Boost your memory

Some 400 people practice the martial art of tai-chi in Tokyo's ritzy Roppongi Hills area, 01 August 2005. The annual summer event, which gathers hundreds of tai-chi practitioners, will continue here until 14 August. AFP PHOTO / Yoshikazu TSUNO

Keeping active, having a balanced diet and staying healthy may keep dementia at bay.

DEMENTIA is an umbrella term to describe the symptoms of a large group of illnesses that can result in loss of memory, orientation and social skills as well as cause changes in personality, behaviour and mood which are severe enough to affect daily function. However, having memory loss alone does not mean one has dementia, said Dr Chin Ai-Vyrn, who is an Associate Professor at the geriatric division of Universiti Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) in Kuala Lumpur.