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A psychologist has shed light on whether cognitive decline can be passed down through generations, as more than 944,000 people are currently battling dementia across the UK. Dr Kellyn Lee, CEO of the Dementia Care Hub, has dedicated years to studying ageing, mental health and dementia.
In a previous social media post, she answered a question from one of her followers regarding the possible connection between cognitive decline and family medical history. "So, somebody's asked me this question (about dementia)," Dr Lee said, according to the Express.
"'Does it have anything to do with what you've inherited from your parents? Like my dad has heart problems in his family, and my mum's side mostly Alzheimer's in her sisters. My mother got vascular dementia.'"
Responding to this query, Dr Lee continued: "The research doesn't show that sort of the more common types of dementia, like Alzheimer's and vascular dementia, there don't seem to be those hereditary links as there are with the rarer types of dementia.
"So, the rarer types of dementia, there are genetic links between those, but not necessarily with the most common types of dementia, such as Alzheimer's and vascular."
Dr Lee's viewpoint aligns with findings from the Alzheimer's Society, which recognises that whilst the majority of dementia cases are not inherited, specific gene mutations can contribute to a small proportion of cases. This typically encompasses Huntington's disease, Familial Prion disease and Familial Alzheimer's disease, with the latter frequently called young-onset dementia.
Both Huntington's disease and Familial Prion disease present a 50/50 likelihood of being passed down owing to a 'single faulty dominant gene'. "The good news is that these kinds of dementia are very unusual," advice from Alzheimer's Society claims. "...In general, the earlier a person develops Alzheimer's disease, the greater the chance that it is due to a faulty inherited gene.
"So in the really rare cases of a person developing Alzheimer's disease in their 30s and 40s, it's almost always because of a faulty gene."
In more conventional cases of dementia, genetics contributes only a small part among numerous other factors. Indeed, it is estimated that 45% of dementia cases could potentially be prevented by addressing 14 modifiable risk factors at different life stages.
Last year, Oxford University scientists also discovered that lack of physical activity, alcohol consumption, and exposure to pollution were among the factors that could heighten dementia risk after analysing 40,000 brain scans.
Professor Gwenaëlle Douaud, who led the study, previously said: "We know that a constellation of brain regions degenerates earlier in ageing, and in this new study we have shown that these specific parts of the brain are most vulnerable to diabetes, traffic-related air pollution - increasingly a major player in dementia - and alcohol, of all the common risk factors for dementia.
"We have found that several variations in the genome influence this brain network, and they are implicated in cardiovascular deaths, schizophrenia, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, as well as with the two antigens of a little-known blood group, the elusive XG antigen system, which was an entirely new and unexpected finding."
What are the earliest signs of dementia?
Dementia is a term that covers a range of conditions characterised by persistent cognitive decline. The initial symptoms often include:
Finding it hard to carry out familiar daily tasks, such as getting confused over the correct change when shopping Memory loss Struggling to follow a conversation or find the right word Being confused about time and place Mood changes Difficulty concentrating
If you or a loved one is experiencing these symptoms, it is essential to consult a GP for guidance and support.