Today's Edition
SARA ALZAABI (ABU DHABI)
With advancing age, maintaining brain health is essential for staying sharp and independent, even with natural cell loss, and for supporting overall wellbeing.
Dr. Hanan Sheikh Ibrahim, Staff Physician at the Neurological Institute of Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, in an interview with Aletihad, shared that their one-stop clinic for brain health offers a full memory and cognitive evaluation in just under two hours.
This quick assessment is essential for the early identification and management of cognitive problems, which significantly improves treatment results.
“This one-stop clinic, led by neurocognitive specialists, geriatricians, and neurologists, provides a personalised plan tailored to each patient’s brain-related issues,” she said.
The one-stop clinic’s brain health programme is a multidisciplinary initiative aimed at identifying, preventing, and treating cognitive issues, centering on sensory, motor, behavioural, and emotional functions, coupled with lifestyle interventions.
In discussing the most common neurological issues, she noted that Alzheimer’s can develop 20 years before symptoms appear. For example, for those who are prone to develop Alzheimer’s by 60, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi’s multidisciplinary teams can predict the occurrence of that by the age 40.
The one-stop clinic assesses social history, lifestyle, and comorbidities, complemented by advanced cognitive tests.
According to Dr. Hanan, “Alzheimer’s symptoms can include mood changes, depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, or issues like forgetfulness and impaired concentration.”
Personalised care plans are provided to each patient, wrapping every stage of dementia, under the care of neurologists, psychologists, and cognitive trainers.
“We have discovered that the brain can regenerate cells. Our approach focuses on specialised nutrition and cognitive training exercises through occupational therapy,” while advocating for the importance of home care, cognitive activities, and managing mood and behaviour.
Elaborating on the cutting-edge technologies and treatments in the one-stop clinic, Dr. Hanan said: “With blood-based biomarkers, new therapies are targeting Alzheimer’s proteins. It is a game changer - early detection not only allows for treatment but also modification. Dementia can now be prevented by up to 40%.”
Technologies like positron emission tomography (PET) scans and meta-iodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) can support early detection and precise treatment for dementia, considerably improving manageability.
By utilising latest advancements such as electroencephalogram (EEG) and sleep techniques, the clinic identifies risk factors like sleep-related hypoxia that may impair memory, including those linked to anticholinergics.
According to Dr. Hanan, patients receive a thorough evaluation, incorporating neurological, cognitive, behavioural, mood, and functional assessments, conducted by trained nurses.
Consultations also address nutrition, sleep, and lifestyle, offering guidance on mobility and managing stress from device overuse.
Dr. Hanan offered a word of caution about maintaining brain health.
“Keep devices away during work as they stress the brain. Even having your phone nearby can deplete brain capacity as you wait for calls. Focus on one task at a time to avoid straining the brain,” Dr. Hanan said.
Eight hours of quality sleep, 30 minutes of moderate exercise five days a week, and incorporating a Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) diet rich in plant-based foods and omega-3s, while avoiding processed meats, are also equally important, the physician said.
Furthermore, keeping mentally active, managing emotional health, knowing the family history of dementia, and avoiding smoking, alcohol, and head injuries are essential for maintaining brain health, Dr. Hanan added.
“The philosophy now is prevention, not just treatment. At this one-stop clinic, we focus on addressing the upstream aspects of the disease rather than just the downstream. We treat the entire spectrum, but we start with prevention first.”
