CBC radio host Anna Maria Tremonti conducted a wonderful interview featuring Dr. Howard Chertkow, a Professor of Neurology at McGill University.  Dr. Chertkow very clearly articulated information that it too often missed or overlooked completely.  The first point being,  nobody knows what causes Alzheimer Disease.  Without knowing a cause it is almost impossible to find a cure.  Dr. Chertkow also referenced the limited benefit offered by medication.  While medication may be helpful to a modest portion of the population, for a specific duration, they do not truly slow the progression and are certainly not a cure.  Additionally, not all people can take the medication for reasons such as adverse side effects. When covering prevention the importance of physical activity, good nutrition, building cognitive reserve and social interaction were all mentioned – thank you.  I would also like to add that these same principals are an important part of treatment, as prevention and treatment measures are very much aligned.  Twenty five years as a Registered Nurse working with older people, has taught me that an integrative approach to Cognitive Impairment/Dementia is the best approach.  Good care requires professional assessment, diagnosis and perhaps most importantly a skilled, integrative approach to treatment.  Integrative means utilizing the best of western medicine and applying a holistic person-centred approach.  Interventions can make a huge difference with how a person feels, copes and progresses. To provide this type of care requires knowledge, sensitivity and skill.  We continue to hear that Canada needs a national strategy for dementia to address what may be a Cognitive Impairment Tsunami.   I would agree but I would hope that people will recognize not only the importance of research for the purpose of finding a cure but also for the purpose of developing better quality treatment and CARE.

Ann