Language, Vision, and Dementia

Language is far more important to our cognitive processing than many people realize. On the surface, language is just how we communicate with one another. On a deeper level, language shapes how we interpret the world around us. It also plays a large role in everyday activities and thought.

 

That’s why a new study that points to the importance of language for the human brain and its connection to sight and cognition is so important. 

 

The dorsal anterior temporal lobe is one of the parts of the brain that is associated with both language and with visual processing. It’s also one of the parts of the brain that those with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia often have impacted as their disease spreads. The research team believes that this is one of the reasons why seniors struggling with dementia often have a hard time with color recognition, even if there is nothing wrong with their visual processing. 

 

 

The team looked at stroke patients that had damage done to their neural pathways and performed tests to see if this damage impacted the relationship between language and patients’ ability to identify color. They found that the stronger the pathway, the more likely the individual was to correctly identify the color.

 

This research comes from Beijing Normal University, located in China. The team published their findings in the journal, PLOS Biology. Hopefully, this research helps to advance our understanding of dementia and create better courses of treatment and care.

 

There’s a lot of potential to help advance dementia and stroke understanding and treatment in this project. While the benefits might not be seen right away, research like this is important because it helps scientists and doctors on the ground to better understand the experiences that those with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia have, provide better treatment for them, and have a more thorough basis for understanding the root causes of these issues. 

 

While there’s no cure for many forms of dementia at this time, a deeper understanding of things helps get us one step closer to the potential for a cure in the future. It also helps to provide those that are suffering now with the potential for a higher quality of life.

 

If you have a loved one that is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, please know that there is help out there for you and your family. Finding the right professional care can be a huge start. This ensures that your family has the assistance needed to provide for all of the day to day needs of the individual that is in need. Supervision, help with meals and medication, transportation to and from appointments, and socialization are all part of the right care solution.

 

We’d love to be a part of your team. Whether you’re looking for in-home care, have questions, or are just starting your search, we’re here for you. Give us a call and one of our professional caregivers can help get you steered in the right direction. We offer consultation sessions for no cost and can go into as much depth as you need to feel confident that you are steering your family toward the resources and services that you need to thrive.

 

Call us today to get the ball rolling!