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Instant Expert: Forestalling decline
Jonathan K. Foster Jonathan K. Foster is a scientist and professor in clinical neuropsychology and behavioural neuroscience. He is affiliated to Curtin University in Perth, the Neurosciences Unit of the Health Department of Western Australia and the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research. He has also worked in the UK and North America, and maintains an active clinical practice consulting patients with memory loss and other types of cognitive impairment.
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Forestalling decline Our memories frequently fade over time, but in some people creating new memories becomes well nigh impossible as they get older, to the extent that they effectively begin to live in a “time warp” of their former selves. As many as 1 in 20 people will develop some form of dementia by 65 years of age – a figure that rises to 1 in 5 in the over-80s. The condition is extremely distressing, as the individuals concerned essentially become a shell of their former selves, and the level of care they need affects all other family members too. With the so-called “demographic time bomb” of an ageing population in many western countries, it seems this problem is likely to grow with time. For this reason, the various factors that might predict the onset of memory loss in dementia are the focus of much research. For example, studies have identified genetic factors that seem to influence memory loss in later life. Specifically, the epsilon 4 variant of the APOE gene appears to represent an important risk factor for later-onset dementia, although the mechanism is unclear. The identification of this
viii | NewScientist | 3 December 2011
and other risk factors (such as lower levels of cognitive stimulation and a higher body mass index) may help us to target individuals for screening, intervention and possible treatment. Indeed, in some of our own research, my collaborators and I have shown that moderate physical activity may help to counter age-related cognitive decline. What’s more, it now seems that conditions such as diabetes may be an important risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease – the most common form of dementia. These discoveries may lead to ways to forestall and prevent memory decline.
recommended READING Memory: A very short introduction Jonathan K. Foster (Oxford University Press, 2008) Memory: Systems, Process or Function Jonathan K. Foster & Marko Jelicic (Oxford University Press, 1999) Memory Alan Baddeley, Michael W. Eysenck & Michael C. Anderson (Psychology Press, 2009) Cover image: Plainpicture/Andre Schuster
Next INSTANT EXPERT Susan Hough Earthquakes 7 January
Forestalling decline Our memories frequently fade over time, but in some people creating new memories becomes well nigh impossible as they get older, to the extent that they effectively begin to live in a “time warp” of their former selves. As many as 1 in 20 people will develop some form of dementia by 65 years of age – a figure that rises to 1 in 5 in the over-80s. The condition is extremely distressing, as the individuals concerned essentially become a shell of their former selves, and the level of care they need affects all other family members too. With the so-called “demographic time bomb” of an ageing population in many western countries, it seems this problem is likely to grow with time. For this reason, the various factors that might predict the onset of memory loss in dementia are the focus of much research. For example, studies have identified genetic factors that seem to influence memory loss in later life. Specifically, the epsilon 4 variant of the APOE gene appears to represent an important risk factor for later-onset dementia, although the mechanism is unclear. The identification of this
viii | NewScientist | 3 December 2011
and other risk factors (such as lower levels of cognitive stimulation and a higher body mass index) may help us to target individuals for screening, intervention and possible treatment. Indeed, in some of our own research, my collaborators and I have shown that moderate physical activity may help to counter age-related cognitive decline. What’s more, it now seems that conditions such as diabetes may be an important risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease – the most common form of dementia. These discoveries may lead to ways to forestall and prevent memory decline.
recommended READING Memory: A very short introduction Jonathan K. Foster (Oxford University Press, 2008) Memory: Systems, Process or Function Jonathan K. Foster & Marko Jelicic (Oxford University Press, 1999) Memory Alan Baddeley, Michael W. Eysenck & Michael C. Anderson (Psychology Press, 2009) Cover image: Plainpicture/Andre Schuster