. However, scientific research can spring a few surprises,” he said.
Copyright © 2009, The Hindu.
February 14, 2009
INDIA: Dementia rating to be introduced in India
.
Drug regimen, psycho-social support key to its treatment: Dr. Morris
CHENNAI, Tamil Nadu / The Hindu / February 14, 2009
Cardio-vascular health, diabetes and obesity commonly implicated risk factors
By M. Dinesh Varma
A graded score developed in the U.S. for detection of dementia in the elderly population was being initiated in India, John C. Morris, Professor of Neurology, Washington University, U.S., said on Friday.
The General Practitioner-friendly score which assessed behavioural patterns of a patient would be piloted at a national neurology conference in Delhi on Sunday, Dr. Morris, who is a Friedman Distinguished Professor of Neurology, told The Hindu.
Dr. Morris is here to deliver the 29th T.S. Srinivasan Endowment lecture hosted by the T.S. Srinivasan Centre for Clinical Neurosciences and Health Policy at the Voluntary Health Services on Saturday.
John C. Morris photo: Winner 2005 Potamkin Prize for Alzheimer's research
“The Clinical Dementia Rating [CDR] is more or less gold standard in dementia diagnosis across the world and we would like the score to be adopted in a country like India which is tipped to have a substantial proportion of elderly population,” said Dr. Morris.
Implications
He pointed out that the implications of a greying society go far beyond being saddled with an overwhelming dementia caseload. “The costs of lifelong treatment can be a severe drain on resources, both at the level of a country’s economy as well as the affected families.”
The University in St. Louis was keen on research tie-ups with tertiary neurology care centres in India to develop better diagnostic and treatment protocols for dementia.
The CDR, which relied on a combination of physical examination and interviews of patient and family members, classifies dementia as very mild (0-0.5), mild (0.5-1), moderate (1-2) and severe (2-3).
According to Dr. Morris, it was imperative for the public not to misunderstand dementia — the most common manifestation of which being Alzheimer’s Disease — as a natural process of ageing.
The bouts of forgetfulness or blankness and radical personality change commonly associated with dementia were in fact serious signs of a brain disorder.
“Apart from diagnosing dementia stages in a patient, a credible bio-marker becomes all the more significant if it can predict people who are at risk of developing dementia.” These apparently normal individuals in whom incipient, but asymptomatic, changes in the brain had set in could be guided to prevent dementia.
Risk factors
According to the neurology expert, cardio-vascular health, diabetes, obesity, elevated cholesterol and modern lifestyle were the commonly implicated risk factors for dementia.
Alongside the drug regimen, psycho-social support, behavioural therapy and interventions to keep the patient active and engaged were integral to modern management of dementia, Dr. Morris said.
Research
Contemporary research was focussed on developing reliable imaging and spinal fluid bio-markers to improve dementia diagnosis, said Dr. Morris.
There was a lot of scientific interest on the protein Amyloid and its impact on the brain.
“As of now, benefits for treating dementia using stem cell therapy appear extremely remote. I would rather apply stem cell therapy for patients with Parkinson’s Disease than Alzheimer’s Disease. However, scientific research can spring a few surprises,” he said.
Copyright © 2009, The Hindu.
John C. Morris photo: Winner 2005 Potamkin Prize for Alzheimer's research
“The Clinical Dementia Rating [CDR] is more or less gold standard in dementia diagnosis across the world and we would like the score to be adopted in a country like India which is tipped to have a substantial proportion of elderly population,” said Dr. Morris.
Implications
He pointed out that the implications of a greying society go far beyond being saddled with an overwhelming dementia caseload. “The costs of lifelong treatment can be a severe drain on resources, both at the level of a country’s economy as well as the affected families.”
The University in St. Louis was keen on research tie-ups with tertiary neurology care centres in India to develop better diagnostic and treatment protocols for dementia.
The CDR, which relied on a combination of physical examination and interviews of patient and family members, classifies dementia as very mild (0-0.5), mild (0.5-1), moderate (1-2) and severe (2-3).
According to Dr. Morris, it was imperative for the public not to misunderstand dementia — the most common manifestation of which being Alzheimer’s Disease — as a natural process of ageing.
The bouts of forgetfulness or blankness and radical personality change commonly associated with dementia were in fact serious signs of a brain disorder.
“Apart from diagnosing dementia stages in a patient, a credible bio-marker becomes all the more significant if it can predict people who are at risk of developing dementia.” These apparently normal individuals in whom incipient, but asymptomatic, changes in the brain had set in could be guided to prevent dementia.
Risk factors
According to the neurology expert, cardio-vascular health, diabetes, obesity, elevated cholesterol and modern lifestyle were the commonly implicated risk factors for dementia.
Alongside the drug regimen, psycho-social support, behavioural therapy and interventions to keep the patient active and engaged were integral to modern management of dementia, Dr. Morris said.
Research
Contemporary research was focussed on developing reliable imaging and spinal fluid bio-markers to improve dementia diagnosis, said Dr. Morris.
There was a lot of scientific interest on the protein Amyloid and its impact on the brain.
“As of now, benefits for treating dementia using stem cell therapy appear extremely remote. I would rather apply stem cell therapy for patients with Parkinson’s Disease than Alzheimer’s Disease. However, scientific research can spring a few surprises,” he said.
Copyright © 2009, The Hindu.
