Global Action against Dementia: Emerging of a New Era

Since ancient times medical profession has typically dealt with physical disorders, because they are visible, palpable, and audible. The diagnosis is relatively direct. Mental health problems are hidden in the brain and we did not know what was going on inside the skull. We could only infer, by observing the patient's behaviors and making assumptions. Even now, we have to largely rely on this indirect approach. That is why psychology and psychiatry are classified as behavioral sciences. They are abstract, and we do not understand the structural changes causing the problem, except for obvious vascular or neoplastic lesions. Now, due to the introduction of new technologies, many mental health problems can be visualized through hi-tech equipment, albeit they are not yet palpable or audible. This direct approach has made the diagnosis much more secure. Now, we know that the problem of dementia starts from the hippocampal formation, and we can see it on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and functional MRI (fMRI). Therefore, a new era of mental health care is emerging. Dementia has become a burden for the patient, family members, caregivers, and the entire society. With ageing population,