Leading causes of memory loss discussed at PGI meet

As part of its golden jubilee celebrations, the Department of Neurology, PGIMER held a public forum on memory loss. The function was inaugurated by Prof Y S Chawla, director of PGIMER, Chandigarh. The problem of memory loss, its signs, symptoms, its various causes, warning signs and various interventions available were discussed in detail by Dr Katrak, senior neurologist, Mumbai and by Prof Sudesh Prabhakar, Head of Department of Neurology. Prof J S Chopra was the guest of honour. Prof Katrak and Prof Sudesh Prabhakar gave talks. Various advantages of all medicines including Brahmi, role of exercise, healthy life style and a good diet were discussed in detail. People from all age groups attended the program and were enlightened about the disease which is going to be an epidemic in the decades to come.

Prof Katrak also pointed out that drinking less than two pegs a day may protect from dementia while heavy drinking may cause dementia. He also pointed out that engaging in cognitive tasks such as doing the crossword/ playing sodoku may help in delaying dementia. Dementia is the scientific term used to describe memory loss that affects activities of daily living of a person. Often mistaken as part of normal ageing, loss of memory may be the earliest sign of a dementia like Alzheimer's disease, which if detected early and properly investigated, may be treatable.

Dr M Modi welcomed all the guests and introduced the subject to the general public and Prof Vivek Lal finally summarized the whole complex problem in simple words to the general public. Dr Manoj, Dr Sahil and the whole team was instrumental in answering the queries raised by the audience. The function was especially helpful for educating senior citizens on the complex problem of memory loss. The function was attended by several dignitaries from PGI and evoked a good public response. Approximately 500 citizens from all walks of life attended the function.

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