Dementia revisited

Dementia revisited "Total costs of care for people
with Dementia could top $1.1 trillion in 2050 "
[in the U.S. only, and in in 2018 dollars]

---Alzheimer's Association

Dr. Alois Alzheimer declared in 1906 that 'plaques' and 'tangles' are the hallmarks that cause the disease bearing his name [41 to 47]. Well into the second century since then, despite a continuos extensive and well-supported research of these elements, Alzheimer's disease, and dementia in general, still can't be cured, prevented, or even slowed down [40].

By 2050 Dementia is expected to occur every 33 seconds in the U.S. alone (nearly double the rate of the presently diagnosed disease).

This inevitably prompts to question:

Should the Cause of Dementia be Revisited?

The following information appears to have significant implication to fight for conquering the dementia plague. I thought it will be of interest since it promises a breakthrough.

Ample supporting data already available from a good number of independent studies suggesting that cerebral hypo-perfusion is the root cause of dementia [3 to 39]. However, it's incumbent on the research sphere to generate the required experimental data and to provide a direct study proof of this condition prevalence in the general population.

The proposed study sould comprise adult subjects, way younger than the
elderly [1,2]. Certain percentage of those may show brain-blood-flow which, usually, expected in dementia cases regardless of subject age or health condition [12] [20].
This percentage may, eventually, agree with the percentage of dementia cases in the general population.

Once accomplished, it will potentially prompt implementation of the simple procedure outlined below, and hence, it could prevent the onset of dementia altogether.

This procedure calls for a routine monitoring of blood-flow to the brain, similar to how blood-pressure is routinely tested. It would allow a timely clinical/pharmacological intervention to take place and correct the condition of cerebral hypo-perfusion where it occurs.

If you are in a position to influence the undertaking of such a research project (or, otherwise, can get the word out) I urge you to take action and be part of the solution for rendering dementia history.

The following is suggested as a possible direct cause of dementia: reduced blood flow in the brain is known to result in elevated brain temperature [CCSVI].
This deficiency is fairly common in the elderly, in all likelihood, and often even in much younger adults [2]. It, therefore, likely to cause an increase of the brain temperature and is liable to result in damage to brain-cells [38]. It ought to be in particular true where the condition becomes chronic and lingers on silently for years without being directly detected; way before any symptoms of dementia manifest themselves [3] [7] [13] [16] [18] [19] [21] [22] [25].

Aristotle, allegedly, stated that: "the role of the blood in the brain is to COOL the brain". Ironically, he may have been right for a change. At least this time.

Regardless whether you do, or you don't accept it as a possible cause, would you consider routine monitoring of brain-blood-flow to be of any use? Bearing in mind that blood pressure is not necessarily indicative of cerebral blood flow [32].

Monitoring brain-blood-flow can be readily accomplished nowadays. Although, being even less invasive, it could be somewhat more cumbersome of that of blood-pressure measurement. However, ultimately it bound to be just as simple as, say, taking temperature with an electronic thermometer (and not more costly at that).

Joel Tepper
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
telejt~~[delete_me]~~@shaw.ca

=REFERENCES EXCERPTS=

CCSVI, Brain Cooling and Blood Flow
Posted on September 3, 2010 by uprightdoctor

"The upper cervical spine plays an important role in the venous drainage system of the brain, brain blood flow and brain COOLING ... decreased blood flow and DECREASED COOLING capacity of the brain."
(emph. added j.t.)

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Cerebral Cooling During Increased Cerebral Blood Flow in the Monkey
ArticleinProceedings of The Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine 124(2):555-7
March 1967with1 Read
DOI: 10.3181/00379727-124-31788 Source: PubMed

"... Intracerebral temperature gradients are basically dependent upon the rate of REMOVAL of heat from the brain by the arterial blood."
(emph. added j.t.)

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Comparison of brain temperature to core temperature
J Neurosci Nurs. 2004 Feb;36(1):23-31.

"... acute neurological injury ... All 15 studies found that brain temperature was HIGHER than all measures of core temperature with mean differences of 0.39 to 2.5 degrees C reported."
(emph. added j.t.)
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P.S.

The following references excerpts were, subsequently, brought to my attention: