Abstract. Cognitive disorders include dementia, amnesia, and delirium. In these disorders, patients are no longer fully oriented to time and space. Depending on the cause, the diagnosis of a cognitive disorder may be temporary or progressive.

Cognitive limitations can be caused by genetic conditions, problems during pregnancy, problems at birth, problems after birth, and poverty (Arc, 1999). There are thousands of causes of cognitive limitations. Most are not genetic (Ingram, 1990).

It’s characterized by problems with memory, language, thinking or judgment. If you have mild cognitive impairment, you may be aware that your memory or mental function has “slipped.” Your family and close friends also may notice a change.

Cognitive impairment is when a person has trouble remembering, learning new things, concentrating, or making decisions that affect their everyday life.

Researchers developed the diet by looking at the Mediterranean and DASH diets, then focusing on the foods with the most compelling findings in dementia prevention. Vegetables, especially leafy greens, rose to the top. In general, fruit didn’t, though berries made the list.

We all inherit a copy of some form of APOE from each parent. Those who inherit one copy of APOE-e4 from their mother or father have an increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s. Those who inherit two copies from their mother and father have an even higher risk, but not a certainty.

Age is the biggest risk factor for Alzheimer’s. It mainly affects people over 65. Above this age, a person’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease doubles about every five years. One in six people over 80 have dementia – many of them have Alzheimer’s disease.

For most people with Alzheimer’s—those who have the late-onset variety—symptoms first appear in their mid-60s. Signs of early-onset Alzheimer’s begin between a person’s 30s and mid-60s.

Many people affected by dementia are concerned that they may inherit or pass on dementia. The majority of dementia is not inherited by children and grandchildren. In rarer types of dementia there may be a strong genetic link, but these are only a tiny proportion of overall cases of dementia.

Dementia is more common in people over the age of 65, but it can also affect younger people. Early onset of the disease can begin when people are in their 30s, 40s, or 50s.

Familial Alzheimer’s disease In this form of the illness, there is a 50 per cent chance of developing the disease if you have a parent with the illness who has a confirmed genetic mutation.

The disease might skip a generation, affect people on both sides of the family, appear seemingly from nowhere or not be passed on at all. More than 20 gene variants (or regions within the DNA) have now been identified which affect – to different degrees – the chances of a person developing Alzheimer’s disease.

More women are affected by dementia than men. Worldwide, women with dementia outnumber men 2 to 1. Brain scans tell us that the rate at which brain cells are dying in the brain is faster in women than in men. Women are more likely to live longer than men.

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia. Although not all causes of Alzheimer’s disease are known, experts do know that a small percentage are related to mutations of three genes, which can be passed down from parent to child.

Eating sugar and refined carbs can cause pre-dementia and dementia. But cutting out the sugar and refined carbs and adding lots of fat can prevent, and even reverse, pre-dementia and early dementia. More recent studies show people with diabetes have a four-fold risk for developing Alzheimer’s.

Foods that Fight Dementia and Alzheimer’s

• Pears.
• Olive oil.
• Wine.
• Tomato sauce.
• Kale.
• Beans.
• Tea.
• Spinach.

Do Dementia Patients Do Better at Home? The biggest value that home care offers is that it allows elders to remain in their own homes for as long as possible. This option is far less disorienting for a dementia patient than a move to an assisted living facility, a memory care unit or a nursing home.

The MIND diet specifically limits red meat, butter and margarine, cheese, pastries and sweets, and fried or fast food. You should have fewer than 4 servings a week of red meat, less than a tablespoon of butter a day, and less than a serving a week of each of the following: whole-fat cheese, fried food, and fast food.

Pharmacists can support the brain health and well-being of older adults in the community setting by understanding age-related cognitive function changes and the dietary supplement options available that can promote healthy brain activity.

Three B vitamins are often linked with brain health: B6, B9 (folate), and B12. They can help break down homocysteine, high levels of which have been associated with a greater risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. B vitamins also help produce energy needed to develop new brain cells.

Glutamate regulators (Namenda®) Glutamate regulators are prescribed to improve memory, attention, reason, language and the ability to perform simple tasks. This type of drug works by regulating the activity of glutamate, a different chemical messenger that helps the brain process information.