Reflections on the 2021 STEM Winter Camp

Who You Are Today, Who I May Become Tomorrow

Pei-Yu Hung | Kaohsiung Municipal Girls’ Senior High School

Dementia is a condition commonly associated with aging and is familiar to most people. Society often views it as a terrifying final obstacle in the aging process. Yet our understanding may be limited to things we have heard without knowing its specific symptoms or early warning signs. Dr. Ya-Ting’s lecture helped me move beyond that superficial understanding.

To be honest, I was not particularly interested in the topic before the lecture because I did not think it was relevant to me. After all, I am still a long way from old age. However, Dr. Ya-Ting immediately caught my attention with her first question: “Does anyone in your family snore frequently?”

That was something I could relate to! Whenever my grandmother stays at our house, her snoring travels from my mother’s room all the way to mine. “Thunderous” is not enough to describe it—it sounds more like an atomic bomb. Dr. Ya-Ting explained that louder snoring may indicate more serious oxygen deprivation in the brain and could even be associated with stroke. That frightened me and led directly into the day’s topic: aging.

Dr. Ya-Ting first introduced the aging process before explaining how it affects different parts of the body, including the cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, genitourinary, and musculoskeletal systems. Although some of the professional terminology was difficult for me to understand, she thoughtfully included many images in her presentation to make the information clearer.

The respiratory system left the strongest impression on me because it was most closely connected to my own experience. Eight warning signs were discussed: daytime sleepiness, frequent headaches, high blood pressure and cardiovascular problems, difficulty concentrating, light and disrupted sleep, loud snoring, choking while asleep, and pauses in breathing. I was shocked that the respiratory system alone could develop so many problems with aging, and I could not help worrying about my grandmother.

The musculoskeletal system was also memorable, particularly because the suggested method of slowing its decline surprised me. Dr. Ya-Ting explained that preliminary data from patients with mild cognitive impairment showed a positive relationship between the number of steps taken each day and memory performance. I had always thought of walking as nothing more than transportation. I never realized that such an ordinary activity could help maintain memory.

The main focus of the lecture was dementia. Dr. Ya-Ting began by explaining its possible symptoms. I had assumed that dementia simply meant forgetting people and things, but I learned that it can also cause changes in mood and personality. Dementia is also more complicated than I had imagined, with different forms and causes, including vascular conditions, alcohol-related damage, and multiple sclerosis.

She then introduced several risk factors for dementia. I was surprised to learn that they include smoking, stress, occupational exposure to pesticides, and head injuries. She especially reminded energetic young people like us to avoid traffic accidents because injuries to the head could significantly increase the risk of developing dementia later in life.

Finally, Dr. Ya-Ting discussed approaches introduced around the world to address the growing number of people living with dementia. One example was a residential village for older adults in Vancouver. She humorously observed that because the village accommodates only 75 residents, Taiwan would need to build 2,000 such villages to meet its needs. Similar solutions adopted by other countries remain insufficient in relation to the scale of the problem.

Nevertheless, we can still contribute by beginning with our own families. Dr. Ya-Ting explained that maintaining eye contact with older adults, encouraging them to communicate through gestures, avoiding arguments, speaking slowly, and asking closed-ended questions may all help support people living with dementia and slow the worsening of their condition.

This lecture not only gave me a deeper understanding of aging but also made me feel less uncertain and helpless about health conditions I may encounter in the future. It also inspired me to spend more time with my grandmother during winter vacation.