0:00:03 > 0:00:05It's a very beautiful view.
0:00:05 > 0:00:07It's one that I never tire of looking at.
0:00:07 > 0:00:11That's the granite outcrop where my parents' ashes are.
0:00:12 > 0:00:13Here we go.
0:00:13 > 0:00:17Six years ago, my mother died as a result of dementia.
0:00:18 > 0:00:20That's one of my favourite photographs.
0:00:20 > 0:00:24I still come to her house in Devon where I helped look after her
0:00:24 > 0:00:28until she had to go into a care home.
0:00:28 > 0:00:30Before my mother got dementia, I knew diddly about it.
0:00:30 > 0:00:33When she started to show the early signs,
0:00:33 > 0:00:36I just thought that she was getting a cantankerous old woman.
0:00:36 > 0:00:38She became very short-tempered,
0:00:38 > 0:00:40very difficult at times.
0:00:40 > 0:00:43And one day, she was particularly unpleasant,
0:00:43 > 0:00:46and I said to her, "Mummy, why would you possibly say that to me?"
0:00:46 > 0:00:49And she said, "Angela, I'd never say that to you!".
0:00:49 > 0:00:50Gone, completely.
0:00:52 > 0:00:55My mum used to say to me, "Angela, what's happening to me?"
0:00:55 > 0:00:59And I used to have to try and gently say to her,
0:00:59 > 0:01:02"It's all right, Mummy, it's just that bits of your brain aren't
0:01:02 > 0:01:04"working the way that they used to."
0:01:04 > 0:01:08You learn to be very, very patient, very understanding.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11And in your quiet moments on your own, you mourn,
0:01:11 > 0:01:15as the person that you've known is dying in front of you.
0:01:18 > 0:01:23'There are 850,000 people diagnosed with dementia in the UK.
0:01:23 > 0:01:26'A number that's set to double in the next 20 years.'
0:01:26 > 0:01:29Bob! Look who this is!
0:01:29 > 0:01:32'Some of my closest friends already have it.'
0:01:32 > 0:01:33Hello!
0:01:33 > 0:01:37'It's one of the biggest scientific challenges of our time.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41'So, I want to find out what the latest research
0:01:41 > 0:01:43'is revealing about dementia.'
0:01:43 > 0:01:44How extraordinary.
0:01:44 > 0:01:46Good morning, class.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49'And the surprising ways in which we can all protect ourselves.'
0:01:49 > 0:01:51Wo jiao Angela.
0:01:51 > 0:01:55'I'll meet people who are having to face the disease
0:01:55 > 0:01:57'at a very young age...'
0:01:57 > 0:01:58I might cry now...
0:02:00 > 0:02:05'..and discover just how close scientists are to finding a cure.'
0:02:05 > 0:02:08If they've got the genetic mutation, they will get the disease.
0:02:08 > 0:02:13They are our best hope for finding a treatment and potentially a cure.
0:02:15 > 0:02:17'I'm going to undertake a battery of scientific tests
0:02:17 > 0:02:20'to see if I have any signs of the disease.'
0:02:20 > 0:02:23These areas are called white-matter lesions.
0:02:23 > 0:02:25People can get them in dementia.
0:02:25 > 0:02:28'And I have to decide whether or not to go ahead
0:02:28 > 0:02:32'with a genetic test that will reveal my future risk.'
0:02:32 > 0:02:37If you do have the E4 form, your risk is probably ten times greater.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40There's always that anxiety. Is it genetic?
0:02:40 > 0:02:42Is it something they've passed on to me?
0:02:50 > 0:02:53# I remember you... #
0:02:53 > 0:02:57It's not until you've looked after the someone with dementia
0:02:57 > 0:02:59that you really understand what it's like.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04Today, I'm on my way to visit a couple that I've known for 30 years.
0:03:07 > 0:03:09Ida has got a birthday today.
0:03:09 > 0:03:11She's 85.
0:03:11 > 0:03:13And Bob has dementia.
0:03:17 > 0:03:18Hello, darling.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21Bob! Look who this is.
0:03:21 > 0:03:22Oh, dear! Oh, dear...
0:03:22 > 0:03:26- Hello.- She looks lovely, doesn't she?
0:03:26 > 0:03:29Oh, great to see you.
0:03:29 > 0:03:30You're looking lovely.
0:03:30 > 0:03:32Oh, thank you, sweetie. Thank you.
0:03:33 > 0:03:37When I met Bob, he had a successful job in the City of London,
0:03:37 > 0:03:40and was looking forward to enjoying his retirement.
0:03:40 > 0:03:42Do you know it's her birthday today?
0:03:42 > 0:03:43Whose birthday? Ida's?
0:03:43 > 0:03:46- Ida's birthday!- Oh, yes. It's Ida's birthday, yes.
0:03:46 > 0:03:47She's 85 today.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50Five years ago, in his early 80s,
0:03:50 > 0:03:53Bob was diagnosed with Alzheimer's,
0:03:53 > 0:03:55the most common form of dementia.
0:03:56 > 0:03:57Come here.
0:03:58 > 0:04:00Is that her birthday kiss?
0:04:00 > 0:04:01Is that my birthday kiss?
0:04:01 > 0:04:03Is it your birthday today?
0:04:04 > 0:04:07- Did I get you a present?- No. - Didn't I?
0:04:08 > 0:04:11For Ida's birthday, I'm going to look after Bob
0:04:11 > 0:04:14while she goes to get her nails done.
0:04:14 > 0:04:16And, despite recovering from a broken leg,
0:04:16 > 0:04:19she's determined to make her own way there.
0:04:19 > 0:04:23- Just make sure he has a drink every hour.- Will do.- Thank you, darling.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27- I can't imagine you cooking, you know.- Why not?
0:04:27 > 0:04:31- Well, you're a glamour girl, aren't you?- No! Of course, I cook.
0:04:31 > 0:04:35So, are you pleased the way that Ida's getting better now?
0:04:35 > 0:04:38- She's getting better? - Yes, with her leg.
0:04:38 > 0:04:42- At least she's out of plaster now, isn't she?- Mm.- Yeah.
0:04:43 > 0:04:45You say that, I can't even remember that.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48- You don't remember her breaking her leg?- No.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51She did. It was a really, really nasty break, too.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57'Bob's Alzheimer's has badly affected his memory.'
0:04:58 > 0:05:00She'll be back very soon.
0:05:00 > 0:05:04- Where's she gone?- She's gone to have her nails done.- Oh.
0:05:08 > 0:05:10Where did you say she's gone?
0:05:10 > 0:05:14She's just popped round the corner to have her nails done.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20It's just like being with my mum again.
0:05:20 > 0:05:23She had not just forgotten something,
0:05:23 > 0:05:25she kept asking things,
0:05:25 > 0:05:27and that I can see in Bob.
0:05:28 > 0:05:32He must have asked me on at least six occasions
0:05:32 > 0:05:34where's she gone, and what's she doing,
0:05:34 > 0:05:37and I've had to say, "She's having a manicure.".
0:05:37 > 0:05:39Of course, the really important thing
0:05:39 > 0:05:43when people with dementia keep doing that, you can't say,
0:05:43 > 0:05:46"Oh, for crying out loud, how many times do I have to tell you?!"
0:05:46 > 0:05:49It has to be as if it's the very first time
0:05:49 > 0:05:51you're answering that question.
0:05:52 > 0:05:56There we go, and then I'll bring the buggy up for you. Right?
0:05:56 > 0:06:00- Thank you. Are you all right? Wait to see me, look.- What have you done?
0:06:00 > 0:06:04- Have you seen her nails? - Have you seen my fingernails, look.
0:06:04 > 0:06:06There it goes!
0:06:07 > 0:06:08There we go, Bob.
0:06:08 > 0:06:10Happy birthday to the birthday girl.
0:06:10 > 0:06:11Thank you, Angela.
0:06:11 > 0:06:15'The average life expectancy after a diagnosis of Alzheimer's
0:06:15 > 0:06:17'is eight to ten years.'
0:06:17 > 0:06:19- When's your birthday?- Today.
0:06:19 > 0:06:24'Bob seems happy, but I know how hard it is for Ida.'
0:06:24 > 0:06:26It's just like having a child.
0:06:27 > 0:06:29But they don't grow up.
0:06:30 > 0:06:32I just take every day as it comes.
0:06:32 > 0:06:34You're very special.
0:06:34 > 0:06:36Well, you know...
0:06:40 > 0:06:42SHE WEEPS It's all right, poppet.
0:06:42 > 0:06:45- Some things break my heart. - I know they do.
0:06:45 > 0:06:47When I think of the man he was.
0:06:49 > 0:06:50But I'm lucky.
0:06:52 > 0:06:54And I've got so many good friends,
0:06:54 > 0:06:56and the neighbours.
0:06:57 > 0:07:00Yeah, and you've still got him.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03- That's what I said, it's a bonus, isn't it?- It is.
0:07:03 > 0:07:04- Every day is a bonus.- Yes.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09Happy birthday then, Ida, and many, many more, darling.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12- Thank you, it's a lovely cake. - Merry Christmas!
0:07:12 > 0:07:14BOB CHUCKLES
0:07:14 > 0:07:15You've still got that to come!
0:07:15 > 0:07:18'He's still got the basic Bob.'
0:07:18 > 0:07:21That is still there, that sense of humour
0:07:21 > 0:07:24and the person she loves is still there.
0:07:24 > 0:07:25But it is tough on carers.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28They're watching the person that they love
0:07:28 > 0:07:32and that they've known for a lifetime just gradually slip away.
0:07:32 > 0:07:33And that's tough.
0:07:39 > 0:07:42I'm 71, and although I feel fine,
0:07:42 > 0:07:45I do sometimes worry about my own risk.
0:07:45 > 0:07:50Apparently, people over 55 now fear dementia more than cancer,
0:07:50 > 0:07:52and I'm not altogether surprised.
0:07:52 > 0:07:56Because there's no cure for dementia, it can seem like
0:07:56 > 0:08:00a death sentence, but some people are now challenging that idea.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05I've come to a retirement community in Devon to find out
0:08:05 > 0:08:09about some fascinating research that's being put into practice.
0:08:09 > 0:08:12Wow! Oh, have you got any more?
0:08:12 > 0:08:14Familiarity...
0:08:14 > 0:08:15..breeds contempt.
0:08:15 > 0:08:20The research suggests that simple mental exercises
0:08:20 > 0:08:22can transform the lives of people with dementia.
0:08:22 > 0:08:26That's a nice simple one for you, Mary, if you can't see.
0:08:26 > 0:08:30Twice a week, Dr Jennifer Bute runs a memory group for the residents
0:08:30 > 0:08:33to challenge and stimulate their brains.
0:08:33 > 0:08:34Is that all right?
0:08:34 > 0:08:36So, we've got three left.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39Jay, swallow and chaffinch, for these three. Which is the swallow?
0:08:39 > 0:08:41That's right, well done.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45As you can see, there are all kinds of people here.
0:08:45 > 0:08:49Some are in the early stages, some are in the later stages of dementia.
0:08:49 > 0:08:53But the fun is we can all do the same thing.
0:08:53 > 0:08:57Where did you get this idea? You call it your Japanese Club.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00Yes, it's because I met a professor, Professor Kawashima,
0:09:00 > 0:09:04who showed me evidence that writing, reading and arithmetic, together,
0:09:04 > 0:09:07on a regular basis, makes a difference.
0:09:08 > 0:09:13The Japanese research shows that brain training can slow down
0:09:13 > 0:09:18memory loss, and may even reverse some of the effects of dementia.
0:09:18 > 0:09:20What sort of reaction are you getting from the people
0:09:20 > 0:09:23- who are doing this? - They love it, you can see.
0:09:23 > 0:09:24They think it's fun.
0:09:24 > 0:09:28- And also, it helps to break down the stigma, I think.- Yes.
0:09:28 > 0:09:32Because when I first came, nobody here had dementia.
0:09:33 > 0:09:35But they obviously do, don't they?
0:09:35 > 0:09:38'Jennifer isn't just helping this community.
0:09:38 > 0:09:40'She's part of it.'
0:09:40 > 0:09:43Lovely to see you in your home. Where are we going?
0:09:43 > 0:09:47'10 years ago, she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's.'
0:09:47 > 0:09:51- Oh, what are you knitting?- Knitting is one of my coping strategies.
0:09:51 > 0:09:55I forgot how to knit. I used to do Fair Isle and Aran, but I forgot,
0:09:55 > 0:09:58but the folk in the community taught me how to cast on again.
0:09:58 > 0:10:00- Ah, perfect.- You can always relearn.
0:10:00 > 0:10:02'Jennifer spent 25 years as a GP
0:10:02 > 0:10:05'before the disease struck in her 50s.'
0:10:05 > 0:10:09You must have recognised in yourself the symptoms
0:10:09 > 0:10:13that told you you had, or were getting, dementia.
0:10:13 > 0:10:15- I knew I had dementia long before. - Did you?- Oh, yes.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18- What was the trigger? - I started getting lost.
0:10:20 > 0:10:22I couldn't find my way to the surgery.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25I thought, "You've been going there for 25 years!"
0:10:25 > 0:10:26I couldn't find my way.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29I'd be coming home and I'd phone at my husband
0:10:29 > 0:10:31and say, "I don't know if I go right or left here."
0:10:31 > 0:10:34He was like, "Don't be so s..." He loved me dearly, but it was,
0:10:34 > 0:10:38"Stupid woman, of course you know which way to go!" But I didn't.
0:10:38 > 0:10:40One day I didn't recognise my husband.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43He said he'd never forget... Well, he's dead now.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46He'd never forget the look of horror on my face.
0:10:46 > 0:10:48I didn't know who he was.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51Terrifying for him and you.
0:10:51 > 0:10:53It was terrifying, yes. It was terrifying.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57You see, what is interesting, seeing you at work,
0:10:57 > 0:11:01nobody would necessarily recognise that you have dementia.
0:11:01 > 0:11:04I know, and that can be quite difficult at times,
0:11:04 > 0:11:06when people don't think I have dementia.
0:11:06 > 0:11:10What are your symptoms, then, for the dementia that you have?
0:11:11 > 0:11:13I can't remember things.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16I can't remember whether I eat or not,
0:11:16 > 0:11:18so the only thing that works for me
0:11:18 > 0:11:22is I put my dirty washing up in the sink.
0:11:22 > 0:11:24So, I can see what I've had.
0:11:24 > 0:11:28So, today, for example, I can see that I've had some cereal.
0:11:28 > 0:11:30I've had two cups of tea.
0:11:30 > 0:11:32I've had my medication.
0:11:32 > 0:11:34And then, at the end of the day,
0:11:34 > 0:11:37I'll know whether I've had any lunch, or whatever.
0:11:37 > 0:11:38Because there have been days
0:11:38 > 0:11:41when I haven't eaten or drunk all day.
0:11:41 > 0:11:45'It is having coping strategies like this that means Jennifer
0:11:45 > 0:11:47'can continue to live independently.'
0:11:47 > 0:11:49Any chance you could make me
0:11:49 > 0:11:51- a cup of tea or something? - Of course, of course.
0:11:51 > 0:11:52Now...
0:11:54 > 0:11:57I've got water in there, haven't I?
0:11:57 > 0:12:00I have these things on the wall... Do you know about these things?
0:12:00 > 0:12:02- Have you seen them before? - How to make a cup of tea.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05It reminds one how to do it if one forgets.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08- Some days are better than others. Shall I show you how it works?- Yes.
0:12:08 > 0:12:10I'll just get my iPad.
0:12:12 > 0:12:14Then I have to just tap to scan.
0:12:15 > 0:12:18'In this video, I'm going to show you how to make a cup of tea.
0:12:18 > 0:12:24'Step one, you need to get your equipment. You will need a cup...
0:12:26 > 0:12:28'A teabag.
0:12:30 > 0:12:33'And make sure you leave enough room to add your milk.'
0:12:33 > 0:12:36- That is so clever, isn't it?- It's great, but remembering to drink it -
0:12:36 > 0:12:39the number of cups of tea I find that I haven't drunk.
0:12:39 > 0:12:41Forgotten about.
0:12:41 > 0:12:42And there are a whole lot of others.
0:12:42 > 0:12:44How to lock the door,
0:12:44 > 0:12:46how to make a ham sandwich,
0:12:46 > 0:12:48how to flush the toilet...
0:12:48 > 0:12:49- All basic things.- Yes.
0:12:49 > 0:12:51You see, the general public will think,
0:12:51 > 0:12:53"Why do they need that?"
0:12:53 > 0:12:56But you do. You stand in front of...
0:12:57 > 0:13:00..something and you think, "How on earth do I use this thing?"
0:13:00 > 0:13:02It can be very embarrassing
0:13:02 > 0:13:04- if you don't know how to flush the toilet.- Absolutely.
0:13:04 > 0:13:08And how to make cheese on toast. So... It's wonderful, I think.
0:13:08 > 0:13:10- Very helpful.- Yes.
0:13:10 > 0:13:14For me, every new thing that happens that's not right
0:13:14 > 0:13:17is a challenge, and I love challenges.
0:13:17 > 0:13:20So, I then have to find a new coping strategy.
0:13:20 > 0:13:24So, when everything falls apart, and sometimes I do sit and howl,
0:13:24 > 0:13:27but I say, "Pull yourself together, girl",
0:13:27 > 0:13:30and I work out how to do it better, how to make it work.
0:13:30 > 0:13:35How do you actually feel about the fact that the disease
0:13:35 > 0:13:39that you have in your latter life is dementia?
0:13:39 > 0:13:43Well, we all have challenges as we get older, don't we?
0:13:43 > 0:13:46Some people get cancer, some people have strokes.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49I mean... We all have things that we have to deal with.
0:13:49 > 0:13:51I was brought up, and I brought up my family,
0:13:51 > 0:13:53it's not what happens to you,
0:13:53 > 0:13:56it's how you cope, how you respond to what happens to you.
0:13:56 > 0:13:58We all have choices, don't we?
0:13:58 > 0:14:01We can curl up in a ball and die, and turn our face to the wall,
0:14:01 > 0:14:05but what a waste of time, and what a waste of opportunity!
0:14:05 > 0:14:07So, for me, this is my challenge.
0:14:07 > 0:14:10But I get to help other people at the same time.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13Hello, Brenda, nice to see you. Come and sit down.
0:14:13 > 0:14:17It's astonishing that Jennifer can do the work she does,
0:14:17 > 0:14:20and yet sometimes she's unable to make a cup of tea.
0:14:21 > 0:14:25It really does show how unpredictable this disease can be.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28Knowing how you are going to cope yourself
0:14:28 > 0:14:30if you suddenly are diagnosed with dementia
0:14:30 > 0:14:34is one of those impossible questions to answer because,
0:14:34 > 0:14:37while you are not affected by it,
0:14:37 > 0:14:40you can be as positive and upbeat as you like,
0:14:40 > 0:14:42and say, "Of course I'm going to fight it!"
0:14:42 > 0:14:44But that doesn't mean to say
0:14:44 > 0:14:47that if you suddenly find that you are affected by it,
0:14:47 > 0:14:48that you really do know
0:14:48 > 0:14:52how you're going to... how you're actually going to react.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55I hope that I would do what Jennifer has done
0:14:55 > 0:14:57and not allow the disease to take over my life.
0:15:01 > 0:15:06'I've decided I'd like to find out whether I have any signs of it.'
0:15:06 > 0:15:07Hi.
0:15:07 > 0:15:11'The first step for anyone worried about having dementia is
0:15:11 > 0:15:13'something called a cognitive test.'
0:15:13 > 0:15:14Thank you. Well, come in.
0:15:14 > 0:15:17'This is how my mum was first diagnosed.'
0:15:18 > 0:15:22'Today, psychiatrist Dr Claudia Wald is going to take me
0:15:22 > 0:15:23'through the test.'
0:15:24 > 0:15:25I know lots of my friends,
0:15:25 > 0:15:29if they can't find their glasses or their keys, they'll say, "Blimey,
0:15:29 > 0:15:32"that's dementia setting in," but it's not necessarily that, is it?
0:15:32 > 0:15:35Well, forgetfulness, we have to remember,
0:15:35 > 0:15:38is actually a normal part of ageing.
0:15:38 > 0:15:40We become slower and slightly less
0:15:40 > 0:15:42efficient about retrieving information,
0:15:42 > 0:15:45so our short-term memory does weaken a little bit.
0:15:45 > 0:15:47So, what actually is dementia?
0:15:49 > 0:15:52Dementia's a collection of symptoms - memory problems,
0:15:52 > 0:15:57language problems, changes in a person's judgment, personality...
0:15:57 > 0:16:01So, if you wanted to know whether or not, for instance, I had
0:16:01 > 0:16:04the possibility of having dementia, what would you ask me to do?
0:16:04 > 0:16:08OK, so I would ask you to repeat a name and address to me.
0:16:08 > 0:16:13So, Harry Barnes, 73 Orchard Close, Kingsbridge, Devon.
0:16:13 > 0:16:16Harry Barnes, 73 Orchard Close, Kingsbridge, Devon.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19That's right. And it's repeated again.
0:16:19 > 0:16:23Harry Barnes, 73 Orchard Close, Kingsbridge, Devon.
0:16:23 > 0:16:28Harry Barnes, 73 Orchard Close, Kingsbridge, Devon.
0:16:28 > 0:16:31Thank you. So, would you be able to tell me what that is?
0:16:31 > 0:16:33That's a pencil.
0:16:33 > 0:16:35A wristwatch, kangaroo, penguin...
0:16:35 > 0:16:40If someone were to be developing a memory disorder,
0:16:40 > 0:16:43they would struggle.
0:16:43 > 0:16:44They may say, "You know,
0:16:44 > 0:16:48- "that thing that you wear on your arm that tells the time"...- Mm-hm.
0:16:48 > 0:16:52..for a watch. So, I would then assess your comprehension
0:16:52 > 0:16:57by asking you to point out which one is associated with the monarchy.
0:16:57 > 0:17:01- Crown.- And which one is found in the Antarctic?
0:17:01 > 0:17:03- Penguin.- Exactly.- Yes.
0:17:03 > 0:17:07'Claudia runs me through the whole test, which takes about 20 minutes.'
0:17:07 > 0:17:09And then I would come back to your memory,
0:17:09 > 0:17:11and I would ask you,
0:17:11 > 0:17:14can you recall that name and address that we repeated three times?
0:17:14 > 0:17:20He's Harry Barnes at 73 Orchard Close, Kingsbridge, Devon.
0:17:20 > 0:17:22Perfect. Bravo.
0:17:22 > 0:17:24OK, so, exactly.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27But again, if someone were having a memory problem,
0:17:27 > 0:17:29they might struggle there.
0:17:29 > 0:17:31'I feel quite relieved.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34'It's good to know that being occasionally forgetful isn't
0:17:34 > 0:17:37'necessarily the first sign of dementia.'
0:17:38 > 0:17:41I think probably all of us would have had slight difficulty
0:17:41 > 0:17:47remembering the absolute detail of that address.
0:17:47 > 0:17:49Can you remember it now?
0:17:49 > 0:17:52Harry Barnes, 73 Orchard...
0:17:52 > 0:17:54Is it Place, Avenue, or Road?
0:17:54 > 0:17:57No, it wasn't. Grove. Kingsbridge, Devon.
0:18:01 > 0:18:05One of the things I learnt from my mum's illness is that
0:18:05 > 0:18:08dementia isn't a psychological condition.
0:18:08 > 0:18:11It's a disease that physically attacks the brain.
0:18:11 > 0:18:13This is going to be noisy, isn't it?
0:18:13 > 0:18:16It is a bit noisy, but I'll give you headphones.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20Last year, I had my whole body scanned as part of a TV
0:18:20 > 0:18:22programme about ageing.
0:18:22 > 0:18:27The brain scans could reveal if I have any early signs of dementia.
0:18:27 > 0:18:30So, I've arranged to have them sent to a neurologist.
0:18:34 > 0:18:37While I'm waiting for the results, I want to find out what
0:18:37 > 0:18:41physically happens to the brain of someone with Alzheimer's.
0:18:50 > 0:18:54I'm on my way to one of the country's biggest brain banks,
0:18:54 > 0:18:57where brains donated to medical research are kept and studied.
0:19:01 > 0:19:03Welcome to Queen's Square Brain Bank.
0:19:03 > 0:19:05Well, what have we got here?
0:19:05 > 0:19:08'Professor Janice Holton spends her life studying the effects that
0:19:08 > 0:19:11'diseases like Alzheimer's have on the brain.'
0:19:11 > 0:19:15- This is a brain from a normal person.- So this is a healthy brain?
0:19:15 > 0:19:17This is a healthy brain, yes.
0:19:17 > 0:19:19And if you turn the brain over,
0:19:19 > 0:19:25you'll see that it has a very rounded, smooth surface,
0:19:25 > 0:19:28and you can see that these folds are very close together.
0:19:28 > 0:19:30There's not very much space in between them.
0:19:30 > 0:19:34- It's very compact, isn't it? - It's very compact.
0:19:36 > 0:19:40I want to show you half a brain from a patient who had Alzheimer's
0:19:40 > 0:19:44disease, and compare it with half a brain from a normal patient.
0:19:44 > 0:19:46Oh, I can see already the difference.
0:19:46 > 0:19:50- I thought you would see the difference straightaway...- Goodness.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53- ..when you compare.- It's immediate, isn't it? Look at that.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56You see, the size of these brains and the difference in the weights.
0:19:56 > 0:20:01This one is almost half the weight of that half a brain.
0:20:01 > 0:20:03But it... I mean, it's the appearance of it
0:20:03 > 0:20:04that is so different.
0:20:04 > 0:20:08- Yes, completely.- This is still sort of quite smooth and compact.
0:20:09 > 0:20:11And that looks diseased.
0:20:11 > 0:20:13It looks completely abnormal.
0:20:13 > 0:20:17Alzheimer's disease usually begins deep inside the brain,
0:20:17 > 0:20:20in an area called the hippocampus.
0:20:20 > 0:20:23And to see it, you have to slice the brain open.
0:20:23 > 0:20:25This brain is very delicate,
0:20:25 > 0:20:27so I need to do it with a great deal of care.
0:20:30 > 0:20:34This is the hippocampus here in the normal brain.
0:20:34 > 0:20:36And here it is in the diseased brain.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39And you can see, it's very much smaller here.
0:20:39 > 0:20:42The nerve cells have died. It has shrunken.
0:20:42 > 0:20:44This is a very small hippocampus.
0:20:44 > 0:20:46The hippocampus is responsible for what?
0:20:46 > 0:20:48The hippocampus is important for memory.
0:20:48 > 0:20:51- So, that's usually the first thing to go.- That's right.
0:20:51 > 0:20:53So that's why many patients with Alzheimer's disease start
0:20:53 > 0:20:56with memory problems, and then, as the disease progresses,
0:20:56 > 0:20:59and the changes in the brain spread to other regions,
0:20:59 > 0:21:01they begin to have other problems.
0:21:01 > 0:21:04Many of the nerve cells have died in this brain.
0:21:07 > 0:21:08'Janice wants me to see
0:21:08 > 0:21:11'a piece of the diseased brain under a microscope...'
0:21:11 > 0:21:12OK. Let's have a look.
0:21:12 > 0:21:16'..so that I can see what might be causing all this damage.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19'Using a fluorescent green dye,
0:21:19 > 0:21:22'Janice reveals something lurking amongst the brain cells.'
0:21:22 > 0:21:25It's like green snow.
0:21:25 > 0:21:27- That's right. - There's so much of it.- Yes.
0:21:27 > 0:21:31What actually is that substance?
0:21:31 > 0:21:33That's a protein called amyloid beta.
0:21:33 > 0:21:36It's very sticky, so it will clump together,
0:21:36 > 0:21:39and there it is, sitting outside of the cell
0:21:39 > 0:21:43and it's damaging all the processes and the networks around the cells.
0:21:43 > 0:21:47We all make amyloid beta in our brains.
0:21:47 > 0:21:52But in some people, it sticks together in clumps called plaques.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55Scientists believe these plaques are responsible
0:21:55 > 0:21:59for the damage that is seen in Alzheimer's disease.
0:21:59 > 0:22:01- It's strangling the cell.- It is.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04It's causing those cells to not function properly
0:22:04 > 0:22:07and will contribute to their death.
0:22:07 > 0:22:10No-one knows exactly why some people develop Alzheimer's
0:22:10 > 0:22:12and others don't.
0:22:12 > 0:22:14But the biggest risk factor is
0:22:14 > 0:22:18something that none of us can avoid - our age.
0:22:24 > 0:22:28Having a healthy brain is something I've always taken for granted.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31But, at 71, I'm aware that my risk of dementia
0:22:31 > 0:22:33is increasing every year.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36By the time I'm in my mid-80s, there's
0:22:36 > 0:22:38a one-in-five chance I'll have it.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42Today, I've got my appointment with the neurologist to
0:22:42 > 0:22:44analyse my brain scans.
0:22:45 > 0:22:50I rather hope when the neurologist takes a look inside my head, that he
0:22:50 > 0:22:56finds a nice healthy brain with everything firing on all cylinders.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59Obviously, the last thing I want him to say is,
0:22:59 > 0:23:03"Oops, there's something not quite right there."
0:23:04 > 0:23:08Everything seems to be working all right, but who knows?
0:23:09 > 0:23:12I've come to Charing Cross Hospital to get the results.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17Hello. I'm here to see Dr Angus Kennedy.
0:23:17 > 0:23:19OK.
0:23:19 > 0:23:22- Thank you.- Hello. - Oh, hello. You're Dr Kennedy?
0:23:22 > 0:23:25- Very nice to meet you. Hello. - Nice to see you. I'm Angela. Hello.
0:23:25 > 0:23:27- Good to see you.- Come on through. - Thank you.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33- Before we look at your brain... - Yes.
0:23:33 > 0:23:36..we need to have a bit of a chat to get
0:23:36 > 0:23:40a bit of information about your brain and how it works.
0:23:40 > 0:23:43So, the first thing to say is, can I be rude enough to ask you how
0:23:43 > 0:23:46- many years young you are? How old are you?- 71.- 71.
0:23:46 > 0:23:50And have you noticed any trouble with anything - words,
0:23:50 > 0:23:52speaking, memory?
0:23:52 > 0:23:55No. I mean, I do the things that I think a lot of people do.
0:23:55 > 0:23:59You know, put things down and can't quite remember where I put them.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02- Absolutely.- Walk into a room... If I'm busy doing something,
0:24:02 > 0:24:03I'll walk into a room
0:24:03 > 0:24:06and I'll think, "What the devil did I come in here for?"
0:24:06 > 0:24:08- And do you drive?- Yes. - Your driving skills are fine?
0:24:08 > 0:24:10Absolutely. Well, as far as I know.
0:24:10 > 0:24:14And nobody else in your family has commented about your memory
0:24:14 > 0:24:16- or your words, no?- No.
0:24:16 > 0:24:19And what you said does not indicate by any shape or form
0:24:19 > 0:24:23that there's any memory symptoms that I would be worried about.
0:24:26 > 0:24:30But my brain scans could reveal signs of damage before I'd even be
0:24:30 > 0:24:32aware of any memory problems.
0:24:34 > 0:24:40We can detect dementias of different sorts before they are apparent
0:24:40 > 0:24:42in the individual.
0:24:42 > 0:24:46So, this one is a sort of side-on view of you.
0:24:46 > 0:24:51That shows us the lobes of the brain
0:24:51 > 0:24:53and the sort of mountains
0:24:53 > 0:24:57and the valleys and they look as normal as they should be.
0:24:57 > 0:24:59Let's just have a look at this one here.
0:24:59 > 0:25:03This one is sensitive to blood vessels
0:25:03 > 0:25:07and it shows that there's some reaction in the white matter,
0:25:07 > 0:25:11and these little white areas are called white matter lesions.
0:25:11 > 0:25:15As you get older, from about 30 and 40, you start to develop them.
0:25:15 > 0:25:17People can get them in dementia.
0:25:17 > 0:25:19But that's just ageing?
0:25:19 > 0:25:21You know, we're all allowed to have some
0:25:21 > 0:25:25and they do not necessarily mean bad things.
0:25:27 > 0:25:31'I know from what I've seen at the brain bank, that Alzheimer's
0:25:31 > 0:25:35'usually starts in a part of the brain called the hippocampus.'
0:25:35 > 0:25:37This is the hippocampus, which is
0:25:37 > 0:25:40the sort of crucial memory structure.
0:25:40 > 0:25:44So, what would we see on a scan if there was a problem?
0:25:44 > 0:25:46So, if you had Alzheimer's disease, we would be looking here
0:25:46 > 0:25:50to see that there was shrinkage of this part of the brain.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53And that all looks pretty normal to you, does it?
0:25:53 > 0:25:54It looks fine.
0:25:54 > 0:25:56I wouldn't be worried.
0:25:56 > 0:26:00Yours looks absolutely beautiful, as it should do.
0:26:00 > 0:26:03Well, I'm very pleased with what you've told me.
0:26:03 > 0:26:04Thank you very much indeed.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09Because my mother had dementia, there's always that anxiety.
0:26:09 > 0:26:12Is it genetic? Is it something they've passed onto me?
0:26:12 > 0:26:17So, it's just very comforting and very reassuring
0:26:17 > 0:26:21to have spoken to a neurologist who's had a look inside at what
0:26:21 > 0:26:24is actually going on in my brain to tell me that everything is fine.
0:26:24 > 0:26:27Yes. It gives you a bit of peace of mind.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31There's nothing to indicate that I currently have any
0:26:31 > 0:26:33signs of dementia.
0:26:33 > 0:26:37So, I now want to know what I can do to protect myself against it.
0:26:42 > 0:26:46I've heard about some intriguing new research in the United States
0:26:46 > 0:26:48that suggests that the amount of sleep
0:26:48 > 0:26:52we get could affect our chances of developing Alzheimer's.
0:26:53 > 0:26:56So, I'm heading to Portland, Oregon, to find out more.
0:26:59 > 0:27:03Hidden away in this hotel is a sleep clinic, run by Oregon Health
0:27:03 > 0:27:05And Science University.
0:27:05 > 0:27:07And I'm checking in for the night.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11So, I want to look at the central region of your brain
0:27:11 > 0:27:14that's really precise where these electrodes go.
0:27:15 > 0:27:18I'm being wired up with a series of electrodes
0:27:18 > 0:27:22and sensors that will record my brain activity while I sleep.
0:27:22 > 0:27:26And monitor everything from my eye movements to the
0:27:26 > 0:27:27amount of snoring I do.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32All right. Everything looks great on my end. Have a good night.
0:27:32 > 0:27:33Thank you, John.
0:27:33 > 0:27:35You're welcome.
0:27:40 > 0:27:43We spend about a third of our lives sleeping.
0:27:43 > 0:27:46And the team here believe it may play a vital part in keeping
0:27:46 > 0:27:48Alzheimer's at bay.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00KNOCKING
0:28:00 > 0:28:01Hello?
0:28:01 > 0:28:04- Hi.- Hi. I'm Dr Singh. - Hello. How nice to see you.
0:28:04 > 0:28:07'The following morning, my results are through straightaway.'
0:28:07 > 0:28:12You actually slept remarkably well and almost too well, so...
0:28:12 > 0:28:16- "Too well"?- Too well, yes. You fell asleep very quickly.
0:28:16 > 0:28:19We have a measure called sleep latency, which is
0:28:19 > 0:28:23how quickly you fall asleep and you slept in 4.5 minutes.
0:28:23 > 0:28:24Wow.
0:28:24 > 0:28:27So, have you been sleep-deprived lately?
0:28:27 > 0:28:29I don't think I've been deprived of sleep,
0:28:29 > 0:28:31but my body clock has been all over the place.
0:28:31 > 0:28:34And do you have any other sleep complaints, so snoring or...?
0:28:34 > 0:28:36As far as I know, I don't snore.
0:28:36 > 0:28:40OK. We detected some mild snoring.
0:28:40 > 0:28:42Some mild vibration from the snoring channel.
0:28:42 > 0:28:45It sounds like that doesn't ever wake you up, snoring arousals,
0:28:45 > 0:28:49- gasping for air or choking for air, anything like that?- No, no.
0:28:49 > 0:28:51You slept for just over six hours total.
0:28:51 > 0:28:55So, it makes me wonder if you need to try to sleep a little bit more,
0:28:55 > 0:28:58- actually.- Thank you very much indeed. Thank you.
0:28:58 > 0:29:02'To find out why this matters, I catch up with neuroscientist
0:29:02 > 0:29:05'Dr Jeff Iliff in the control room next door.'
0:29:05 > 0:29:08All of us know that if you don't get a good night's sleep,
0:29:08 > 0:29:12you wake up the next morning and your brain is murky
0:29:12 > 0:29:14and you can't think correctly and you make some bad decisions
0:29:14 > 0:29:16and your reflexes are slow.
0:29:16 > 0:29:18But what we haven't really known in
0:29:18 > 0:29:21neuroscience is necessarily why that is.
0:29:21 > 0:29:24Why does sleep itself seem to refresh the mind
0:29:24 > 0:29:28and sort of clear your brain so that you can function properly?
0:29:28 > 0:29:31'Jeff thinks that he may have found the answer.
0:29:31 > 0:29:34'He's been imaging the brains of mice
0:29:34 > 0:29:37'and he's discovered something remarkable.
0:29:37 > 0:29:41'The brain physically cleans itself during sleep.'
0:29:41 > 0:29:45We can actually image inside the brain of a mouse while it's awake.
0:29:45 > 0:29:49While the animal's awake, it doesn't do anything.
0:29:49 > 0:29:51But then if that animal goes to sleep,
0:29:51 > 0:29:55you see that something totally different is happening.
0:29:55 > 0:29:59Fluid from the outside of the brain is actually moving into the brain,
0:29:59 > 0:30:03and then it begins to wash through the spaces between the brain cells.
0:30:03 > 0:30:06So, it's actually cleaning away
0:30:06 > 0:30:09the waste and the proteins in between the brain's cells.
0:30:09 > 0:30:13One of the proteins that's being cleared away during sleep is
0:30:13 > 0:30:16the protein amyloid beta,
0:30:16 > 0:30:19the protein that builds up in the spaces between brain cells
0:30:19 > 0:30:22in people with Alzheimer's disease.
0:30:22 > 0:30:24That is extraordinary.
0:30:26 > 0:30:30The basic message here is get a good night's sleep.
0:30:30 > 0:30:33I think the science isn't yet in a place where we can say
0:30:33 > 0:30:36if you sleep better, you won't get Alzheimer's disease,
0:30:36 > 0:30:39but it's possible that, you know, just getting a good night's sleep,
0:30:39 > 0:30:43it may well be one way to change the course of the disease.
0:30:43 > 0:30:45I've never had a problem sleeping
0:30:45 > 0:30:48but perhaps I've not been getting enough of it.
0:30:48 > 0:30:51For years now, I've worked on six hours' sleep
0:30:51 > 0:30:55so maybe it's time to change some of my habits.
0:30:55 > 0:30:58I think we all know that if we exercise and eat well
0:30:58 > 0:31:01and don't smoke or drink to excess
0:31:01 > 0:31:05that our physical bodies are going to last that little bit longer.
0:31:05 > 0:31:07Do we really think about our brains?
0:31:07 > 0:31:12Something as simple as how much sleep you get!
0:31:12 > 0:31:15It's just given me a whole new way of thinking
0:31:15 > 0:31:21about lifestyle possibilities as a way in which we can fight dementia.
0:31:24 > 0:31:27There are lifestyle choices we can all make that will
0:31:27 > 0:31:30reduce our risk of getting dementia.
0:31:30 > 0:31:33Eating a good diet and getting plenty of exercise
0:31:33 > 0:31:36have been shown to help keep our brains healthy.
0:31:37 > 0:31:39But I'm concerned that there may be other risks
0:31:39 > 0:31:41that are out of my control.
0:31:44 > 0:31:45Like many people,
0:31:45 > 0:31:49I sometimes worry that dementia might run in the family.
0:31:49 > 0:31:52It may not have been just my mum who had it.
0:31:53 > 0:31:55I suspect that my father
0:31:55 > 0:31:59was beginning to show the early signs of dementia.
0:31:59 > 0:32:03In that last year before he died, he would suddenly lose his temper,
0:32:03 > 0:32:07get very, very cross about things, which was so unlike him...
0:32:08 > 0:32:13..and I recognise that as one of the possible early signs of dementia.
0:32:15 > 0:32:18There is now a genetic test that can look at a person's
0:32:18 > 0:32:20risk of getting Alzheimer's.
0:32:21 > 0:32:24I'm in a position where I can find out,
0:32:24 > 0:32:27not whether or not I'm going to get it,
0:32:27 > 0:32:30but what the risk is that I MIGHT develop it.
0:32:32 > 0:32:34The test has only been around a few years
0:32:34 > 0:32:36and it's not available on the NHS.
0:32:38 > 0:32:40'There is no cure for Alzheimer's
0:32:40 > 0:32:44'so a test like this can cause a lot of anxiety.'
0:32:44 > 0:32:46- Thank you very much indeed. Hello, Dr Perry.- Richard Perry.
0:32:46 > 0:32:47Nice to see you.
0:32:47 > 0:32:51'Dr Richard Perry wants to make absolutely sure
0:32:51 > 0:32:52'I know what I'm getting into.'
0:32:52 > 0:32:56Is it family history that's sort of made you concerned about it?
0:32:56 > 0:33:00- Is that what's sort of brought on thinking about a genetic test?- Yes.
0:33:00 > 0:33:04- My mother was diagnosed. I suspect my father had the symptoms.- Right.
0:33:04 > 0:33:07So, I suppose it's a kind of fail-safe for me.
0:33:07 > 0:33:09- I would rather know than not.- Right.
0:33:09 > 0:33:12For people who have a family member in their 80s
0:33:12 > 0:33:15who've suffered from a dementia,
0:33:15 > 0:33:18particularly if it's Alzheimer's disease,
0:33:18 > 0:33:21that doesn't really increase the risk greatly
0:33:21 > 0:33:23for one of their children.
0:33:23 > 0:33:27The main risk for developing Alzheimer's disease is age,
0:33:27 > 0:33:28getting older.
0:33:28 > 0:33:31This particular test is a blood test
0:33:31 > 0:33:34and it looks for a gene called APOE.
0:33:35 > 0:33:38And the gene test comes back as saying
0:33:38 > 0:33:42whether or not the person is carrying different forms
0:33:42 > 0:33:46of APOE, whether it is what's called an E4, an E3 or an E2.
0:33:46 > 0:33:48And the difference between them is...?
0:33:48 > 0:33:51The difference between them is that E4 increases your risk
0:33:51 > 0:33:55of Alzheimer's disease and E2 decreases your risk.
0:33:55 > 0:33:57If you do have the E4 form,
0:33:57 > 0:33:59then your risk is probably
0:33:59 > 0:34:02ten times greater than average.
0:34:03 > 0:34:05So, what we have to do now?
0:34:05 > 0:34:07You know, the important thing about all tests
0:34:07 > 0:34:12is that you're going to use the information to do something with it,
0:34:12 > 0:34:14otherwise why would you do the test?
0:34:14 > 0:34:18It gives you an opportunity to make one or two lifestyle changes
0:34:18 > 0:34:20which would actually help the situation, presumably.
0:34:20 > 0:34:23Well, yes, but then on the other side you could say,
0:34:23 > 0:34:25"Well, why not make those lifestyle changes
0:34:25 > 0:34:27"without knowing any of the risk?"
0:34:27 > 0:34:30- Anyway...- Yeah.- I would still probably want to know, I think.
0:34:30 > 0:34:33But the test isn't going to tell you.
0:34:34 > 0:34:37No, it's going to tell me if there is a increased possibility of it
0:34:37 > 0:34:40and I would rather be prepared for the unknown
0:34:40 > 0:34:44rather than find that it comes up and bites me on the bum.
0:34:44 > 0:34:48Have a little think about what we've talked about today and just sort
0:34:48 > 0:34:53of trust your instincts on what you think's the right thing to do.
0:34:55 > 0:34:57'Before I leave, I give a blood sample.'
0:34:58 > 0:35:00It's a good, healthy colour.
0:35:00 > 0:35:03'I agree that I will phone Dr Perry in a few days' time
0:35:03 > 0:35:08'with my decision about whether or not I want the sample tested.
0:35:08 > 0:35:10'If I do decide to take the test,
0:35:10 > 0:35:13'it still won't tell me if I'm going to get Alzheimer's,
0:35:13 > 0:35:15'only the risk that I might.'
0:35:17 > 0:35:20But there's a small group of people who know for certain
0:35:20 > 0:35:22that they will develop the disease.
0:35:24 > 0:35:26About 400 families around the world
0:35:26 > 0:35:30carry an incredibly rare faulty gene.
0:35:30 > 0:35:35It causes a form of Alzheimer's that strikes people as young as 30.
0:35:35 > 0:35:39Chris Graham is from one of those families.
0:35:39 > 0:35:41His brother inherited the faulty gene
0:35:41 > 0:35:44and developed Alzheimer's at the age of just 37.
0:35:47 > 0:35:51For the last six months, Chris has been cycling 16,000 miles
0:35:51 > 0:35:56around North America to raise money for Alzheimer's research.
0:35:56 > 0:35:57Morning, all. Hope all is well.
0:35:57 > 0:36:01Everyone back in the UK and around the world, quick update.
0:36:01 > 0:36:03Hopefully the weather will hold out but, as you can see,
0:36:03 > 0:36:07it's cloudy and I'm expecting some rain.
0:36:07 > 0:36:10I've come to Baltimore to meet him on his epic journey.
0:36:12 > 0:36:16Chris, hi. Gosh, that was a bit of a tough climb up there, wasn't it?
0:36:16 > 0:36:18- Nice to meet you. - Hi! And you, too. Well!
0:36:20 > 0:36:23- This is me and my brother, Tony. - Yeah.- This is on his 40th birthday.
0:36:23 > 0:36:27- Yeah, so he had some signs of it, yeah.- Yeah.
0:36:27 > 0:36:29How has his condition deteriorated?
0:36:29 > 0:36:32Now, he's bedridden, in his bed,
0:36:32 > 0:36:35he's fed through a drip in his stomach.
0:36:35 > 0:36:39He can make small, small noises,
0:36:39 > 0:36:42but that's it, he's not in a good way.
0:36:43 > 0:36:45Yeah.
0:36:45 > 0:36:46Can you talk to him?
0:36:51 > 0:36:55'Chris and Tony's farmer died of Alzheimer's at the age of 42,
0:36:55 > 0:36:58'when Chris was just a child.'
0:36:58 > 0:37:00Was it recognised? Was it diagnosed in your dad?
0:37:00 > 0:37:04I'm not sure. I was so young I literally do not remember.
0:37:04 > 0:37:07I remember one incident where he was in the house
0:37:07 > 0:37:10and he went for a drink but he was drinking washing-up liquid.
0:37:10 > 0:37:13- And then they took him away and that's all I remember.- Yeah.
0:37:13 > 0:37:14I remember nothing else.
0:37:14 > 0:37:17Do you know anything about how the gene is passed down?
0:37:17 > 0:37:21I believe literally when my mum and dad were making me,
0:37:21 > 0:37:23it was literally potluck, a 50-50 chance.
0:37:27 > 0:37:30Chris has also inherited the gene
0:37:30 > 0:37:33and knows for certain that he will get Alzheimer's.
0:37:34 > 0:37:37He already has the early symptoms.
0:37:38 > 0:37:41At the moment, you wouldn't notice I'd got it
0:37:41 > 0:37:43but I have got some memory issues.
0:37:43 > 0:37:46But I do a lot of things, like if I was to give your shopping list,
0:37:46 > 0:37:48you'd write a list down, wouldn't you? Well, I do exactly the same.
0:37:48 > 0:37:50I might just do it more than you.
0:37:50 > 0:37:54If you give me some directions, I might not remember all the ones
0:37:54 > 0:37:56you remember but, again, I use notes.
0:37:56 > 0:37:58Whether I go left, right, you know.
0:37:58 > 0:38:00So, they're the little things at the moment I'm seeing,
0:38:00 > 0:38:03but I'm just trying to be positive.
0:38:03 > 0:38:05And, you know, you live in hope.
0:38:09 > 0:38:14In December 2015, Chris finally completed his charity bike ride.
0:38:18 > 0:38:22So far, he has raised £40,000 towards scientific research.
0:38:23 > 0:38:28And it's research that can't come soon enough for his family
0:38:28 > 0:38:32because Chris may have passed the faulty gene on to his son.
0:38:36 > 0:38:40Dexter was born ten months ago, after an unplanned pregnancy.
0:38:41 > 0:38:44To find out I was expecting
0:38:44 > 0:38:47it was just a complete and utter shock, to be honest.
0:38:47 > 0:38:49He might have it, he might not. He's got a 50-50 chance.
0:38:49 > 0:38:53But we won't even get him tested. You're not allowed to. So...
0:38:53 > 0:38:55- He has to make that decision when he's 18.- Yeah.
0:38:55 > 0:38:58- He's got a 50% chance of being healthy.- Yeah.
0:38:58 > 0:39:01- That's the way we had to look at it.- Yeah.
0:39:01 > 0:39:05- And...- If he's got it, you know, before it kicks in,
0:39:05 > 0:39:08which is, in my family, promptly around the mid-30s,
0:39:08 > 0:39:13modern medicine would be light years ahead of what it is today.
0:39:13 > 0:39:16You know, we don't know if a cure's going to come in time for Chris,
0:39:16 > 0:39:20but we're pretty hopeful there'll be one in time for Dexter if...
0:39:20 > 0:39:23IF he carries the gene, as well.
0:39:25 > 0:39:30Families in this awful situation face an uncertain future,
0:39:30 > 0:39:35but they could also be the key to finding a cure for Alzheimer's.
0:39:38 > 0:39:41Here at the National Hospital For Neurology And Neurosurgery,
0:39:41 > 0:39:44families affected by the faulty gene are taking part
0:39:44 > 0:39:46in a ground-breaking drug trial.
0:39:46 > 0:39:48Name and date of birth, darling.
0:39:48 > 0:39:50Sophie Leggett...
0:39:50 > 0:39:52- And no allergies.- Lovely.
0:39:53 > 0:39:57Sophie also comes from a family that carries the faulty gene
0:39:57 > 0:40:02and she's part of the test on the experimental new drug.
0:40:02 > 0:40:05I've met a lot of people in the same situation as me.
0:40:05 > 0:40:09Nobody wants to be involved in research more than we do.
0:40:09 > 0:40:10It matters so much to us,
0:40:10 > 0:40:13cos it is for the next generations of our families.
0:40:13 > 0:40:16And we believe that something really incredible will come from it,
0:40:16 > 0:40:19not just for us but for anybody who might develop Alzheimer's.
0:40:19 > 0:40:22Nothing would stop us from taking part.
0:40:24 > 0:40:27This is the first trial of its kind. It's really exciting.
0:40:27 > 0:40:30What we're doing is trying to prevent the onset of symptoms
0:40:30 > 0:40:33in people that have a high risk of Alzheimer's disease.
0:40:35 > 0:40:37People who have inherited the faulty gene
0:40:37 > 0:40:40are perfect for testing new Alzheimer's drugs.
0:40:40 > 0:40:43We know if they've got the genetic mutation,
0:40:43 > 0:40:46they WILL get the disease, 100%,
0:40:46 > 0:40:48and we know exactly when they will get it
0:40:48 > 0:40:51because if their parents have it at a certain age,
0:40:51 > 0:40:56for example 39, then they are going to get it very close to that age.
0:40:58 > 0:41:02Dr Catherine Mummery is using experimental drugs to try and target
0:41:02 > 0:41:06the amyloid that builds up into the plaques found in Alzheimer's.
0:41:07 > 0:41:12We know amyloid builds up 15 years or more before people get symptoms
0:41:12 > 0:41:14so we're trying to prevent that
0:41:14 > 0:41:17by removing the amyloid before it causes the plaques.
0:41:17 > 0:41:21How vital to your research are people like Sophie?
0:41:22 > 0:41:25Without people like Sophie, we couldn't do this research.
0:41:25 > 0:41:28They are our best hope for finding a treatment
0:41:28 > 0:41:31that we can give early enough to make a significant difference
0:41:31 > 0:41:34and potentially a cure in the future.
0:41:34 > 0:41:38'Everyone in the trial has a parent with the faulty gene.'
0:41:38 > 0:41:40Sophie, hello.
0:41:40 > 0:41:43'They've all been tested to see if they have it, too.
0:41:43 > 0:41:46'But Sophie has decided not to know the result.'
0:41:46 > 0:41:47Why won't you ask them to tell you
0:41:47 > 0:41:50so that you know one way or the other?
0:41:50 > 0:41:52Because I...
0:41:52 > 0:41:55I don't know how I would live if they told me that I had it.
0:41:57 > 0:41:58I really don't know.
0:41:58 > 0:42:01I don't know that I would ever get out of bed again.
0:42:01 > 0:42:04To me, being told you've definitely got it...
0:42:06 > 0:42:08I know myself very well
0:42:08 > 0:42:11and I know I would not cope with that information at all.
0:42:11 > 0:42:14- That was my mum. - Oh, she's beautiful.
0:42:14 > 0:42:16That was when she had her wedding blessed
0:42:16 > 0:42:19so she would have been about 36 or 37, something like that.
0:42:19 > 0:42:21- Beautiful.- Yeah.
0:42:21 > 0:42:23Sophie's mum developed Alzheimer's
0:42:23 > 0:42:26just a few years after this photo was taken.
0:42:27 > 0:42:31She had to go into a care home and died in her 50s.
0:42:31 > 0:42:35When Mum was ill, I really, really struggled with coping with it.
0:42:35 > 0:42:40I couldn't bear seeing my mum like that and I also couldn't bear...
0:42:40 > 0:42:44picturing my future, I think, if that makes sense.
0:42:44 > 0:42:46I know that sounds really horrible but...
0:42:46 > 0:42:49Isn't it awful that, as family and carers, we feel guilt?
0:42:49 > 0:42:52I think loving someone with Alzheimer's
0:42:52 > 0:42:55is just riddled with guilt.
0:42:55 > 0:42:57When did you know that
0:42:57 > 0:43:00there was a chance that you had also inherited the gene?
0:43:00 > 0:43:02How did you find out?
0:43:02 > 0:43:04I think it was probably... I think I googled.
0:43:04 > 0:43:06I really think that's what happened.
0:43:06 > 0:43:09So, nobody actually told you? You had to find out for yourself?
0:43:09 > 0:43:12Yeah, and I read this thing that said, "Child of someone who
0:43:12 > 0:43:16"carries one of these mutations will have a 50-50 chance of getting it."
0:43:16 > 0:43:18And I might cry now...
0:43:24 > 0:43:27I think what made it worse for me
0:43:27 > 0:43:29was that I had a daughter and I think...
0:43:29 > 0:43:33I think, in relation to all of this, I think I can cope with it,
0:43:33 > 0:43:36I can take whatever would happen to me.
0:43:36 > 0:43:38I cannot cope with the possibility in my head
0:43:38 > 0:43:40of it happening to my daughter.
0:43:42 > 0:43:44It will be four years before scientists know
0:43:44 > 0:43:47the result of the trial.
0:43:47 > 0:43:50Sophie is hoping for the best but, at the same time,
0:43:50 > 0:43:52preparing for the worst.
0:43:52 > 0:43:56She's written a letter to her potential future carers.
0:43:56 > 0:43:58"If you're reading this then I've developed familial early-onset
0:43:58 > 0:44:03"Alzheimer's disease, like my mum and many of my relatives.
0:44:03 > 0:44:05"First things first, thank you!
0:44:05 > 0:44:08"You do an amazing job and your role in caring for me
0:44:08 > 0:44:10"will very much relieve the pressure from my family,
0:44:10 > 0:44:13"who will be struggling not only with my illness
0:44:13 > 0:44:16"and the disappearance of the real Sophie Leggett...
0:44:16 > 0:44:18"but also the fact that my amazing daughter...
0:44:23 > 0:44:26"..now knows for sure that she also...
0:44:30 > 0:44:33"..she also has a 50-50 risk of getting early-onset Alzheimer's
0:44:33 > 0:44:35"in her mid-life, too.
0:44:37 > 0:44:40"My greatest hope is that you can understand how difficult
0:44:40 > 0:44:43"my illness will be for my family.
0:44:43 > 0:44:46"Please reassure them that however they are feeling
0:44:46 > 0:44:50"and whatever they are able or not able to do is absolutely OK.
0:44:50 > 0:44:52"I know how hard it was for me
0:44:52 > 0:44:55"when my mum was ill and the guilt and fear ate me up.
0:44:55 > 0:44:58"I don't want that for my family."
0:45:00 > 0:45:02'I am just full of admiration
0:45:02 > 0:45:06'for what Sophie and those like her on the trial are doing.
0:45:06 > 0:45:09'She demonstrates an extraordinary level of courage.'
0:45:09 > 0:45:12The idea of writing the letter
0:45:12 > 0:45:14I thought was...
0:45:14 > 0:45:16a very courageous thing to do.
0:45:16 > 0:45:18But also a very practical thing to do,
0:45:18 > 0:45:21because she's saying, "This is me.
0:45:21 > 0:45:25"And if, when you're reading this letter, I have dementia,
0:45:25 > 0:45:28"I want you to know who I am."
0:45:28 > 0:45:31It's a great way of maintaining your identity,
0:45:31 > 0:45:35and saying, "Look at me, the person, don't look at the disease."
0:45:38 > 0:45:42It's a week since I met Dr Perry to discuss a genetic test
0:45:42 > 0:45:46that could reveal my risk of developing Alzheimer's.
0:45:46 > 0:45:50I've had to decide whether I want to go ahead with it.
0:45:50 > 0:45:52Hello, Dr Perry, it's Angela Rippon.
0:45:52 > 0:45:54- ON PHONE:- 'Angela, how are you?'
0:45:54 > 0:45:56I'm very well, thanks, yes.
0:45:58 > 0:46:01'Did you have a chance to have a think about our chat the other day?'
0:46:01 > 0:46:03Yes, I've been thinking about our chat.
0:46:03 > 0:46:05Well, I think that we've come this far,
0:46:05 > 0:46:08we might as well, just go ahead and do the whole thing.
0:46:08 > 0:46:10So, go ahead and do the test, yes.
0:46:10 > 0:46:13INDISTINCT REPLY
0:46:13 > 0:46:14OK, so in about two weeks' time?
0:46:16 > 0:46:19'I suppose it comes down to your mental attitude
0:46:19 > 0:46:20'towards the disease.'
0:46:20 > 0:46:24Anybody who says, "I don't want to know what the risk is,"
0:46:24 > 0:46:26they have their own reasons for doing that.
0:46:26 > 0:46:31Erm... I would like to know what my risk is, but not everybody does.
0:46:33 > 0:46:35If I know what to expect,
0:46:35 > 0:46:37at least I can plan for it.
0:46:40 > 0:46:41Whatever the test reveals,
0:46:41 > 0:46:44I'm determined to do everything
0:46:44 > 0:46:46I can to keep my brain healthy.
0:46:49 > 0:46:52Scientists believe that speaking a second language
0:46:52 > 0:46:55could actually delay the onset of dementia.
0:46:55 > 0:46:57Good morning, class.
0:46:57 > 0:46:59- ALL:- Good morning.
0:46:59 > 0:47:01'So, I've come to a class that
0:47:01 > 0:47:03'will REALLY challenge my brain.'
0:47:03 > 0:47:05- TEACHER: - Chinese is a tonal language.
0:47:05 > 0:47:10If you want to call your mum, which is "maaaaa", the first tone,
0:47:10 > 0:47:13if you mistakenly say...
0:47:13 > 0:47:15- LILTING:- "Ma-a", then that means "horse".
0:47:15 > 0:47:17- LAUGHTER - So, you've got to be careful
0:47:17 > 0:47:19with the tones.
0:47:19 > 0:47:21Now, can you tell me your names?
0:47:21 > 0:47:23Wo jiao Thomas.
0:47:23 > 0:47:24Wo jiao Angela.
0:47:24 > 0:47:27'Sat next to me in class is
0:47:27 > 0:47:29'neuroscientist Dr Thomas Bak.'
0:47:29 > 0:47:32How do you find learning Chinese? You've done a bit of it already?
0:47:32 > 0:47:35Yes, but I still find it very difficult.
0:47:35 > 0:47:36How many languages do you speak?
0:47:36 > 0:47:38Well, I speak, kind of, four on a daily basis.
0:47:38 > 0:47:40- "Four on a daily basis"?!- Yeah...
0:47:40 > 0:47:44- Which ones?- Well, Polish, German, English and Spanish.
0:47:44 > 0:47:47Right. And on a non-daily basis?
0:47:47 > 0:47:49Well, I can teach in seven.
0:47:49 > 0:47:51Thomas has been studying the effect
0:47:51 > 0:47:54that speaking a second language has on dementia,
0:47:54 > 0:47:58and he's discovered something quite amazing.
0:47:58 > 0:48:02What we found was that people who spoke two or more languages
0:48:02 > 0:48:05develop dementia over four years later
0:48:05 > 0:48:08than those who spoke only one language.
0:48:08 > 0:48:10So, that means that people
0:48:10 > 0:48:13who are bilingual, or multilingual,
0:48:13 > 0:48:17have four more extra years before
0:48:17 > 0:48:19the symptoms of dementia set in.
0:48:19 > 0:48:21That is a HUGE effect.
0:48:21 > 0:48:24Drugs that we have at the moment cannot come
0:48:24 > 0:48:26anywhere near such an effect,
0:48:26 > 0:48:28so that means that speaking
0:48:28 > 0:48:32different languages might be more efficient,
0:48:32 > 0:48:35more effective, than all the drugs
0:48:35 > 0:48:36that we have at the moment.
0:48:36 > 0:48:38ALL RECITE
0:48:38 > 0:48:40Here in the UK, 14 million of us
0:48:40 > 0:48:43can only speak one language.
0:48:43 > 0:48:45So, the number of people who could potentially
0:48:45 > 0:48:48benefit from learning another is enormous.
0:48:48 > 0:48:50What is it about learning a language
0:48:50 > 0:48:52that has that effect on the brain?
0:48:52 > 0:48:54Well, simply, it's a kind of exercise.
0:48:54 > 0:48:58I compare learning languages with what, let's say, with sport,
0:48:58 > 0:49:00let's say swimming, does to our body.
0:49:00 > 0:49:03If you go swimming regularly, we'll be fitter.
0:49:03 > 0:49:06I think using more than one language
0:49:06 > 0:49:08is a good mental exercise.
0:49:08 > 0:49:11But what's it physically doing to the brain?
0:49:11 > 0:49:15Well, what we believe is that it practically
0:49:15 > 0:49:17leads to more connections.
0:49:17 > 0:49:18It make...
0:49:18 > 0:49:21It makes brain more interconnected,
0:49:21 > 0:49:23and therefore more stable,
0:49:23 > 0:49:26and more resilient to damage that
0:49:26 > 0:49:28can come from different diseases.
0:49:28 > 0:49:31It will take longer time for a disease to damage it.
0:49:31 > 0:49:33What about age?
0:49:33 > 0:49:35I mean, I'm now 71 -
0:49:35 > 0:49:36have I left it too late?
0:49:36 > 0:49:39It's never too late. And in order to benefit from languages,
0:49:39 > 0:49:41you don't have to be perfect.
0:49:41 > 0:49:45So, the benefits are not dependent on speaking the language perfectly.
0:49:45 > 0:49:48- TEACHER:- OK, so walk around and
0:49:48 > 0:49:50say your name to the person you meet.
0:49:50 > 0:49:53Wo jiao Angela.
0:49:53 > 0:49:54Wo jiao Thomas.
0:49:54 > 0:49:56It really does come down to the basic,
0:49:56 > 0:49:58"If you don't use it, you lose it."
0:49:58 > 0:50:01And I think that is great news for all of those people
0:50:01 > 0:50:05who genuinely fear the possibility of the onset of dementia -
0:50:05 > 0:50:07that there are all sorts of things
0:50:07 > 0:50:09that we can actually do ourselves...
0:50:09 > 0:50:11to delay it.
0:50:14 > 0:50:17The truth of the matter is that the older we get,
0:50:17 > 0:50:20the greater the risk of developing dementia -
0:50:20 > 0:50:22and we're all living longer.
0:50:22 > 0:50:24So, is it inevitable that one day
0:50:24 > 0:50:26dementia will catch up with us?
0:50:28 > 0:50:29'Not necessarily,
0:50:29 > 0:50:31'according to Professor Claudia Kawas
0:50:31 > 0:50:33'from the University Of California.'
0:50:33 > 0:50:35INDISTINCT
0:50:35 > 0:50:38'Claudia is studying the fastest-growing age group
0:50:38 > 0:50:41'in the United States - the over-90s.
0:50:43 > 0:50:45'She's hoping to discover the secret
0:50:45 > 0:50:47'of growing old without dementia.'
0:50:50 > 0:50:52Hello, Miss Patton.
0:50:52 > 0:50:54- How are you?- Oh, fine.
0:50:54 > 0:50:58'One of the people and Professor Kawas' study is Millie Patton.'
0:50:58 > 0:51:01- I think we started seeing you in 2008.- That's what I thought.
0:51:01 > 0:51:0412 or 13 visits, so that's pretty good.
0:51:04 > 0:51:06Twice a year, Millie is tested
0:51:06 > 0:51:08to see how her brain is working.
0:51:08 > 0:51:10Now, I'm going to give you a pen.
0:51:10 > 0:51:14What I want you to do is start with the number one,
0:51:14 > 0:51:17and then go to the first letter, which is A...
0:51:18 > 0:51:20..and then the second number, and
0:51:20 > 0:51:22then the second letter, alternating.
0:51:22 > 0:51:23- Right?- Yeah.
0:51:23 > 0:51:25And I'll tell you when to start, OK?
0:51:25 > 0:51:26Go.
0:51:30 > 0:51:32Ooh!
0:51:35 > 0:51:37Well, that didn't take long. SHE LAUGHS
0:51:37 > 0:51:40So, that's excellent, as always.
0:51:40 > 0:51:42Now, let's try this one.
0:51:43 > 0:51:45Millie, tell me how old you are now.
0:51:46 > 0:51:48100...
0:51:48 > 0:51:51and six months.
0:51:51 > 0:51:53Maybe it's seven - get a...
0:51:53 > 0:51:55Get the calculator out?
0:51:55 > 0:51:57THEY GIGGLE
0:51:57 > 0:52:01Millie decided to become part of the study after her husband died.
0:52:01 > 0:52:04My husband had Alzheimer's.
0:52:04 > 0:52:08I saw the look on his face when he couldn't remember to do something.
0:52:08 > 0:52:10He knew, you know, that it...
0:52:10 > 0:52:12- It's...- Mm.
0:52:15 > 0:52:17And then any work they're doing
0:52:17 > 0:52:22to find something to stop that would be...
0:52:23 > 0:52:25..worth anything.
0:52:26 > 0:52:28'Millie's contribution to the study
0:52:28 > 0:52:30'is more than doing just a few tests.
0:52:30 > 0:52:32'She's agreed to donate her brain
0:52:32 > 0:52:34'to research when she dies.'
0:52:34 > 0:52:36So, I guess...
0:52:36 > 0:52:38'It'll give Professor Kawas the opportunity to compare
0:52:38 > 0:52:40'Millie's mental performance with
0:52:40 > 0:52:42'what's happening inside her brain.
0:52:44 > 0:52:46'So far, Professor Kawas has studied hundreds
0:52:46 > 0:52:49'of the participants' brains.
0:52:49 > 0:52:51'And she's discovered something remarkable.'
0:52:52 > 0:52:54Here we have...
0:52:54 > 0:52:57a picture, and this is actually brain tissue,
0:52:57 > 0:52:59- and what it looks like under the microscope.- Mm-hm.
0:52:59 > 0:53:03And this is actually from one of our 90-year-olds,
0:53:03 > 0:53:05who died with no dementia.
0:53:05 > 0:53:07- And, a very nice-looking brain. - Yeah.
0:53:07 > 0:53:09OK?
0:53:09 > 0:53:11This...
0:53:11 > 0:53:14this is also one of our 90-year-old participants,
0:53:14 > 0:53:17who died with a diagnosis of Alzheimer's dementia,
0:53:17 > 0:53:21and did have problems with their memory and thinking.
0:53:21 > 0:53:24As you can see there's a lot of brown spots.
0:53:24 > 0:53:27And these brown spots we refer to as plaques,
0:53:27 > 0:53:30and they're made of amyloid.
0:53:30 > 0:53:33And then, this individual...
0:53:34 > 0:53:36Gosh, that's VERY brown, isn't it?
0:53:36 > 0:53:38- That is very brown.- Yeah.
0:53:38 > 0:53:40- That's a lot of amyloid there.- Yep.
0:53:40 > 0:53:43These are all amyloid plaques that you see.
0:53:43 > 0:53:45And this person the pathologist thought had
0:53:45 > 0:53:48a very high likelihood of having Alzheimer's dementia.
0:53:49 > 0:53:53And this person's thinking was completely normal.
0:53:53 > 0:53:55How extraordinary.
0:53:55 > 0:53:58So, they had no signs of dementia at all?
0:53:58 > 0:54:01I had no way of predicting that I would find this.
0:54:02 > 0:54:06Professor Kawas has discovered that many elderly people
0:54:06 > 0:54:08have brains full of plaques.
0:54:10 > 0:54:15And yet, they have none of the outward signs of dementia.
0:54:17 > 0:54:22I realised that 40% of people in this age group
0:54:22 > 0:54:25who do not have dementia will have this in their brain.
0:54:27 > 0:54:30The real question is, "What's going on here?"
0:54:30 > 0:54:35Well, one possibility is that they have some kind of reserve -
0:54:35 > 0:54:37some kind of cognitive reserve -
0:54:37 > 0:54:41that is protecting them from getting the bad effects of these.
0:54:41 > 0:54:45When you talk about "cognitive reserve", what do you mean exactly?
0:54:45 > 0:54:47So, maybe it's a bigger brain?
0:54:47 > 0:54:50Maybe it's additional training of the brain.
0:54:50 > 0:54:53Maybe it's how much you've used your brain as you age.
0:54:53 > 0:54:56So, for example, the more educated individuals,
0:54:56 > 0:54:59it does appear that they're protected to some extent.
0:54:59 > 0:55:02The more education you have, the lower your risk of dementia is.
0:55:02 > 0:55:05- This is why we're being told to challenge our brains?- Absolutely.
0:55:05 > 0:55:08Learn Japanese, or do something entirely different?
0:55:08 > 0:55:11- Absolutely. Absolutely - use your brain.- Yeah.
0:55:13 > 0:55:17It's like a muscle - if you use it, it works better than if you don't.
0:55:17 > 0:55:20'And Millie is doing just that.
0:55:20 > 0:55:23'At the age of 100, she uses e-mail
0:55:23 > 0:55:25'to stay in touch with family and friends,
0:55:25 > 0:55:27'meditates twice a day,
0:55:27 > 0:55:31'and makes sure that she keeps up with current affairs.
0:55:31 > 0:55:34'It's a far cry from what we might imagine the life
0:55:34 > 0:55:35'of a centenarian to be.'
0:55:37 > 0:55:40Millie's a reminder that you can grow old,
0:55:40 > 0:55:44and you can still have all of your cognitive functions,
0:55:44 > 0:55:48and still be perfectly happy, and live a terrific life.
0:55:49 > 0:55:55Yes, people will get dementia as we get older, but not everybody.
0:55:59 > 0:56:03Back at home in London, the results of my genetic test are ready.
0:56:04 > 0:56:06My brain scan was fine.
0:56:06 > 0:56:09But this is about what the future holds.
0:56:10 > 0:56:13And I'll admit, I am feeling just a teeny bit nervous.
0:56:16 > 0:56:18It's...
0:56:18 > 0:56:20it's a test on risk,
0:56:20 > 0:56:22and nothing more. I've done the test,
0:56:22 > 0:56:25I shall be interested to see what the results are,
0:56:25 > 0:56:27but it will be what it will be.
0:56:29 > 0:56:31KNOCKING ON DOOR
0:56:31 > 0:56:33- Angela.- Dr Perry, hello.
0:56:33 > 0:56:36- Nice to see you.- You, too. - Come and have a seat.
0:56:36 > 0:56:39- So, I've got your results here... - Right.
0:56:39 > 0:56:43..and what they show is that you are E3,E3.
0:56:43 > 0:56:44Which means?
0:56:44 > 0:56:47So your APOE tests show that
0:56:47 > 0:56:50you're the same as about 50% of the population -
0:56:50 > 0:56:54no increased risk of Alzheimer's disease from that blood test.
0:56:54 > 0:56:58OK? So, I think that's a very reassuring thing,
0:56:58 > 0:57:01- and I think you can put that one behind you.- Thank you.
0:57:01 > 0:57:04- OK, it's a pleasure. - Thanks.- OK.
0:57:08 > 0:57:12I'm convinced that our scientific understanding of dementia
0:57:12 > 0:57:13is at a turning point.
0:57:15 > 0:57:19I may even see a cure for Alzheimer's during my lifetime.
0:57:19 > 0:57:23But until then, there are lifestyle choices we can all make
0:57:23 > 0:57:26to help keep dementia at bay.
0:57:26 > 0:57:28And just as important is our
0:57:28 > 0:57:31attitude towards the disease.
0:57:32 > 0:57:35None of us know what's going to happen as we get older, we don't.
0:57:35 > 0:57:39Anything could suddenly just come out of the blue.
0:57:39 > 0:57:41But at least I know that I can do things like
0:57:41 > 0:57:43make sure that my will is up-to-date.
0:57:43 > 0:57:45I can talk with my godchildren
0:57:45 > 0:57:48about the kind of care that I might like.
0:57:49 > 0:57:52I can take responsibility for my future, and put things in place,
0:57:52 > 0:57:54which is a sensible thing to do anyway,
0:57:54 > 0:57:56even if I don't get dementia.
0:57:56 > 0:58:00But if I do, at least they won't ever have to agonise about what
0:58:00 > 0:58:04to do with Auntie Ange, cos Auntie Ange will have already told them.
0:58:13 > 0:58:18# There may be trouble ahead
0:58:18 > 0:58:24# But while there's moonlight and music and love and romance
0:58:25 > 0:58:27# Let's face the music and dance. #