Thailand: 10% of Thai elderly have dementia
One in every 10 Thais aged 60 and over has some form of dementia,according to the results of the Kingdom’s first study on the subject.
The findings provide clear evidence that some form of brain disorderafflicts a sizeable portion of the elderly population, and offersignificant material for further medical studies that could eventuallylead to better methods for treating the disease.
In thestudy, 40,000 men and women aged 60 and over were voluntarily tested ontheir brain ability, not unlike an IQ test for children, said DrSirintorn Chansirikarnchana, the president of the Alzheimer’s Diseaseand Related Disorders Association of Thailand.
The resultsof the test showed that the incidence of dementia in the Thaipopulation is about 10 per cent, which is close to the rate in theWest, which is between 5 and 10 per cent, she said.
Usinga standard dementia test translated into Thai, the study tested severalareas of the volunteers’ memories, such as their ability to recall bothwhat they had just learnt and older memories. It also tested theirgeneral intelligence.
In addition to providing concreteevidence of dementia in Thai people, the findings will also allow Thaiscientists and doctors to learn more about the disease in terms of bothtreating it and preventing it, said Dr Chartri Bancheun, thedirector-general of the Department of Medical Services.