WEBINAR |Discussion of current risk reduction, early diagnostic & prevention strategies for dementia
Part 1: Evidence-based dementia risk assessment to inform risk reduction advice
There is now strong evidence for specific lifestyle, medical and socio-demographic risk factors for dementia. Reducing risk factors may delay cognitive decline, both in the healthy population and in those who already have some mild cognitive impairment. Prof Kaarin Anstey’s presentation will outline the modifiable risk factors which are common in Australia.
Available tools that assess risk factors and which have been rigorously evaluated will be described, focussing on the CogDrisk which is the most recent and up to date tool. Considerations for assessing risk factors in different populations are also be discussed.
Part 2 | Early diagnosis and prevention of Alzheimer’s disease
In the last decade there have been major advances in both early diagnosis and the importance of prevention for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). PET-amyloid imaging has enabled a definite diagnosis of AD premortem. The Australian Imaging, Biomarkers and Lifestyle studying of Ageing (AIBL) has played a leading role in preclinical diagnosis of AD, demonstrating that brain pathology develops decades before the onset of symptoms.
Recently blood-based biomarker candidates have been shown to accurately reflect brain pathology opening the way for the development of a cost effective and easily accessible blood test for AD. The identification of lifestyle protective factors together with early diagnosis hold promise for early intervention clinical trials for the prevention of dementia.