Brain cell disease is on the rise in Scotland

Around 90,000 Scots are living with dementia and that figure is expected to rise to 164,000 by 2036.

Dementia seriously affects the victim’s mental abilities by damaging brain cells – making many simple everyday tasks impossible.

It was discovered in 1906 by German physician Dr Alois Alzheimer, who first described the “peculiar disease” while studying a confused patient with profound memory loss.

The most common form of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease, which accounts for 50-60 per cent of Scots cases.

Around 3200 under-65s in Scotland suffer from dementia.

It is more common in women with 59,402 Scots females hit compared to 31,282 men.

High-profile sufferers have included former Scotland boss Ally MacLeod, who died aged 72 in 2004 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s.

F1 legend Sir Jackie Stewart last month revealed his wife Helen has been diagnosed with the condition – and pledged £1million of his own money to find a cure.

It takes about 20 years and millions of pounds to develop a drug from scratch, which may or may not help slow the progress of the disease.

There is currently no cure but a new drug has raised hopes of tackling Alzheimer’s.

Known only as T3D-959, it treats the disease as if it is “diabetes of the brain” and targets insulin resistance within sufferers.

American firm T3D Therapeutics say the drug has the potential to “slow, stop or reverse Alzheimer’s”.

A study in which 36 people received one of four different doses for 14 days showed the drug effectively targeted the brain.

Scientists found it was safe and only low doses were required.

They recorded significant memory improvement in more than half the patients who took part.

Drug investigator Dr Marc Agronin said: “Families saw their loved ones being more involved and engaged during the day.

“They felt they were sharper in terms of memory and language.”

Alzheimer Scotland are the country’s leading dementia charity, offering specialist support for sufferers and their carers.

For more information or advice about the disease, visit www.alzscot.org