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Do Centenarians Get Dementia?

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Current Perspectives on Centenarians

Part of the book series: International Perspectives on Aging ((Int. Perspect. Aging,volume 36))

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Abstract

As the population ages, the number of individuals who live for 100 years or more is increasing. While cognitive impairment is more common as we grow older, it is not necessarily an inevitable component of the aging process. Research has shown that although certain key characteristics of being a centenarian enjoying cognitive health, such as genetic factors, cannot be modified, positive lifestyle choices play an important role in preserving cognitive health. For example, maintaining a Mediterranean diet and regular exercise regimen, as well as engaging in social activities may improve our chances of preserving a healthy brain.

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Acknowledgements

Acknowledgement to Arianne Fritts, MS for editing support.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA

    Jory Crull & Katherine Barlis

  2. Ralph H. Johnson VA Health Care System, Charleston, SC, USA

    Jory Crull, Katherine Barlis, Olga Brawman-Mintzer, Christopher Blasy & Jacobo Mintzer

Authors
  1. Jory Crull
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  2. Katherine Barlis
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  3. Olga Brawman-Mintzer
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  4. Christopher Blasy
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  5. Jacobo Mintzer
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Olga Brawman-Mintzer .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Raya Elfadel Kheirbek

  2. Department of Veterans Affairs, Washington, DC, USA

    Maria D. Llorente

End of Chapter Questions

End of Chapter Questions

  1. 1.

    What is the most common cause of dementia?

    1. (a)

      Lewy-body disease

    2. (b)

      Alzheimer’s disease

    3. (c)

      Pick’s disease

    4. (d)

      Cardiovascular disease

  2. 2.

    How can dementia be diagnosed clinically?

    1. (a)

      Taking a medical history & performing a neurological examination

    2. (b)

      Neuroimaging methods (ie. PET scan)

    3. (c)

      Neuropsychologic testing

    4. (d)

      All the above

  3. 3.

    What is the strongest risk factor for the development of dementia?

    1. (a)

      Diabetes

    2. (b)

      Family history

    3. (c)

      Age

    4. (d)

      Smoking

Answers: b, d, c

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Crull, J., Barlis, K., Brawman-Mintzer, O., Blasy, C., Mintzer, J. (2023). Do Centenarians Get Dementia?. In: Kheirbek, R.E., Llorente, M.D. (eds) Current Perspectives on Centenarians. International Perspectives on Aging, vol 36. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-30915-1_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-30915-1_5

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-031-30914-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-031-30915-1

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