All posts tagged: dementia

What is a ‘normal’ memory slowdown, and when should I worry?

What is a ‘normal’ memory slowdown, and when should I worry?

Published by skeptic

We all have moments of forgetfulness Craig Boylan We’ve all been there. You walk upstairs only to find yourself wondering why you bothered. You blank on an acquaintance’s name, just as you’re introducing them. Or maybe, after a frantic search, you find your car keys in the fridge of all places. Such momentary lapses of memory can be disconcerting, but they are part and parcel of getting older, and very much to be expected. “Decline in what researchers call episodic memory – what happened, where and when – is a normal part of human cognitive ageing,” says Ulman Lindenberger, a cognitive neuroscientist and director of the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin. “In most adults, decline becomes apparent in their 60s… and it affects all stages of memory, from the encoding of new events over consolidation to retention and recall.” This is largely explained by structural and functional changes to the brain that begin in middle age and accelerate from there. In a 2025 paper analysing more than 3700 “cognitively healthy” adults, Lindenberger …

Neurologist lists unique symptoms of vascular dementia

Neurologist lists unique symptoms of vascular dementia

Published by Daniella Wilson

While Alzheimer’s is the most well-known form of dementia, especially given that life expectancy continues to rise, vascular dementia is the second most common cause of cognitive decline – and for women over 60, the risks can be particularly “hidden.”  Neurologist Dr Silvia Gil, a spokesperson for the Spanish Society of Neurology (SEN), warns that poor cardiovascular health is often the silent trigger.  Why women over 60 are at higher risk When neurologists discuss vascular dementia, they are referring to a form of cognitive decline resulting from brain damage caused by vascular lesions or a stroke. “These types of lesions can be caused by a reduction in blood flow to the brain or a haemorrhage. In either case, the damage is significant enough to adversely affect not only cognition, but also the ability to manage daily tasks independently. Consequently, the individual requires support and supervision from others,” says the neurologist. © Getty ImagesManaging heart health is a critical step in preventing vascular dementia A common question is whether specific risk factors influence the development of …

Hearing loss is bad for the whole body – but new treatments are coming

Hearing loss is bad for the whole body – but new treatments are coming

Published by skeptic

CARL COURT/AFP via Getty Images I’m sitting in a soundproof booth at an audiologist’s office, wearing headphones and straining to hear some faint electronic noises. When I think I’ve heard one, I press a button. It’s really hard. Was that real or did I imagine it? Oh god, I’m going to fail… I’m here because my partner thinks I’m losing my hearing. Apparently I’m always saying “Huh?” when she’s talking to me. I wouldn’t be surprised if I am. Deafness runs in my family and I have probably been to too many loud concerts and spent too much time listening to music via headphones. If I am losing my hearing, I might well lose a lot more besides, including my mental health, my heart health and even my life. Once regarded as a mere inconvenience of getting older, hearing loss is now being recognised as a major public health issue, according to otologist Justin Golub at Columbia University in New York. It is strongly linked to issues from dementia to cardiovascular disease. Fortunately, there are ways to restore the hearing of those who are losing it. There are also promising new-generation drug therapies in the pipeline for a condition that, up …

What Families Can Do After a Dementia Diagnosis

What Families Can Do After a Dementia Diagnosis

Published by Jenni Sidey

In my clinical and coaching practice, I see many people with a friend or family member who has just received a dementia diagnosis. I often get asked, “Where do I even start?” Most people reinvent the wheel over and over. Let me save you some time. Here is where I tell my clients to start. The items are numbered, but do them in any order that seems most relevant for you. These are tasks that can be completed over the course of the first 6 months to a year of a diagnosis, not overnight. Start with ONE next step; you do not need to solve the whole future today. 1. Get the medical part organized After a diagnosis, families need a clear medical plan. You do want to understand what the medical team knows, what they are still watching, and what kind of support may help. Some questions to ask: What symptoms should we expect next? Are there medications that may help? If the medications don’t seem to be working, what is the process for …

Rumer Willis reveals the bittersweet reason why she is ‘so grateful’ amid dad Bruce’s dementia battle

Rumer Willis reveals the bittersweet reason why she is ‘so grateful’ amid dad Bruce’s dementia battle

Published by Daniella Wilson

Bruce Willis may be suffering from rapidly progressing frontotemporal dementia (FTD), but that hasn’t stopped him from bonding with his three-year-old granddaughter, Louetta. The Die Hard star’s eldest daughter, Rumer Willis, shared on The Inside Edit podcast that despite Bruce’s debilitating FTD symptoms, including declining language and communication skills, she was glad for any time that Louetta could spend with him. “I love getting to go over and see him. I’m so grateful that I have a child that got to meet him because I don’t know if my sisters will have that,” she said. Bruce shares his daughters Rumer, Scout and Tallulah with his ex-wife, Demi Moore, and daughters Mabel and Evelyn with his second wife, Emma Heming.  © InstagramBruce shares a close bond with his granddaughter Rumer added that the blended family had “rallied together” in the wake of the star’s 2023 diagnosis. “We don’t do it perfectly, but we’re always striving to continue to create connection and find ways to be with each other and support each other through something that is kind of unprecedented,” …

Simple hobbies can significantly lower your risk of developing dementia, study finds

Simple hobbies can significantly lower your risk of developing dementia, study finds

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get the Well Enough newsletter with Harry Bullmore for tips on living a healthier, happier and longer life Get the Well Enough email with Harry Bullmore Get the Well Enough email with Harry Bullmore Dementia is now the leading cause of death in Australia. About 446,000 people currently live with a brain condition that may affect their memory, thinking and behaviour. And this number is projected to almost double by 2065. That sounds frightening, especially as we age or watch loved ones get older. But dementia risk isn’t just the result of genetics, old age or bad luck. Rather, research suggests up to 40 per cent of dementia cases worldwide may be linked to lifestyle factors we can change. One of these may be what hobbies you have. So why are hobbies good for the mind? And which ones will help keep your brain sharp? The latest Lancet Commission on dementia prevention, intervention and care pooled data from many large studies around the world. Dementia isn’t always a result of genetics, old age or bad …

Ultra-processed foods linked to poorer attention and higher dementia risk, even if your diet is otherwise healthy

Ultra-processed foods linked to poorer attention and higher dementia risk, even if your diet is otherwise healthy

Published by José Betancourt

A new study provides evidence that middle-aged and older adults who consume higher amounts of ultra-processed foods tend to have poorer attention and a higher risk of developing dementia. The findings demonstrate that a slight daily increase in a person’s intake of these foods is linked to a measurable drop in attention span, even if someone otherwise eats healthy. The research was published in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment & Disease Monitoring. Barbara Cardoso, lead author and a researcher at the Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food and the Victorian Heart Institute at Monash University, noted that the study reinforces a distinct connection between industrial food manufacturing and cognitive decline. Ultra-processed foods are products created through intense industrial manufacturing, typically made from refined ingredients and packed with cosmetic additives like artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives. These items include everyday products like soft drinks, packaged salty snacks, and ready-made meals. Essentially, they are anything that is not a fresh whole food. As the consumption of these heavily manufactured foods has increased globally, scientists have …

Bruce Willis’ daughter Rumer reveals how her dad’s personality has changed since dementia diagnosis

Bruce Willis’ daughter Rumer reveals how her dad’s personality has changed since dementia diagnosis

Published by Daniella Wilson

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Rumer Willis has said that her dad, Bruce Willis, has become more “tender” after he was diagnosed with dementia. “I’m so grateful I get to go see him,” Rumer, 37, said during an interview with The Inside Edit podcast published Monday. “Even though it’s different now, I’m so grateful.” She continued: “There’s a sweetness. He’s always been this kind of macho dude and there’s like a — fragile is not the right word but — just a tenderness that maybe being Bruce Willis might not have allowed him in a certain way.” Bruce, 71, was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia in February 2023, after doctors initially diagnosed him with aphasia in March 2022. The Die Hard actor receives 24-hour care for the degenerative disease and …

Organ-on-chip project investigates diabetes and dementia link

Organ-on-chip project investigates diabetes and dementia link

Published by skeptic

Researchers at the University of Bath are leading a new £500,000 research initiative to investigate how diabetes may contribute to memory loss and cognitive decline using advanced organ-on-chip technology. The project, known as GlucoBrain, will create a miniature connected system that mimics communication between the brain, gut and pancreas. Alongside the University of Bath, the three-year study brings together scientists from the University of Oxford and Johns Hopkins University to build what researchers describe as a first-of-its-kind multi-organ platform. The organ-on-chip device is designed to track how biological signals travel between organs and how glucose levels may influence brain function. Researchers believe the organ-on-chip model could provide critical insight into why people with diabetes appear to face a greater risk of developing dementia-related conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease. The technology may also accelerate drug discovery and reduce dependence on animal testing by offering a more accurate human-based research system. GlucoBrain is funded through the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) Health Technologies Connectivity Awards programme and is scheduled to begin in October. Organ-on-chip technology targets …

Rwandan Genocide Suspect Kabuga Dies in Custody in the Hague

Rwandan Genocide Suspect Kabuga Dies in Custody in the Hague

Published by Sam Flores

KIGALI, Rwanda (AP) — Félicien Kabuga, accused of bankrolling the Rwandan genocide, died on Thursday in a hospital in The Hague while in custody, a U.N. court said. Kabuga, whose exact birthday is not known but was over 90, was suffering from dementia and has been stranded in legal limbo since 2023 when judges ruled that he was not fit to stand trial. He was one of the last fugitives charged in connection with the 1994 genocide, accused of encouraging and financing the mass killing of Rwanda’s Tutsi minority. After years of evading international efforts to track him down, Kabuga was arrested near Paris in May 2020. In a statement, the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, which deals with remaining cases from the now-closed U.N. tribunals for Rwanda and the Balkan wars, said it would “conduct an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death of Kabuga while in custody.” His trial began nearly three decades after the 100-day massacre left some 800,000 dead. He pleaded not guilty to charges including genocide and incitement to …