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Journalism of Courage
How many times have you lost your car keys or forgotten the name of the person you just met ten minutes ago? Do you remember where you had dinner last night? Have you ever wondered why the tea had no milk and sugar? Lest you think you 8216;have lost your memory8217; 8212;you are not.
According to Dr Sudhir Kothari, neurologist with Poona Hospital and Research Centre, there is a thumb rule for people who worry about loss of memory.
8220;If you think there is something wrong and cannot understand why you forget things, then you are not demented. But if a person loses insight into his/her problem and remains blissfully ignorant, it is time to worry. At least, for the relatives8221;.
And here8217;s where Pune8217;s fledgling Memory Clinic8212;set up a month ago at the Poona hospital8212;hopes to help people identify their disorder. Kothari, along with psychiatrist Dr Vidyadhar Watve, have devised a questionnaire based on the US-based ACE scale8212;to diagnose any memory disorder.
WHAT IS DEMENTIA
Dementia should not be confused with madness. It is a failure of brain functioning and not every old man or woman gets it. But yes, it does attack old people. 8220;What we want to attempt is catching it at an early stage. There are various kinds of dementia that can be treated. It could be vascular dementia which can be easily treated,8221; says Dr Kothari. The commonest form of dementia is Alzhe-imer8217;s Disease8212;over 60. The other major cause is vascular disease. Typically, it is not the big stroke but the small ones, which people may not even be aware of, that are to blame.
INDIA VULNERABLE
The WHO estimates that two out of every three patients with dementia will soon be in developing countries and warns of a virtual dementia epidemic in India. This is mainly due to an increasingly ageing population, along with hypertension and a virtual epidemic of diabetes. Studies in India among people over the age of 65 show the prevalence of dementia in India to be about 2-4 per cent.
HOW TO IDENTIFY
The central problem of dementia is that it is under-recognised largely because memory loss, the main symptom, is common in old age, says Dr Kothari. The most important issue is diagnosis. 8220;You have to talk to the patient, his family and conduct a careful examination. We see at least 10-12 patients every month,8217;8217;he says.
The questionnaire at the memory clinic helps, which includes questions like what do you forget, can you go to market on your own, can you cook, do you remember where the bathroom is and so on. Importantly, it also targets the caregivers.
It could even be your liver, not brain
8226; Dr Kothari cited the case of a doctor who had lost his memory and was totally demented.
He had suggested investigations which pointed to a liver disease. Further tests revealed a chronic liver condition which was treated subsequently. 8220;His diet was corrected and his liver was no longer overloaded. The change was amazing,8221; Dr Kothari said.
