A neurologist, Dr Temitope Farombi, has said contrary to the perception of many, dementia is much more than a loss of memory.
She disclosed that dementia is characterised by symptoms that include changes in mood and behaviour, difficulty with language and communication, reduced ability or inability to perform activities of daily living and impaired judgment.
Dr Farombi spoke at a two-day regional hybrid training by the African Dementia Consortium for the community advisory board members, for the Recruitment and Retention of Alzheimer’s Disease Diversity Genetic Cohorts Alzheimer’s Disease Sequencing Project (READD-ADSP) involving nine African countries.
She said individuals with dementia experience a decline in cognitive abilities such as memory, thinking and reasoning that is severe enough to interfere with their daily functioning.
According to her, 50 million people globally are affected by dementia, and two-thirds of them reside in low- and middle-income countries, with population ageing being a known contributory factor to the occurrence of dementia.
“Despite the changing demography, we are not matching up with what is required to stem the tide and to also stop the effect of it on our health and on the population. The total cost of dementia in Sub-Saharan Africa as of 2015, which is almost 10 years ago, is $6.25 billion and it would have changed,” she stated.
Dr Farombi said being a female, age, genetic factors, depression, low educational attainment, being born with a low birth weight, lifestyle issues like smoking and alcohol use, and vascular-related factors like hypertension, obesity, diabetes and high cholesterol levels increase individuals’ susceptibility to developing dementia.
Dr Fisayo Elugbadebo, a consultant psychiatrist, declared that behavioural problems are one of the major reasons for presentation, as cognitive impairment is sometimes misconstrued as part of the normal ageing process.
She said behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia are the most important risk factor in nursing home placement, an important cause of carers’ burden and they are associated with mortality in Alzheimer’s disease.
According to Dr Elugbadebo, the behavioural and psychological disorders of dementia include delusion, hallucination, apathy, appetite change, screaming, wandering, personality change, depression, elation and anxiety.
“In the geriatric centre in Ibadan, about 56 percent of persons living with dementia presented with behavioural symptoms. For some people, about 12.5 percent of them miss their way and this is the first symptom they present with.
“Sleep disorder was the reason in 9.9 percent of cases; irrational speech in 31.3 percent; mood changes in 2.6 percent; aggression in 4.7 percent; and change in personality or odd behaviour in 15.6 percent.”
Dr. Elugbadebo, however, said behavioural and psychological disorders of dementia can be treated by non-pharmacological treatment, including recreational activities, psychological interventions, music therapy and environmental manipulations.
In a remark, Dr Eniola Cadmus said implementing community engagement strategies will create more inclusive and supportive communities for individuals living with dementia and their carers, promoting dignity, respect and quality of life for all.
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