On World Alzheimer's Day, here's everything you need to know about the condition
On a working day in the outpatient department while I was a Neurology resident I met a mother and a son. To the world mother to child relationship is extremely special but, the mother was unable to recognize her son.
Her son elicited that his mother initially started forgetting where she kept her spectacles, and then missed on sentences. She gradually started forgetting familiar names and could not recognize familiar people. She lost track of her routine activities, gradually became bed ridden and was presently at a stage unable to identify her son.
Alzheimer’s disease, in my clinical practice has always made me feel how important it is to be healthy. Life is about making good memories, but what if the memory is lost gradually.
On November 3, 1906, a clinical psychiatrist and neuroanatomist, Alois Alzheimer, reported " A peculiar severe disease process of the cerebral cortex" to the 37th Meeting of South- West German psychiatrists in Tubingen. He described a 50 year old woman whom he had followed from her admission for paranoia, progressive sleep disturbance, memory impairment, aggression, and confusion, until her death 5 years later. His report noted distinctive plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain histology. It excited little interest despite an enthusiastic response from Kraepelin, who promptly included "Alzheimer's Disease" in the third edition of his text psychiatrie in 1910. Alzheimer published three further cases in 1909 and a "plaque only" variant in 1911, which on re-examination of the original specimens in 1993 showed to be a different stage of the same process. Alzheimer died in 1915, aged 51, soon after gaining the chair of Psychiatry in Breslau, and long before his name became a household word.
World Alzheimer's Day is observed on September 21, every year to raise awareness and educate about Alzheimer's disease and Dementia. This day is observed to understand the importance of talking about dementia and demystify it. Alzheimer's is a progressive disease that causes brain cells to degenerate and die.
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a major public health problem and represents commonest form of dementia that affects many aspects of brain functions and contributes to 60–70% of dementia cases. Public awareness on Alzheimer’s disease is very important in identifying the disease early and minimizing progress of symptoms.
The following are the 10 Warning signs of Alzheimer’s according to the centers for disease control (CDC)
Memory often changes as people grow older. Some people notice changes in themselves before anyone else does. For other people, friends and family are the first to see changes in memory, behavior, or abilities. Memory loss that disrupts
daily life is not a typical part of aging. People with one or more of these 10 warning signs should see a doctor to find the cause. Early diagnosis gives them a chance to seek treatment and plan for the future.
- Memory loss that disrupts daily life: forgetting events, repeating yourself or relying on more aids to help you remember (like sticky notes or reminders).
- Challenges in planning or solving problems: having trouble paying bills or cooking recipes you have used for years.
- Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, at work, or at leisure: having problems with cooking, driving places, using a cell phone, or shopping.
- Confusion with time or place: having trouble understanding an event that is happening later, or losing track of dates.
- Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relations: having more difficulty with balance or judging distance, tripping over things at home, or spilling or dropping things more often.
- New problems with words in speaking or writing: having trouble following or joining a conversation or struggling to find a word you are looking for (saying “that thing on your wrist that tells time” instead of “watch”).
- Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps: placing car keys in the washer or dryer or not being able to retrace steps to find something.
- Decreased or poor judgment: being a victim of a scam, not managing money well, paying less attention to hygiene, or having trouble taking care of a pet.
- Withdrawal from work or social activities: not wanting to go to places of worship or other activities as you usually do, not being able to follow football games or keep up with what’s happening.
- Changes in mood and personality: getting easily upset in common situations or being fearful or suspicious.
As there is little understanding of the disease, the stigma associated with it is a global problem. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia. It affects parts of the brain that controls memory, judgment and language function, which can interfere with the individual’s activities of daily living.
Some of the risk factors include blood pressure, smoking, sedentary life style. Thus, by modifying these risk factors, one can slow the progression of the illness.
Timely consultation to the doctor helps to delay the progression to some extent. It is also important to raise awareness about this disease among the family members, as at one point in the course of the illness, care giver responsibility becomes the most important aspect in the treatment.
There is a global need to raise awareness of this disease. One can help by individualizing the dementia care, providing care giver support, early diagnosis and destigmatisation. Together, we can reach out to the dementia patients as well as their family members and provide the necessary care and support. This year, on World Alzheimer’s Day, we must pledge to understand and comfort the dementia patients.
Dr. Salma Suhana
Assistant professor, Department of Neurology
Yenepoya Medical College and Hospital
Deralakatte, Mangalore.
Consultant Neurologist
Medi Nerv, Mangalore.
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Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol unveil ‘DDLJ’ sculpture at London’s Leicester Square
London (PTI): Bollywood stars Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol huddled under an umbrella on a rainy Thursday in London to unveil their bronze likeness from an iconic ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’ scene.
The sculpture of the duo joins Leicester Square’s ‘Scenes in the Square’ trail depicting memorable shots from some of the world’s most famous films, with ‘DDLJ’ marking a Bollywood first and the 30th anniversary of the 1995 box-office hit. It is in this popular London square that SRK as Raj and Kajol as Simran first cross paths unknowingly.
“DDLJ was made with a pure heart. We wanted to tell a story about love, how it can bridge barriers and how the world would be a better place if it had a lot of love in it, and I think this is why 'DDLJ' has had a lasting impact for over 30 years now," said Khan.
“Personally, 'DDLJ' is part of my identity, and it is humbling to see film, and Kajol and me, receiving so much love since it was released,” he said.
He expressed his gratitude to the Heart of London Business Alliance, behind the cinematic trail at Leicester Square, for celebrating ‘DDLJ’ and “immortalising” its lead stars.
“Seeing ‘DDLJ’ become the first Indian film to be honoured in the iconic Scenes in the Square trail is an emotional moment and has brought back so many memories.
"I feel immense pride knowing the film has been embraced around the world, and I want to share this moment with the entire cast and crew of ‘DDLJ’, my friend and director Aditya Chopra and the Yash Raj Films family. This is a moment I will never forget,” added Khan.
Kajol, joined by her daughter Nysa and son Yug, posed with Khan in front of the statue as she braved the rain in a green saree.
“It’s incredible to see ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’ continue to receive so much love, even 30 years later. Watching the statue being unveiled in London felt like reliving a piece of our history - a story that has truly travelled across generations,” said Kajol.
“Seeing it find its rightful place in Leicester Square, a location of such enormous significance to ‘DDLJ’, makes this moment even more special. For the film to be honoured in this way in the UK – the first Indian film to receive such recognition – is something that will forever stay in the hearts and minds of all the ‘DDLJ’ fans across the world,” she said.
Their statue, captured in a dancing pose from the hit song ‘Mehndi Laga Ke Rakhna’, joins the likes of Harry Potter, Bridget Jones, Mary Poppins, and Batman in what is dubbed as an ever-growing celebration of movie magic in a square packed with multiplex cinema screens.
“When ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’, DDLJ, was released 30 years ago, the film became a defining moment for Indian cinema and changed the face of the industry, capturing the hearts of everyone who saw it all over the globe," said Akshaye Widhani, CEO of Yash Raj Films.
“We’re thrilled to be the first Indian film to be represented in ‘Scenes in the Square’. It also marks 30 years of DDLJ, a film that has spread love and joy globally, and shows the cultural impact it has had in UK.
“We are honoured that our superstars and our film are being recognised on the world stage alongside the Hollywood elite, from Gene Kelly to Laurel & Hardy to Harry Potter. This statue will be a great way to express the international appeal of Indian movies and build bridges amongst communities through cinema,” he said.
Since its release in 1995, ‘DDLJ’ has become the longest-running film in Hindi cinema history.
Ros Morgan, Chief Executive at Heart of London Business Alliance, said: “We’re proud to welcome global megastars Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol to our Scenes in the Square trail.
"Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge is a cinematic phenomenon that has shaped generations, and London’s first tribute to Indian cinema honours a story whose magic continues to captivate audiences worldwide.”
It is a particularly special year for the film, with a musical based on the romance playing to packed houses at Manchester’s Opera House earlier this year. Aditya Chopra reprised his role as director of the English language stage production, ‘Come Fall In Love – The DDLJ Musical’, which revolved around the love story of Simran and Roger.
The script was a nod to the original as it followed Simran as a young British Indian woman who finds herself engaged to a family friend in India in an arranged marriage. However, the plot thickens when she falls in love with a British man named Roger.
Bade Bade Deshon Mein, Aisi Chhoti Chhoti Baatein Hoti Rehti Hain, Senorita!
— Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) December 4, 2025
Thrilled to unveil the bronze statue of Raj & Simran at London’s Leicester Square today, celebrating 30 years of Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ)!
Incredibly delighted that DDLJ is the first Indian… pic.twitter.com/8wjLToBGYc
