About 50 million people globally live with dementia, with the estimated global cost of care being US$818 billion, according to a 2017 study by the National Institute of Health. Dementia is actually a term that encompasses a range of degenerative brain conditions, the most infamous being Alzheimer's disease. As with any brain condition, the symptoms can be extremely challenging to cope with.
What is Dementia?
Dementia is a group of symptoms associated with mental and social decline, which interfere with the patient's daily activities. The affection of two or more functions of the brain is known as dementia. However, not all memory loss is related to dementia.
What Are the Symptoms of Dementia?
The normal brain functioning of the cognitive skills that includes emotional behavior and personality, language, memory, perception and thinking and judgment are all affected by dementia.
There are a variety of symptoms seen in individuals with dementia.
- Paranoia
- Loss of memory
- Problems with orientation - frequently getting lost.
- Hallucinations
- Changes in behavior and personality.
- Difficulty communicating, complex tasks, planning and organizing, coordination and motor functions
- Lack of ability to reason.
- Agitation
What are the Different Types of Dementia
Dementia can be categorized by its common features:
- Alzheimer's is the most common form of progressive dementia. People with Alzheimer's disease, Lewy body dementia and vascular dementia are more likely to develop progressive dementia. This form of dementia worsens with time, slowly causing reduced cognitive abilities.
- Cortical dementia is where the outer layer of the cortex is affected.
- Sub-cortical dementia is where the lower layer of the cortex is affected.
- Primary dementia is not caused any other disease.
- Secondary dementia is caused by a physical injury.
Causes of Dementia
The neuro-degeneration observed in dementia has long been attributed to the accumulation of amyloid plaque. The beta-amyloid protein involved builds up between neurons and disrupts brain cell function. Early efforts to reverse the condition focused on removing this plaque but their successful reduction did not result in the brain restoration that was expected.
Researchers now suggest that the most likely cause of brain degeneration is chronic inflammation caused by the buildup of senescent cells. The persistent stress that often occurs with aging, instigates a state of chronic cellular senescence that is characterized by the secretion of pro-inflammatory molecules that promote the functional decline of tissues and organs. The removal of senescent cells is now postulated as the most promising therapeutic option to restore the aging brain and actually mitigate all aging-related diseases.
It should be noted that people with dementia seldom have only Alzheimer's-related changes in their brains. Atherosclerosis from the hardening of the arteries, and mini-strokes may also play a role. Such vascular problems may lead to reduced blood flow and oxygen to the brain, as well as a breakdown of the blood-brain barrier, which usually protects the brain from harmful agents while allowing in glucose and other necessary factors. A faulty blood-brain barrier prevents glucose from reaching the brain and adds to the overall inflammation in the brain.
How Pluripotent Stem Cell Therapy Can Help Fight Dementia
Pluripotent stem cells are known for their anti-inflammatory, senolytic effects as well as for their capacity to form new blood vessels. A 2017 study1 conducted by Thomas et al. found that pluripotent stem cells were able to restore neurological function and reduce pro-inflammatory factors which concur with clinical observations of patients receiving stem cell treatment at the Stemaid Institute. It is also postulated that the reduction of senescent cells could also be via a senomorphic effect, meaning that the senescent cells are not all removed like in most senolytic applications but are rejuvenated and restored to a young state thanks to the capacity of pluripotent stem cells to change the epigenetics of aging via their DNA demethylases.
Through repeated pluripotent stem cell transplantation, one can achieve a brain environment with less senescent cells, less debris, and therefore less inflammation while the brain's vascular functions are also slowly restored, resulting in a slow but genuine restoration of cognitive function.
Stemaid Institute offers treatment protocols for patients with dementia that are tailored to their condition. Initially, a minimum of 4 weeks of repeated pluripotent stem cell injections is recommended in conjunction with brain targeting peptides. Repeated treatments over a period of time have proven to be more effective than a one time injection. Follow-up treatments are then refined based on the initial progress.
Don't Hesitate to Seek Help
If you believe that you are at risk of dementia because family members had suffered from it or if you notice early signs of dementia, you may benefit from Stemaid's stem cell treatment programs. They can help improve cognitive function, memory function, target early brain senescence, and could prevent severe neuron degeneration in the future. The sooner one acts, the more benefits one can expect in the long term.
References:
1. https://stemcellres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13287-019-1253-6
