Revista Chilena de Terapia Ocupacional (Dec 2014)

Occupation as a protective factor for Alzheimer's disease dementia

  • José Miguel Aravena Castro

DOI
https://doi.org/10.5354/0719-5346.2014.35718
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 14, no. 2
pp. 149 – 159

Abstract

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Dementia is a syndrome that affects predominantly the individual’s cognitive condition. Related to an aging population dementia has increased in terms of prevalence and incidence, with the consequent impact on health costs and above all, a high impact on the lives of people with dementia, their caregivers and their families. Alzheimer’s disease is the leading cause of dementia in the population aged 60 years and over. Currently the treatment of dementia of the Alzheimer’s type aims to slow or minimize the impact on functional, social and cognitive areas. However there is growing research that focusesin primary prevention that seeks to establish causality from protective or risk factors related for example, to lifestyles, identifying prevention agents for dementia of the Alzheimer’s type. This work seeks to make an analysis considering data from the evidence on the prevention of dementia of the Alzheimer’s type, as well as to reflect on the role that the occupation of the subject as a protective factor from a preventive intervention.