![\"photo](\"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/jun-28-health.28.Defy-Dementia-Allison-Sekuler-from-baycrest.org_.png\")
<\/a>Sekuler is the Sandra A. Rotman Chair of Cognitive Neuroscience at Baycrest\u2019s research institute and the president and chief scientist at the Baycrest Academy for Research and Education. She is known for her foundational research in perception, cognition and brain function, as well as her clinical and translational work on age-related sensory and cognitive decline. She is the inaugural Canada Research Chair on Cognitive Neuroscience and has received numerous national and international honours, including being named one of Canada\u2019s Top 100 Most Powerful Women by the Women\u2019s Executive Network in 2019.<\/p>\n
The recent webinar began with an introduction from Monica Simon, chair of NCJWC\u2019s ageism committee. Then, with the help of AI-generated images, Sekuler presented attendees with an optimistic view of what she hopes the future holds. \u201cWe want to see a world where every single person is living a life of purpose, fulfilment and dignity,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Baycrest is at the forefront of a new field called predictive neuroscience for precision aging \u2013 an individualized approach that examines one\u2019s brain, body and environment to detect the best ways to prevent the onset of dementia or delay it for as long as possible. This approach not only encompasses the pre-diagnosis stage, but helps medical professionals and loved ones navigate caring for someone with dementia.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIf you think about what precision medicine has done for cancer, that\u2019s what we want to do for aging, brain health and dementia,\u201d said Sekuler.<\/p>\n Through innovations in predictive neuroscience, the Baycrest team is working toward a goal of no new cases of preventable dementia being diagnosed by the year 2050 \u2013 currently, 750,000 Canadians are living with dementia, and that figure is expected to more than double by 2050.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat we want to do is nip that in the bud as much as possible,\u201d Sekuler said, acknowledging that, while they cannot entirely eradicate the condition, they can do more to decrease the risk for those who do not already have dementia. Research suggests that, if the onset of dementia can be delayed by even five years, the prevalence of the condition can be decreased by 50% worldwide, she said.<\/p>\n While there are several risk factors \u2013 such as age, sex and genetics \u2013 that cannot be controlled, Baycrest\u2019s Defy Dementia program raises awareness of the lifestyle changes people can make to reduce their dementia risk and improve their cognitive health.<\/p>\n \u201cAt least 40% of the risk factors for dementia are things that we can change by changing our lifestyle,\u201d said Sekuler.<\/p>\n On the podcast Defy Dementia<\/i>, co-hosts Sekuler and Jay Ingram, one of Canada\u2019s leading science journalists, cover a different risk factor every month. Each episode features a guest with lived experience with dementia and an expert on the risk factor under discussion, such as stress, sleep, diet, exercise and environment.<\/p>\n There are currently 12 episodes available on the website defydementia.org<\/a>, or any streaming platform. Many episodes have accompanying infographics and minute-long videos summarizing the topic at-hand, also available on defydementia.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWhether you like to listen to things, read things, watch things or look at things, we\u2019ve got you covered,\u201d Sekuler said.<\/p>\n Sekuler gave a high-level overview of the risk factors, sharing how each correlates to one\u2019s dementia risk and what one can do to manage them. She reminded attendees that genetics are not the be-all and end-all, but, rather, a piece of the puzzle that can often be counteracted by managing the risk factors.<\/p>\n Regarding sensory loss, Sekuler explained how strains on one\u2019s hearing and\/or vision can negatively impact cognitive abilities. She pointed to tools such as Baycrest\u2019s free online hearing test and the importance of regular check-ups for hearing and vision loss. Further, she explained that loneliness has been proven to increase dementia risk by 50%, and that social engagement in any form is key to maintaining cognitive health. She emphasized that a healthy balance of diet, exercise and sleep helps, as does lowering stress as much as possible and embracing opportunities to try new activities and learn new things.<\/p>\n Sekuler also turned the group\u2019s attention towards the vital role of caregiver. She shared that \u201cone in every two people\u201d will assume this role, if they do not get dementia themselves. However, caregivers often sacrifice a healthy diet, proper sleep and social engagement, she said, making them six times more likely to develop the condition. Sekuler stressed that \u201ca caretaker cannot take care of someone else if they are not taking care of themselves,\u201d and that inviting more professionals, caregivers and loved ones into the equation lessens the burden on one individual and may be a saving grace for that person\u2019s health.<\/p>\n During the question-and-answer period, which was moderated by NCJWC\u2019s Rochelle Garfinkel, Sekuler was asked what organizations like NCJWC can do to fight dementia. She highlighted the importance of sharing information and resources widely, and encouraged involvement in dementia research wherever possible. As well, she said, promoting tools like Baycrest\u2019s online cognitive assessment test to \u201cget your baseline\u201d \u2013 as one would do with a regular vision test \u2013 is crucial for early detection.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n According to Sekuler, when it comes to protecting your cognitive health, \u201ceveryone can make these changes. You don\u2019t have to be perfect, but you do have to start somewhere.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Alisa Bressler<\/b> is a graduate of Queen\u2019s University in Kingston, Ont. She is an avid reader and writer and will be pursuing a master\u2019s of journalism at Boston University in the fall. Bressler is a member of the Vancouver Jewish community, and was the inaugural Baila Lazarus Jewish Journalism Intern.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Dr. Allison Sekuler of Toronto\u2019s Baycrest Centre for Aging and Brain Health Innovation. (photo from baycrest.org) On June 5, National Council of Jewish Women Canada (NCJWC) welcomed Dr. Allison Sekuler of Toronto\u2019s Baycrest Centre for Aging and Brain Health Innovation as the featured speaker in the Zoom webinar titled Defy Dementia: Learn How to Reduce […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[2219,23339,23338,2668,3076,2864,2226,2866,22436,6875],"class_list":["post-44600","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-local","tag-aging","tag-allison-sekuler","tag-baycrest","tag-dementia","tag-education","tag-health","tag-innovation","tag-national-council-of-jewish-women-of-canada","tag-ncjwc","tag-podcasts"],"blocksy_meta":{"styles_descriptor":{"styles":{"desktop":"","tablet":"","mobile":""},"google_fonts":[],"version":8}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44600","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=44600"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44600\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=44600"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=44600"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=44600"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}