Describe neurochemical and brain changes central to dementia.

Responding to a student DQ
Describe neurochemical and brain changes central to dementia. Discuss dietary factors that may be related to dementia. With these things in mind, recommend strategies for preventing dementia.

Student Response:
Shambreka B

According to Kearney and Trull (2018), dementia involves cognitive deficits that are chronic, develop slowly, show a progressive course, and are usually irreversible. Cognitive deficits in dementia also involve problems with learning, memory, attention, language, recognition, planning, decision making, problem solving, concentration, judgment, and perceptual-motor ability (Kearney & Trull, 2018). These changes interfere with daily routines and can progress aggressively or mildly over time. Additionally, genetic predispositions can affect changes in the individual’s brain and treatment of dementia. For example, a person with neurofibrillary tangles will have enormous problems with higher-order behaviors such as thinking and memory be-cause the cortex and hippocampus of the brain are quite susceptible to this process (Yu, Boyle, Leurgans, Schneider, & Bennett, 2014).

In a journal entitled Nutrition and Risk of Dementia: Overview and Methodological Issues written by Martha Morris (2016), it was stated that:

Diets high in saturated and trans fats have been shown to increase cognitive decline and the risk of developing dementia and deleterious effects have been suggested for excessive intakes of iron, copper (in conjunction with high saturated-fat diets), and synthetic folate or folic acid, among individuals with low vitamin B12 status.

A good diet is the best prevention for dementia. The brain requires nutrients just as any other major organ in the human body. A healthy brain also affects ones mental health. Additionally, exercise would be beneficial as well.

References

Kearney, C. A., & Trull, T. J. (2018). Abnormal Psychology and Life: A Dimensional Approach (3rd ed., p. 426-438). Cengage Learning, Inc.

Morris M. C. (2016). Nutrition and Risk of Dementia: Overview and Methodological Issues. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1367(1), 31–37. https://doi.org/10.1111/nyas.13047

Yu, L., Boyle, P. A., Leurgans, S., Schneider, J. A., & Bennett, D. A. (2014). Disentangling the Effects of Age and APOE on Neuropathology and Late Life Cognitive Decline. Neurobiology of Aging, 35, 819-826

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