MUSCAT: September each year is designated as World Alzheimer's Month, a global campaign by Alzheimer's Disease International to raise awareness, challenge stigma, and advocate for better support for people affected by dementia.
The campaign culminates on World Alzheimer's Day, which is observed on September 21st, and in 2025, will focus on the theme '#AskAboutDementia' to encourage conversations and understanding about the disease that affects at least 12,000 people in Oman.
According to Alzheimer's Disease International (ADI), there were over 55 million people worldwide living with dementia in 2020. ADI stated that the number will almost double every 20 years.
In Oman, during this month, the activities include a discussion session for caregivers of Alzheimer's patients on September 7 at Intercity Hotel, Bausher, a webinar on Alzheimer's, to be held on September 10, featuring experts discussing the latest developments in diagnosis and treatment; and finally, the celebration of the Annual Alzheimer's Month with the participation of the staff and patients on September 15 at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital.
"There are new methods of diagnosis today," pointed out Dr Hamed al Sinawi, senior psychiatrist at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital and the chairman of Oman Alzheimer's Society. "Traditionally, Alzheimer's diagnosis was based on information collected from the patient and a close family member, followed by a memory test, a routine blood test, and a brain scan, but recently, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a new blood test that offers a less invasive alternative to PET scans or spinal taps."
When asked about the benefits of early diagnosis, Dr Hamed replied, "Detecting Alzheimer’s at early stages enables timely consideration of new medications, which are more effective when initiated early. It also allows individuals and families to plan for care, make legal and financial decisions, and potentially access support earlier, which helps in improving long-term outcomes and patient autonomy."
Alzheimer's is more than forgetfulness, he pointed out; as the disease advances, patients frequently develop falls and injuries due to mobility and coordination decline. Infections like aspiration pneumonia often occur from swallowing difficulties.
Behavioural and neuropsychiatric symptoms including wandering, agitation, mood swings, delusions, sundowning, anosognosia (loss of awareness), incontinence, speech/language decline, and eating and swallowing issues — requiring increasing assistance.
Some of the late-stage challenges are that they often need full-time supervision due to risk of wandering, inability to recognise danger, loss of ability to self-feed, problems walking or responding to the environment, and sometimes experience “terminal lucidity” (brief clarity before death).
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