To what extent is alcohol

consumption a leading cause

of dementia in the UK

ALCOHOL RELATED DEMENTIA

 DID YOU KNOW ?
Dementia has the
highest cause of death
with 12.11% in the UK!!
 WHY ALCOHOL
RELATED DEMENTIA ?

There hasn't been extensive research into why

it is so common in the UK compared to other
countries. I believe that alcohol may be a
significant contributing factor, a hypothesis
based on observations from people in my life
and my surroundings. In the UK, adults are
advised not to consume more than 14 units of
alcohol per week, but the average alcohol
consumption is 18 units per week. Moreover,
the starting age of alcohol consumption,
which legally stands at 18, often varies
between 10 and 15.
 Alcohol-related dementia (ARD) is a complex and often misunderstood condition resulting from
long-term excessive alcohol consumption.

Causes of Alcohol-Related Dementia:

Alcohol Toxicity: Prolonged heavy drinking leads to toxicity in the brain, damaging
neurons and brain tissue.
Nutritional Deficiencies: Chronic alcohol use can result in deficiencies in essential
vitamins and minerals crucial for brain health, such as thiamine (Vitamin B1).
Oxidative Stress: Alcohol metabolism generates free radicals, causing oxidative
stress that harms brain cells.

Diagnosis:
1.Medical History: Evaluation of the
patient's alcohol consumption history.
2.Neurological Exams: Assessments of
memory, cognition, and neurological
function.
3.Brain Imaging: MRI or CT scans to detect
brain changes and rule out other conditions
 How to manage and treat
Alcohol Related Dementia ?
1.Alcohol Cessation: The most
crucial step is to stop alcohol
consumption to prevent further
damage.
2.Nutritional Therapy:
Supplements like thiamine to
address deficiencies.
3.Cognitive Rehabilitation:
Therapy to improve cognitive
function and memory.
4.Medication: Some medications
may help manage symptoms like
depression or anxiety.
1.Moderation: Encouraging
responsible drinking limits
the risk of ARD.
2.Education: Raising
awareness about the
dangers of excessive
alcohol consumption.
3.Regular Health Check-
ups: Monitoring alcohol
intake and its impact on
overall health.
AWARENESS AND
PREVENTATION STRAGIES
 I have used secondary research which is undertaken
by collating existing data online or from journals,
books, and public sources such as government
archives and libraries as it is hard to do interview or
gather any sort of data with patients suffering from
dementia, therefore loss of memory.

Using secondary research for my

essay cost me nothing and saved
me lots of time compared to
Helped me to deepen primary research where I would
the understanding of have had to design and conduct a

Strengths
whole primary study process
dementia and each from the beginning. Therefore,
chapter I have Secondary research allowed me
to gather data without having to
researched as it is put lots of effort.
already existed.
 Weakness

01
Using previously collected data means it can be
difficult to find the exact information I was looking
for the findings from existing cases of dementia. I
was able to find case studies with the aim I was
looking for but there is no control over extraneous
variables ( patients age, sex, history ). Therefore, it
lowers validity of my findings
02
It is important to assess how valid and
reliable data may be. In other words,
this can be a disadvantage as the
source is not viable, and not known if
there is any researcher bias which
puts any conclusions drawn by case
studies I have gathered into question.

Case Study 2 : The images shows

that surface rendered brains
(top) and rendered ventricular
system (bottom, green) of a 59-
year-old healthy man (A and C)
and a 53-year-old man with WKS
(B and D).
 What skills have I developed?

Academic
Networking writing
I have learned how to English being my second
use excel, making language has been a
graphs and tables disadvantage for academic
throughout the essay writing despite the fact that
which will help me in I can speak fluently. Use of
university with my the right academic words
research. and advanced level of
grammar instead of writing
in simple sentences is the
main thing I have developed
with EPQ. and i believe the
more I get a chance to write
an essay, the better I will get
with academic writing.
 How does dementia link to my
future aim ?

I want to pursue a Master of Science in Neuroscience and

Psychology from universities that offer a British Psychological
Society certification. My goal is to do a PhD and work in
academia, researching the brain and neurological aspects of
mental health disorders, with a focus on the role of artificial
intelligence as the future seems to be all about artificial
intelligence. Understanding both the neurological and
psychological aspects of the brain will be crucial for my future
career in the field of research.
 WHAT HAS WHAT HASN’T
GONE WELL GONE WELL

I have struggled
I have had plenty of with timing
time to spend on during certain
my EPQ as a part periods due to
time student in exams,
The main challenge of
college. It has been badminton
the essay has been
a deep revision for matches
dealing with intense
me as my research therefore I have
scientific words. I have
topics links with I have developed a very had to spend
had to research on
my subject which good communication less time
terminologies to
is A level skills with my teacher finishing my
understand my
psychology. since the first day which weekly tasks to
research topics.
helped me to improve be punctual.
myself and my work.
What would I do
differently if I
could go back ?? I would plan out
primary research for the
findings chapter to
increase internal
validity, being in the
control of variables
( IV, DV,CV )

I would not go into

much detail with small
chapters that can be
explained in simple
terms as I did exceed
my essay by over 5000
words