New treatments and
preventative therapies could be developed from the findings of a trial which
aims to identify whether there is a link between stress and dementia.
Scientists at the University of Southampton will examine 140 people aged 50
and older with pre-dementia and measure how their stress levels and cognitive
function fluctuate over an 18-month period.
Professor Clive Holmes will lead the research and he explained that the study
will hopefully increase understanding of how stress response affects the brain
and the pathways involved in the progression from mild cognitive decline to
dementia.
"It will also be valuable to understand how different ways of coping with
stressful life events could influence the risk of developing Alzheimer's
disease," said Alzheimer's Society research manager Anne Corbett.
According to the charity, dementia currently affects 800,000 people in the UK
and the number of sufferers will increase to one million by 2021.
© Adfero Ltd
Dementia treatment news : 27 June 2012
