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How Much Do You Know and Care About Brain Health?

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Mental Health related image Scott Griessel-Creatista/PhotoSpin

September is World Alzheimer’s Month, which means there is no better time to learn more about your brain and how to keep it healthy. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, Alzheimer’s is a form of dementia that negatively impacts memory, leading to memory loss, thinking and behavioral problems.

The Alzheimer’s Disease International website said that dementia is most commonly caused by Alzheimer’s. “Dementia is a term used to describe different brain disorders that affect memory, thinking, behaviour and emotion.”

It’s estimated that over 36 million people in the world suffer from dementia.

During this awareness month, the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF) and Harris Interactive also happened to release a survey demonstrating the average American’s thoughts and knowledge on brain health.

But how does Parkinson’s disease have anything to do with dementia, Alzheimer’s and brain health? According to the MJFF website, dementia could actually be a symptom of Parkinson’s.

Cognitive impairment in general is a symptom of the disease. And Parkinson’s is considered to be a neurological disorder.

If you didn’t know that, you’re not alone. Many Americans have limited knowledge when it comes to brain health, even if 17 percent think about their brain’s health on a daily basis, according to the survey.

According to the survey, three out of five (60 percent) Americans will at some point suffer from a brain disease. However, Americans believe on average that only 36 percent of Americans are at risk for getting a brain disease.

Many Americans (74 percent) also believe the myth that mental skills decline with age, which is not necessarily true. In fact, researchers show that certain skills can actually sharpen with age, like “social wisdom” and vocabulary.

The general population also doesn’t realize for the most part that there can be gender differences in brain disease.

Although 71 percent of Americans think that women and men have equal risk of acquiring a brain disease, research shows that specific diseases are more likely to affect specific genders, according to the survey.

For example, men are slightly more likely to develop Parkinson’s, whereas women more often develop multiple sclerosis.

Common myths about the brain still seem to persist as well. For example, 65 percent of Americans think that we only use 10 percent of our brains every day. However, research shows that we use almost all of our brains at all times.

Americans also are not fully aware of major symptoms of brain disease. For example, only 50 percent of Americans realize that loss of smell can be a sign of any type of brain disease.

In truth, all brain diseases tend to involve loss of smell, and over 95 percent of people with Parkinson’s disease lose at least part of their sense of smell.

Even with some of these misconceptions about brain health, Americans have at least a few facts straight. According to the survey, 94 percent of Americans believe that having a positive outlook on life can impact brain health, and exercise can boost brain health.

Also, 92 percent of Americans think that mood affects their health in general.

So how is the future looking for brain diseases?

Well, the study shows that most Americans (95 percent) believe that we have a chance at finding cures for brain diseases with the development of new technology. And 85 percent of Americans believe we are in fact making progress toward curing brain diseases.

Yet Americans do not really think they can help in the journey to find a cure. Only 31 percent think they personally can assist with searching for cures for people with chronic illnesses. At least the younger population (ages 18 to 34) has more confidence in its abilities as 41 percent of them believe that they can help find cures for chronic illnesses. Among people over age 55, only 24 percent believe the same.

So where do you stand? Are you a brain master, or did you learn a few things from the survey?

What do you think of the results?

Sources:

PRNewswire.com. New survey finds Americans care about brain health, but misperceptions abound. Web. September 25, 2013.
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-survey-finds-americans-care-about-brain-health-but-misperceptions-abound-225178622.html

Harris Interactive. New survey finds Americans care about brain health, but misperceptions abound. Web. September 25, 2013.
http://www.harrisinteractive.com/vault/MichaelJFoxFoundRelease_9.25.13.pdf

Alzheimer’s Disease International. About WAM. Web. September 25, 2013.
http://www.alz.co.uk/world-alzheimers-month/about

The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. Parkinson’s Disease Symptoms. Web. September 25, 2013.
https://www.michaeljfox.org/understanding-parkinsons/living-with-pd/topic.php?symptoms

Alzheimer’s Association. What is Alzheimer’s? Web. September 25, 2013.
http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_what_is_alzheimers.asp

Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. New survey finds Americans care about brain health, but misperceptions abound. Web. September 25, 2013.
https://www.michaeljfox.org/foundation/publication-detail.html?id=484&category=7 (additional study information provided via email by Sadie Smeck of Ruder Finn)

Reviewed September 26, 2013
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith

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We value and respect our HERWriters' experiences, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice, although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.