Dementia: Can It Be Treated With Stem Cells?

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Dementia Can It Be Treated With Stem Cells?

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Popularly known for causing mental decline,
dementia affects people over the age of 60, with
the risk of incidence increasing as one grows
older. Starting at 5 risk at the age of 65, the
risk of dementia rises every 5 years, going up to
40-50 by the time one turns 85. It starts
manifesting itself as the forgetfulness thats
the most common problem in old age. How else can
it be identified? Lets find out!
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• Symptoms of Dementia
• Other than memory loss, other symptoms include
• Inability to do routine tasks
• Difficulty finding the right words and names for
  everyday objects
• Abrupt mood swings
• Confusion and difficulty remembering peoples
  names and faces
• Inability to fully comprehend stories
• Loss of direction resulting in getting lost
  frequently
• Frequent repetition of stories or questions
• Regression of mental ability
• Difficulty with numbers and simple calculations
• Since the first and foremost symptom of dementia
  involves forgetfulness, many dementia patients
  and their families attribute that to old age and
  neglect digging deeper. It needs to be said that
  some people may experience forgetfulness but not
  have dementia. Hence, its important to undergo
  neurological exams, lab tests and
  neuropsychological tests to check for dementia.

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Treatment of Dementia Any complaint of frequent
forgetfulness needs to be immediately addressed.
The treatment and the success of these depend on
the source and severity of the disease. In some
cases, the doctor may prescribe drugs that reduce
the symptoms and slow down the progression of the
condition. In vascular dementia, which causes
blood clots in the brain, treatment will stop new
blood clots from forming.
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How Do Stem Cells Help Treat Dementia? Stem
cells are those from which all the cells in our
body are generated. They can become new stem
cells or even specialised cells with a specific
function, like blood cells, bone cells, heart
muscle cells, and in the case of dementia, brain
cells. Due to the small size of the cells, they
can get into brain tissue, thereby increasing the
recovery rate. The age and weight of the patient
will determine how many cells are needed. The
frequency of the treatment will be dependent on
the extent of the condition. However, current
stem cell treatments use baby stem cells
or mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) that are
harvested from the umbilical cord or cord blood
or Whartons jelly. These remain in the body and
are found in adult stem cells niches including
bone marrow or adipose tissue. Since many factors
determine the treatment specifics, different
patients will receive different treatment
intensities. It has been reported that the most
lasting promising effects are seen when the
condition is in its infancy. However, patients
with organic brain lesions also saw positive
results. If youre caring for a dementia patient,
and if youre a family member, you need to know
that genetics does play a role in dementia. In
fact, about 30 of patients have a family history
of dementia. Can it be avoided? There are certain
precautions you can take 1) regular physical
exercise can reduce the risk of dementia by 70,
2) add vitamins B12 and D to your diet 3) keep
your brain active with brain exercises 4) reduce
your intake of alcohol, and 4) avoid nicotine at
all costs.
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Source https//www.cordlifeindia.com/blog/dementi
a-can-it-be-treated-with-stem-cells/