700,000 suffer incurable brain illness

MORE than 700,000 men and women in Ireland experience some form of neurological condition – most are debilitating and degenerative.

By the age of 65, around 5% of the country’s population will have dementia, and between 40 and 50% of those aged 85 and older suffer from the disease. The total costs of care for people with the illness are greater than cancer, heart attack and stroke combined.

For most brain diseases, surgical intervention is not an option and sufferers must manage symptoms.