Use of powerful medications linked to elevated risk of serious adverse outcomes including heart failure Doctors are being urged to reduce prescribing of antipsychotic drugs to dementia patients after the largest study of its kind found they were linked to more harmful side-effects than previously thought. The powerful medications are widely prescribed for behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia such as apathy, depression, aggression, anxiety, irritability, delirium and psychosis. Tens of thousands of dementia patients in England are prescribed them every year ..read more

People in routine and repetitive jobs found to have 31% greater risk of disease in later life, and 66% higher risk of mild cognitive problems If work is a constant flurry of mind-straining challenges, bursts of creativity and delicate negotiations to keep the troops happy, consider yourself lucky. Researchers have found that the more people use their brains at work, the better they seem to be protected against thinking and memory problems that come with older age ..read more

Rose Chitseko says her mother was too unwell to inform department of change in circumstance DWP warns carers who appeal against fines could face greater penalties Rose Chitseko’s mother, who is 93 in April, was always meticulous about her money. As a child during the second world war, she learned to hold on to the pennies in her pocket. It was a trait she later held dear as a single mother with bills to pay. “She was the strong, proud woman who had looked after herself and me all her life and managed her finances,” said Chitseko, 62. “It was a matter of pride that she kept on top of everythi ..read more

Birmingham Rep Expressive performances and arresting effects heighten this mother-son tragedy, primarily told through British Sign Language This drama opens with a lilting evocation of summer: a back-screen bursting with pink blossom, the twitter of birdsong and a reading of the Shakespeare sonnet: “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?” This lyricism remains throughout but The Promise turns into a quietly devastating, and autumnal, story of dementia, death and family miscommunication. Created by Deafinitely Theatre, and primarily told through British Sign Language, it is the story of a moth ..read more

Exclusive: Treatments near approval but lack of diagnostic capacity means NHS unprepared for rollout, report says What are the symptoms of dementia and how do you get a diagnosis? Hundreds of thousands of dementia patients in England face being denied access to revolutionary new drugs because the diagnostic capacity of the NHS lags behind every other G7 country, according to a damning report. After decades of research to find a cure for the condition projected to affect 153 million people worldwide by 2050, scientists have successfully developed the first treatments to tackle the underlying ..read more

Some symptoms could be a sign of other conditions so it is important to see a GP if you have concerns Hundreds of thousands face being denied new dementia drugs in England The number of adults living with dementia worldwide is projected to reach 153 million by 2050. With so many of us likely to be affected directly or indirectly, it is vital everyone can spot the signs and are aware of how to get diagnosed ..read more

More than 50 clinics will offer tests to about 5,000 people who are worried about their memory in five-year trial Thousands of people across the UK who are worried about their memory will receive blood tests for dementia in two trials that doctors hope will help to revolutionise the low diagnosis rate. Teams from the University of Oxford and University College London will lead the trials to research the use of cheap and simple tests to detect proteins for people with early stages of dementia or problems with cognition, with the hope of speeding up diagnosis and reaching more people ..read more

App-based cognitive tests found to be proficient at detecting frontotemporal dementia in those most at risk A smartphone app could help detect a leading cause of early-onset dementia in people who are at high risk of developing it, data suggests. Scientists have demonstrated that cognitive tests done via a smartphone app are at least as sensitive at detecting early signs of frontotemporal dementia in people with a genetic predisposition to the condition as medical evaluations performed in clinics ..read more

The latest advert by the Alzheimer’s Society is shocking, but it tells the harsh reality about the disease that is the leading cause of death in Britain We see a man giving a speech at his mother’s wake. It starts off as you might expect. But he goes on to tell us how his mother died multiple times in the eyes of those who loved her. When she became convinced her friends were stealing from her. When she asked him, her son, what his name was. When she looked straight through his dad. Then he says she died a final time surrounded by the people who loved her. This is the latest ad ..read more

A failing memory can be frustrating, but it may be a sign your brain is working exactly as it should Every day, people across the planet ask themselves this question, myself included. When we are desperately searching for our glasses, wallet or keys, we might wish to have a photo­graphic memory, but the truth is we are designed to forget. In fact, the majority of what we experience in a given day is likely to be forgotten in less than 24 hours. And that is a good thing. Think of all the passing encounters with people you will never see again, the times you spend waiting in a queue at ..read more