As Alzheimer’s gradually erodes memory and cognitive abilities, neurologists stress the importance of prevention through physical activity, good sleep, healthy nutrition, stress management and mental and social stimulation.
Alzheimer’s disease is one of the most challenging conditions affecting human memory and cognitive abilities, gradually eroding memories and everyday skills.
Against this complex medical backdrop, the healthcare sector remains largely unable to halt the progression of the disease or reverse its course. Neurologists have therefore adopted a realistic approach focused on understanding the nature of this decline, managing its associated symptoms and making prevention through a healthy lifestyle a priority.
Regular physical activity supports brain health (Pexels)
The disease gradually impairs cognitive abilities, beginning with memory, reasoning and speech before eventually affecting a person’s ability to perform everyday tasks.
In this context, neurologist Dr George Hanna explains that “cognitive functions may decline simultaneously and at a rapid pace, to the point that a patient may lose a number of their basic abilities within one or two years.”
One of the striking features of the disease is the way memory can retain certain details while losing others. A person with Alzheimer’s may forget the name of their son or someone close to them, yet still be able to recall a smell, a melody or a feeling from many years ago.
Dr Hanna explains that this “is related to the nature of memory itself. Memory does not reside in a single area of the brain; rather, it operates through a network involving several structures and regions, from which a memory draws its various elements, including visual information, before integrating them into a complete memory.”
The ability to retain new information is often the first to be affected. A patient may forget what they ate yesterday or what they did the day before, while still retaining deeply rooted memories dating back ten years or more.
Retrieving memories through old photographs (Pexels)
He adds: “As the disease progresses, the difficulty in storing new information gradually extends to older memories as well. As for the genetic factor, it is linked to a limited proportion of cases, estimated at around five per cent and reaching a maximum of 10 per cent.”
Physical activity stimulates the brain to release chemicals and neurotransmitters that support the flexibility of nerve cells, known as “neuroplasticity.” Good sleep, stress reduction, healthy nutrition, mental stimulation and social interaction are also important for prevention.
Detecting Alzheimer’s before symptoms appear is not always beneficial, given that current medicine is unable to stop the disease. Available treatments are limited to alleviating symptoms and slowing their progression, making a healthy lifestyle the most important step of all.
Dr Hanna stresses that “tests that detect markers associated with the disease do not provide a definitive answer. An amyloid positron emission tomography scan, or ‘Amyloid PET,’ may reveal amyloid deposits in the brain, but this does not necessarily mean that the person will develop Alzheimer’s in the future.”
From this perspective, there is little point in conducting the test on people who have no symptoms, while a clinical assessment becomes essential when clear signs such as memory problems emerge.
Rest restores vitality to mental activity (Pexels)
Effective prevention lies in adopting a comprehensive lifestyle that does not depend on a single factor, but rather on a combination of interconnected elements, including:
The doctor points out that “forgetfulness or poor concentration resulting from severe stress does not necessarily indicate a medical condition, as a mentally exhausted person may be unable to perform their tasks at their usual level.”
As for the rapid advances in artificial intelligence, neurology and modern treatments, they remain more promising prospects than established realities, as medicine has yet to reach the point where it can stop Alzheimer’s.
Medical evaluation of memory and cognitive functions (Pexels)
When a patient reaches advanced stages in which they can no longer recognize the people closest to them, family members and caregivers bear the greatest burden, as the patient has lost a substantial part of their cognitive and memory abilities.
In some cases, music therapy may be used to help when there is some confusion or disorientation, creating a calmer atmosphere. However, he stresses that it “is not a means of bringing back old memories. Hearing a melody from the past does not automatically mean that the person will remember what happened before.”
Here, he returns to what he considers the most important point: “prevention,” calling for it to begin at the age of 40 or 50.
It is preferable to avoid taking medication when it is not necessary, given the potential side effects and high financial costs that may accompany it. Simple lifestyle measures are an important factor in enhancing the brain’s resilience and maintaining its health.
Family solidarity and community support are the main pillars of supporting patients, as we await what future research may bring in the form of genuine medical breakthroughs that could change the course of this battle.
The preventive measures available and the foundations of overall well-being are the greatest means of protecting memory and cognitive function.
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