10 Early Warning Signs of Dementia and What You Can Do About It
Have you ever walked into a room and completely forgotten why you went in there? Or what about grasping for the name of something or someone, or even worse running into someone and knowing you should know their name but not able to retrieve it? Cognitive decline has been on my mind a lot the last several months because I too am experiencing these things and wondering, “how much of this is normal and how much should I be worried about?”
The problem is that we can’t compare the way our brain works to how someone else’s might work or how it has changed relative to what it was before. It’s not as apparent as more outwardly things, such as our skin, weight, or overall appearance. Most of us silently worry about whether this possible cognitive decline will stop or ever improve, and we don’t really know how to fix it.
These are the signs of dementia or Alzheimers:
Memory loss that disrupts life
Challenges in planning or solving problems
Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, work or leisure
Confusion with time or place
Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships
New problems in words with speaking or writing
Misplacing things and not being able to retrace steps
Decreased or poor judgement
Withdrawal from social work or activities
Changes in mood or personality
Many of you can probably look at this list and identify with a lot of these early warning signs, but does that mean you have dementia? Thankfully, it doesn’t, but if you are at all concerned about cognitive decline, then now is the time for prevention.
Most of the symptoms above are existing in their advanced stages. In other words, difficulty completing tasks at home, work, or leisure may be so severe that it causes a loss of a job. Confusion of time or place may contribute to someone not being able to find their way home. So, it’s best to determine to what degree the above signs are occurring and affecting your life.
There are so many factors that can contribute to dementia:
genetics
diet
exercise
obesity
inflammation
nutrient deficiencies
toxic exposures
heavy metal toxicity
The Framingham Heart Study looked at a number of variables of all areas of health in thousands of participants and followed them for decades. We have been able to learn a lot about cardiovascular disease, stroke, obesity, and other chronic illnesses and have gained insight into what risk factors contribute to the development of these conditions.
In this particular study published in the JAMA Neurology Jan 2014 Vol 71, data provided from the Framingham study helped take a closer look at rates of dementia. 2,131 dementia-free subjects were followed for 10 years. They were over 60-years-old, and their brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) was measured as well as their cognitive function.
The findings were that there was an inverse association with BDNF and cognitive decline: the higher the BDNF, the lower or slower the cognitive decline. Specifically 50% slower cognitive decline, if subjects remained in the 90th percentile versus in the 10th. BDNF helps to repair neurons in the brain that have been damaged, supports the growth of new neurons, and enhances neuroplasticity (the ability to heal brain tissue and retrain your brain to do new activities).
So, higher brain BDNF = slower cognitive decline.
Are you dying to know what increases BDNF? Fortunately, several things increase BDNF and are totally in your control.
Exercise:
Exercise was the primary factor that increased BDNF. So, exercising throughout life will reduce your risk for cognitive decline. Walking one time per week will likely not have a big enough impact on your brain to act as solid prevention. Daily exercise, such as walking or biking or swimming, for at least 30 minutes is ideal.
Turmeric:
The anti-inflammatory herb turmeric is very helpful to increase BDNF in the brain. It can be taken either as a supplement or you can find ways to put it in your food (or both ideally!). This will help your brain stay in focused shape. 1-2 grams per day is a good therapeutic dose.
DHA:
Docosohexanoic acid is an essential fatty acid found in omega 3 foods and has particular impact on the brain. A good prevention dose is approximately 500-900 mg per day.
Alpha Lipoic Acid:
An antioxidant that also helps the health of the mitochondria of the cell, which can raise BDNF, according to research studies. Recommended dose is 60-100 mg per day.
SSRI:
Believe it or not, serotonin reuptake inhibitor drugs have been found to help increase BDNF and lower one’s risk for cognitive decline. These are drugs such as: effexor, prozac, and lexapro. I would not recommend that someone start taking an SSRI drug in order to increase BDNF but rather add in the exercise, turmeric, DHA and alpha lipoic acid as there are numerous benefits from each of these that extend beyond brain health.
