Coconut Oil Cures and Dentures Cause Dementia: why is the science of dementia so hard to understand?

By 2030 about 750,000 Canadians are expected to have dementia. In Nova Scotia that number will be disproportionately higher (over 28,000 people or 2.5% of the population) reflecting its older than average age structure. It is no wonder that dementia is second only to cancer as a health concern for older Canadians. In Canada, as of 2009, 77% of the population were online at home, and many now use this tool to address their fears and concerns. The explosion of information online and in traditional media means that those with an interest in dementia must do a lot of sifting through evidence based and other information - which often sit side by side. Accessing quality research in a format easily understood is a challenge for the public, with inaccurate representations of research and scientific verbiage or jargon at times being used to encourage interest in a treatment or intervention. Among the general public in Canada, scientific literacy (knowledge of scientific concepts sufficient to impact a person's ability to function in a modern, industrial society) is estimated to be below 20%. Low levels of health literacy (the degree to which individuals can obtain, process and use basic health information to make decisions) are also a problem for many Canadians, particularly as they age. Recognizing high-quality evidence, knowing how to look for this, and understanding its fundamental importance to quality dementia care and treatment is often asking much of the general public - so how can we help them? The purpose of this Cafe Scientifique is to open a discussion about how the public can better understand and interpret the science (and pseudo science) of dementia as it appears in the media and online world - what is the difference between evidence-based information and anecdotal claims, and why is this important?