Aged Care Insite Issue 103 | Oct-Nov 2017 | Page 8

news Dementia needs to be redefined Professionals and the community urged to stop describing the experiences of people with dementia as ‘memory loss’. D ementia experts are challenging the way those with dementia are treated, and raising awareness of how they could be better supported in their everyday lives. Neuropsychologist Professor Steven Sabat delivered a presentation during an Alzheimer’s Australia tour recently, and called on carers, professionals and the community to stop using the phrase ‘memory loss’ to define the experiences of those living with dementia. While speaking at the event, Sabat stressed the importance of helping those with dementia make new memories and learn new things. “It is really memory dysfunction rather than loss, and therefore what we do around people living with dementia, how we treat them, can enable them to function, can support them and build, rather than erode, their confidence,” he said. “If we assume someone is experiencing something called ‘memory loss’, then we may well be assuming incorrectly that they cannot make new memories and assume that they cannot be affected by what happens to them in the here and now. “Memory dysfunction is a defining symptom of dementia, but how we treat people living with dementia can disempower their ability to remain engaged and involved in their day to day lives and activities. Our tone of voice or the way we ask a question can create anxiety for the person diagnosed and lead to that person not wanting to interact with us.” Alzheimer’s Australia chief executive Maree McCabe said it was important to erase negative stereotypes and create a community where those with dementia could focus on their strengths and feel empowered to take control of their lives. “The way we respond as a community can leave people with dementia and their carers feeling socially embarrassed and uncomfortable, but small actions can make a big difference,” she said. “If a person encounters challenges in their everyday activities, they are naturally more likely to withdraw socially and become less engaged with their friends, family and their community. “As a community, we have the opportunity to support people with dementia by increasing our understanding of the disease and the experience of the person living with dementia.”  ■ REM sleep linked to dementia risk People who spend less time in REM sleep, or who take longer to reach the REM sleep stage, are more likely to develop dementia. A 6 lack of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep has been tied to greater risk of dementia in new research. agedcareinsite.com.au REM is the last of five phases the brain cycles through during sleep. The first two include light sleep and the body preparing for deep sleep, and the next two are deep sleep stages. During the REM sleep stage, the eyes move more rapidly and there is increased brain activity along with a quicker pulse and faster breathing. Study lead and Swinburne University researcher Dr Matthew Pase found that for every 1 per cent that REM sleep was reduced in an elderly person, there was a 9 per cent increase in the risk of developing dementia. The research team looked at 321 people with an average age of 67 who participated in the US-based Framingham Heart Study, during which their sleep cycles were measured. Those who developed dementia spent an average of 17 per cent of their sleep time in REM sleep, compared to 20 per cent for those who did not develop dementia. After adjusting for age and sex, researchers found that a lower percentage of REM sleep and a longer time to get to the REM sleep stage were both linked to a greater risk of dementia. The results were similar after researchers adjusted for other factors that could affect dementia risk or sleep. Pase said this points to REM sleep being a predictor of dementia. “The next step will be to determine which mechanisms of REM sleep lead to the greater risk of dementia,” Pase said. “By clarifying the role of sleep in the onset of dementia, the hope is to eventually identify possible ways to intervene so that dementia can be delayed or even prevented.” The researchers did not find a link between dementia and the other stages of sleep.  ■