There is no question that finding answers to cognitive decline and the shared difficulties connected with it is an essential part of geriatrics. There is a growing consciousness of the significance in early recognition of minor cognitive loss. The challenges may include difficulty in remembering, speech, cloudy judgment, etc. The severe ailment causes not only short-term but also long-term functional degeneration in an individual’s pre-existing cognitive degeneration which is accompanied by a decrease in somatic performance. This happens due to the decline in the response period connected with the central nervous system damage. No matter what the cause, cognitive decline is related to a high rate of early mortality which is worsened when it co-exists with depression.
Psychosocial anxiety is related with negative life events such as losing a loved one, unemployment, experiencing traumatic relationship struggles etc. Alcohol and drug use is also a factor to affect negatively with a person’s biological susceptibility.
A blend of biological susceptibility and stress can lead to mental illnesses such as depression, psychosis, bipolar disorder etc. as they are the body and brain’s way of handling with stress.
There have been talks about the prospect of hormone replacement rehabilitation which may improve cognition and delay the progress of Alzheimer’s disease in an individual. Seniors with high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels have enhanced cognitive utility and incredible endurance. While there are no treatments that can cure to prevent Alzheimer’s, however, there are some factors that have been identified to protect elders from cognitive weakening.
Exercise suggestions a remarkable display of health benefits like prevention of heart diseases, diabetes, cancer, and dementia. Resistance exercises reduce brain tissue loss at the same time it helps in relieving insomnia, anxiety, high blood pressure, etc.
Diet is an important part of keeping the body and mind healthy. A diet which includes fruits, vegetables, grains, beans, nuts and moderate amounts of poultry, fish, and dairy. This type of diet is known to promote cardiovascular health, lower the risk of cancer and also slow down and reduce cognitive decline.
Sleeping pattern is also very important as having a good night sleep is known to improve the overall health of an individual. Sleeping less than the required eight hours is not good for health, as the body needs to recuperate and rest.
Social Interaction has a deep effect on the health of a person and is equally important as maintaining a healthy diet and having physical activity. Having social interactions also helps in protecting the memory and stimulates the cognitive functions as one age. Having a social network and being surrounded by people who support and care for each other lowers stress levels and also delay the onset of dementia.
Understanding dementia is complex yet important as it’s a syndrome of multiple etiologies, principally progressive in nature. Therefore treatment and recovery are minimal unless immunomodulation treatments and replacing neurons by using the mirrors neurons become veracity. Prevention is the only cure, so universal screening for risk factors and sufficient management is advised from a young age.
Considering the dependency ratio, the caregiver’s responsibility becomes huge and therefore we need more trained health workers and geriatric mental health professionals. Research should be dedicated on neuropathological variations of the syndrome and its association to clinical features that can help in screening, appropriate detection tools, strategies to follow, and suitable medication and treatment to reverse the progress of the cognitive decline.
Health policies should focus on addressing the issue right from a young age and augment cognitive reserve for people by endorsing education and thus economic well-being. The Gross Domestic Product expenses on well-being and education should rise considerably in the coming years to pause the epidemic of cognitive decline in the country.
Cognitive Decline is going to be an inevitable consequence of the ongoing demographic transition in India. However, due to lack of proper research, education, manpower, and financial resources; it is difficult to develop appropriate tools that can detect symptoms and delay or stop the onset of illness.
An effective health care model should be developed for the delivery of services to the families and patients with cognitive decline. Steps should be taken to increase awareness regarding the illness and appropriate measures need to be taken provide preventive measures thereby contributing towards a healthy nation.
“There is hope, even when your brain tells you there isn’t” ― John Green
