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Dementia affects various aspects of thinking and brain function, threatening the independence of the individual in daily life.
Symptoms of the debilitating disease include difficulty performing familiar tasks and language problems, and researchers have identified a new warning sign that could indicate possible progression to dementia.
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The global burden of dementia is expected to affect 82 million people by 2030, an estimate attributable to the growing number of people with dementia in low- and middle-income countries.
Impaired cognitive function is usually accompanied by a decline in emotional control, social behavior or motivation.
Although there is no cure for the disease yet, new drugs can slow its progression. Researchers have warned that the spread of pain can be an early indicator of the disease and increase the risk of stroke.
A team of researchers from Chongqing Medical University in China explained that long-term pain in multiple areas of the body can be an early indicator of dementia and stroke.
The team, based on data from 2,500 adults, found that participants with generalized pain were 43% more likely to develop dementia than those without.
The study also found that the prevalence of pain increases the likelihood of having a stroke by up to 29%.
The team therefore concluded that diffuse pain could be a “preclinical phase of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease”.
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“These results provide compelling evidence that the prevalence of pain may be a risk factor for all causes of dementia and stroke. This increased risk is independent of age, gender, status and multiples. socio-demographic and health behaviors, ”they said.
For the study, participants underwent physical exams, lab tests, and detailed pain assessments between 1990 and 1994.
The participants were divided into three distinct groups, with 374 participants classified as suffering from generalized pain above and below the waist, on both sides of the body, spine, ribs and skull.
The other participants either had pain in one or more joints or no pain at all.
The researchers then monitored the participants for cognitive decline, clinical dementia, or stroke for 15 consecutive years.
During the observation period, a total of 188 patients were diagnosed with some form of dementia, 27% of whom had generalized pain.
Of the 139 people who had a stroke, 22% had generalized pain.
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Once all the underlying health risks are taken into account, the researchers note that people who have a low level of physical activity, a poor diet, drink a lot of alcohol, are overweight or obese, are more likely to feel pain and develop dementia.
Alzheimer’s disease, the main cause of dementia, is thought to be caused by the abnormal buildup of amyloid called plaque, which covers cells in the brain.
The buildup of amyloid causes brain cells to stop functioning and eventually die.
However, researchers still hope that technological advancements will help in the early detection of the debilitating disease using artificial intelligence.
According to researchers involved in the experiment, artificial intelligence may be able to diagnose dementia using a single brain scan.
Source: Express
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