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Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Whole Systems Dementia Treatment
T2 - An Emerging Role in the NHS?
AU - Chalfont, Garuth
AU - Milligan, Christine
AU - Simpson, Jane
AU - Shukla, Yashwant
AU - Venkateswaran, Vandana
PY - 2018/11
Y1 - 2018/11
N2 - Alzheimer’s disease is increasingly understood as a disease state determined by multiple factors and mechanisms. Besides the usual risk factors of diet, exercise, cognitive stimulation and sleep hygiene, one recent review lists a wide range of other risk factors.[1] Although non–pharmacological treatments for dementia are perhaps less known among medical practitioners, the latest NICE guidance calls for these as a first point of call.[2] An integrative, complementary or ‘whole systems’ approach is designed to activate the body’s inherent healing mechanisms and treat the root cause of illness as well as associated symptoms.[3] Dementia often precedes other chronic conditions such as diabetes and heart disease, and improves through similar pathways of diet and lifestyle changes. Therefore, targeting the causative factors for dementia would have the added benefit of addressing more broadly a wide range of common morbidities in older adults. We aim in this paper to introduce the concept of multimodal treatment for dementia (MT4D), share findings from the literature including case studies, review current NHS treatment in the Lancaster-Morecambe Memory Assessment Service (MAS), identify precedents for transformation in the NHS and offer a research collaboration as a step forward.
AB - Alzheimer’s disease is increasingly understood as a disease state determined by multiple factors and mechanisms. Besides the usual risk factors of diet, exercise, cognitive stimulation and sleep hygiene, one recent review lists a wide range of other risk factors.[1] Although non–pharmacological treatments for dementia are perhaps less known among medical practitioners, the latest NICE guidance calls for these as a first point of call.[2] An integrative, complementary or ‘whole systems’ approach is designed to activate the body’s inherent healing mechanisms and treat the root cause of illness as well as associated symptoms.[3] Dementia often precedes other chronic conditions such as diabetes and heart disease, and improves through similar pathways of diet and lifestyle changes. Therefore, targeting the causative factors for dementia would have the added benefit of addressing more broadly a wide range of common morbidities in older adults. We aim in this paper to introduce the concept of multimodal treatment for dementia (MT4D), share findings from the literature including case studies, review current NHS treatment in the Lancaster-Morecambe Memory Assessment Service (MAS), identify precedents for transformation in the NHS and offer a research collaboration as a step forward.
KW - dementia
KW - non-pharmacological treatment
KW - lifestyle medicine
KW - whole systems approach
KW - Alzheimer's disease
M3 - Journal article
VL - 8
SP - 58
EP - 61
JO - Morecambe Bay Medical Journal
JF - Morecambe Bay Medical Journal
SN - 1466-707X
IS - 2
ER -