Compassion is the key to the treatment of Alzheimer's disease, doctors said at a city hospital on Wednesday. “There is no cure to the disease. We can only slow down its progress. But compassion is the key to the treatment. Compassion is important in the treatment of all neurological disorders. But in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, compassion is the most important factor,” said Hrishikesh Kumar, head of the department of neurology at the Institute of Neurosciences Kolkata.
He was speaking at a session to celebrate World Alzheimer’s Day at the auditorium of the hospital.
Alzheimer’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that usually starts slowly and worsens progressively. The most common and early symptom is difficulty in remembering recent events. With time, the symptoms can include disorientation, mood swings and self-neglect.
“Dementia is like a basket, like fever, which can happen because of malaria, dengue or Covid. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia. Age is the strongest known risk factor for dementia. Between the age group 60 and 65, the prevalence rate is10 per cent. In the age group of 80 to 85, the rate goes up to 30 per cent,” said SidharthShankar Anand, senior neurologist at the INK.
L.N. Tripathi, director of Medica Institute of Neurological Diseases, also stressed the need for compassion in the treatment of Alzheimer’s.
Doctors also talked about the importance of early detection of Alzheimer’s disease.
“The only way is to slow the progression of the disease. Early detection is crucial for that,” said Kumar
