by Antonella Macerollo
The last day of EAN 2022 started with this interesting symposium on cognitive deficit and dementia, organised in cooperation with Alzheimer Europe and chaired by Prof. Jean Georges from Luxembourg and Prof. Kristian Steen Frederiksen from Denmark. The session was focused on several diseases potentially causing cognitive decline that are not necessarily neurodegenerative conditions.
Prof. Pierre-Jaen Ousset from France discussed the impact of comorbidities and polytherapy on cognitive impairment and falls in frail elderly patients. He stated that frailty is a multidimensional syndrome characterised by decreased reserve and diminished resistance to stressors. Importantly, diabetes has a significant role in the development of cognitive impairment and physical frailty. Ousset discussed the role of anti-cholinergic treatments in cognitive and physical impairment and the need for qualitative analysis of drug treatments.
Dr. Paolo Preziosa from Italy spoke about the cognitive decline in neuroinflammatory diseases with a specific dedication to multiple sclerosis. He presented a range of evidence supporting the presence of brain atrophy and cognitive decline in multiple sclerosis caused by the inflammatory process against the central nervous system, which lead to neurodegeneration during the disease course.
The consequence of stroke on cognitive function was dealt by Prof. Ana Verdelho from Portugal. Verdelho illustrated the European guidelines on cognitive rehabilitation after stroke, showing that compensatory strategies in the context of individual functional tasks are particularly beneficial for patients after stroke. Of note, the incidence of post-stroke dementia five years after stroke depends on age and severity of stroke.
The symposium finished with a discussion between speaker and participants.
