interview
Minding the Mind eight years ago. Of all the medical conditions he deals with, Alzheimer’s disease stands at the forefront, with fresh cases emerging every month, some aged 55 or younger. Alzheimer’s initially manifests as loss of recent memory, and over time can lead to complete dementia, where the past memory is fully erased, leaving the brain in the dark. “Family members often do not bring the patient to medical attention in the initial stages, which is a pity because good medications are available. Once the patient has advanced, the damage is irreversible,” he notes. Another condition gaining prominence in the GCC is multiple sclerosis. Bahrain has around 150 patients and the numbers are rising. This is a debilitating condition affecting the white matter of the brain in people as young as 30 years. There are multiple symptoms. Eventually, the person can get paralysed and become debilitated for life. “Given that treatment is expensive and lifelong, this places a huge burden on our healthcare resources,” he says. Whereas different people react differently to their diagnosis. Management of a disease is made easier where patients come to terms with their condition and are willing to cooperate. Recently, multiple sclerosis patients in Bahrain have formed a support group, which meets regularly to exchange information and share experiences.
Dr Ram Vatwani
SIMI KAMBOJ Diseases of the body give much grief; but when the mind starts to deteriorate, life can truly turn upside down. Senior neurologist Dr Ram Vatwani dwells on brain disorders that keep him busy.
42 August 2014
The intricacies of the human mind have always fascinated Dr Ram Vatwani and for this reason the sexagenarian doctor cannot conceive quitting his practice. “There’s nothing more fascinating than studying the human mind and the behaviour patterns of people. It gives me great satisfaction to unravel the ‘main fuse box’ of the human body,” says Dr Ram at his Zinj clinic. As the first neurologist in private practice in Bahrain, Dr Ram has made his home here for the last 23 years and was conferred Bahraini nationality
An active mind Average human beings use about 10 per cent of their brain cells, leaving the rest dormant. People who are mentally alert are likely to resist the degeneration that results from age. “Activities, such as reasoning, abstract thinking, debating and solving puzzles, improve the brain’s working capacity. Other parts of the brain, which are usually dormant, get activated. This compensates for the loss of the brain tissue destroyed by old age,” says Dr Vatwani. This means that people who work well past retirement have better odds of beating dementia. Being an old-school physician, who trained in the ‘80s before the onset of scanning equipment, Dr Vatwani prefers to listen to the patient’s story before looking at the clinical reports. “Doctors who rely too heavily on clinical investigations will be clueless in cases where the patient’s scans are normal. It’s important to listen to a patient’s story, but not many are willing to do it. For this reason, there are so many diagnostic centres, but very few good doctors,” the expert adds. www.bahrainthismonth.com