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December 06-07 , 2018
Amsterdam, Nether l ands
Journal of Neuropsychiatry
ISSN: 2471-8548
Alzheimer’s and Dementia 2018
1 3
t h
W o r l d c o n g r e s s o n
Alzheimer’s and Dementia
D
ementia as an irreversible progressive disease having little effective treatment
has been a great cause of concern in the fields of psychiatry, medicine
and social work. The issue has become increasingly critical over the decades
owing to the fact that while at present, globally, over 36 million people suffer
from dementia, it is estimated that this number will possibly be doubled by 2030
and more than three-times by 2050. Recent findings suggest that a rich social
network may decrease the risk of developing dementia. Post-modern societies,
with their excessive individuation and inward-looking characteristic lifestyles,
have posed a greater risk to their present and future generations in this regard.
As industrialization reaches its pinnacles, poor social connections, infrequent
participation in social activities and social disengagements predict the risk of
cognitive decline in individuals especially after middle ages. Keeping this broad
spectrum of risks and threats, the issue of dementia needs to be understood in a
wider context cutting across disciplinary boundaries. The present paper aims at
examining the influence of social networks and social engagements on cognitive
decline of the elderly population. The basic objective of this research attempt is
to study whether low levels of social engagements in middle and late life were
associated with the risk of incident of dementia. The researcher hypothesized
that active social engagements during midlife stages of the individual, having
other life-chances similar, have a protective effect from the onset of dementia.
Regular, frequent and positive social interaction and intellectual stimulation keep
dementia away to a considerable extent. The study starts from the end-point of the
cases of advanced dementia by adopting a cross-sectional, comparative sample
study method. A study sample of 200 elderly individuals from rural Karnataka,
South India, (N=200 with experimental n=100 and normal n=100) selected
through a stratified sampling technique (matched with five vital variables) was
used to arrive at conclusions on the basis of data analysis and interpretation
simple statistical techniques. The study was conducted between Jan’-Jun’ 2018.
Analysis of data re-established and re-confirmed the conclusion that regular
(daily/weekly/frequent) engagement of the elderly in mental, social or productive
activities was inversely related to dementia incidence. Low social engagement in
late life is associated with risk of dementia.
Biography
Vighnesh N Bhat, PhD, is a trained Psychologist-Sociologist
having engaged in research and teaching in USA, India and
Ethiopia. He is also the President of FCMS, Shimoga, India.
vighnubhat@gmail.comAdvanced dementia and social engagement: field notes from
rural India
Vighnesh N Bhat
President of FCMS, India
Vighnesh N Bhat, J Neurol Neurosci 2018, Volume: 2
DOI: 10.21767/2471-8548-C1-002