I dedicate this book to my father, who passed away at the age of 80. He suffered from dementia, dysphagia, aphasia, incontinence, and was unable to stand or walk. All medical and Oriental doctors will be interested in the records of the treatment of dementia and memory disorders in classical Oriental medical literature that were consistent with the signs and symptoms of Alzheimer's disease (AD).

This digital book offers a comprehensive exploration of oriental medicine's understanding of brain function and its connections to various organs. This book aims to determine which traditional medicines are used for these disorders. Dementia generally affects the elderly and geriatric patients. It is a group of symptoms characterized by diminished cognition, memory, attention, communication, reasoning, and visual perception. The syndrome impairs the patient's quality of life and imposes severe physical, psychological, social, and economic burdens. The global prevalence of dementia has been rising over the last two decades, and the projected numbers by 2050 are more than seven times the cases recorded in 1990. Dementia is preventable; nearly 40% of the cases can be prevented and delayed by modifying its 12 key risk factors – according to a 2020 report published in Lancet Commission for Dementia Prevention, Intervention and Care. 

According to oriental medicine theory, the kidneys produce the brain and bone marrow. At conception, essence is made; then, after essence is made, the brain and bone marrow are formed. The kidneys contain the essence, and it sustains the marrow, therefore the marrow nourishes the brain. Humans have four “seas” in the body; a marrow sea, a blood sea, a Qi sea, and water or grain sea (stomach). The marrow sea refers to the brain. Hence, the brain being the sea of marrow has been a guide for the clinical application of kidney, Qi and blood tonics for prevention and treatment of dementia and improvement in memory. As low resistance organs, both the brain and therefore the kidneys are subjected to blood flow of high volumes throughout the cycle. Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia are two common causes of dementia, and it’s increasingly recognized that a lot of older adults with dementia have both AD and vascular pathologies.