Test Your Brain at Chinese New Year
Created By RISC | 7 months ago
Last modified date : 7 months ago
Chinese New Year is just around the corner. Chinese people all around the world, and Thai-Chinese people in Thailand, eagerly await this festival to gather with their families and pay their respects to gods and deceased ancestors.
A time when everyone can come together and observe elderly loved ones highlights the value of healthcare. A decline in physical condition might be impossible to reverse, with impacts on feelings, emotions, and mental health, as well as bringing other illnesses.
If you wait until there are severe symptoms before you see a doctor, treatment will be more difficult and costly – and might even no longer be possible. Taking care of older adults in the family is critical and shouldn’t be overlooked, particularly for brain health.
Why do we stress the significance of checking for dementia in older adults? According to an annual report for 2022 by the Department of Medical Services in the Ministry of Public Health, dementia is one of the most common disorders and a major health concern among the old. The study found that about 770,000 elderly people suffer dementia, almost 6% of Thailand's older adults. The number of sufferers is also increasing year after year, by an average of 100,000 each year.
Dementia affects brain functions such as memory, perception, comprehension, language, direction, thinking, and problem solving. There are behavioral and personality changes. It also has an impact on the body, intellect, and ability to function in daily life, including the difficulty of caring for a family member suffering from dementia.
An initial assessment is critical for identifying people at risk of dementia through a self-evaluation form developed by the Department of Medical Services, Ministry of Health: https://www.healthcheckup.in.th/self-test/8
There are also popular standardized dementia assessment forms, although they require an evaluator to be present. They take about 15-20 minutes, including the MoCA (Montreal Cognitive Assessment) and the TMSE (Thai Mental State Examination) assessments.
They are specifically designed to evaluate the functioning of various aspects of the brain, including attention, concentration, executive function, memory, skills in visual relations and creating spatial patterns (Visuoconstruction), conceptual thinking, calculation, and awareness of surrounding conditions (orientation).
You can do the MoCA self-evaluation at http://www.rbpho.moph.go.th/upload-file/doc/files/12012023-110708-6436.pdf, www.mocatest.org
The TMSE evaluation is at https://www.thainurse.org/wordpress/?p=12039
These dementia tests are preliminary screenings to better understand the early stages of dementia. They enable earlier investigation and treatment to slow disease development. The tests can help see whether brain functions, such as memory or language, have been lost. But they cannot diagnose all causes of dementia and must be supplemented with further procedures such as laboratory blood testing and brain X-ray examinations to determine the cause.
Healthcare and brain evaluation for the elderly inside the family not only screen for dementia. They also strengthen family bonds and love, particularly during Chinese New Year. The festival is an excellent opportunity to closely monitor family members.
Story by Sittha Preedapirat, Senior Researcher, Brain Computer Interface, Happiness Science Hub, RISC
Reference:
https://pr.moph.go.th/?url=pr%2Fdetail%2F2%2F02%2F204159%2F