This series is based on our reporting on TCM: its history, treatments and growing acceptance around the world. This is the fourth instalment.
When she watched her beloved aunt – a former secondary-school teacher who once helped her with her homework – transform from a sprightly 75-year-old into a confused woman who lost her memory and spoke nonsense, Dr Fanny Ip Chui-fun was determined to find a treatment for dementia.
Since 1993, Ip has been researching ways to identify and prevent brain degeneration.
There is a pressing need to find solutions to dementia, says Ip, chief scientific officer of the Hong Kong Centre for Neurodegenerative Diseases (HKCeND) set up by the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.
Whole-body health is vital for brain health, as the brain serves as the central control unit of the body and is influenced by all our bodily systems.