Tag: Thailand

Dementia Day Center, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, the Thai Red Cross Society prepares for Thailand’s anticipated aging society by offering various rehabilitation services to help slow down the decline of people with dementia, while planning to launch a professional course for caregivers, and establishing the “Bright Brain Club” to persuade people of all ages to learn and care for early brain health to avoid the possibility Alzheimer’s disease.

Alzheimer’s disease is the leading and most common cause of dementia in older adults. The higher the average life expectancy of Thai people, the greater the chance of dementia. Associate Professor Sukcharoen Tangwongchai, M.D. the Head of the Dementia Day Center, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, reveals that 6 out of 10 people with dementia are caused by Alzheimer’s disease. It is estimated that there are currently about 600,000 people with dementia in Thailand.

Alzheimer’s specialist Associate Professor Sukcharoen Tangwongchai, M.D.
“Alzheimer’s” is an incurable disease, but we can slow the decline to the disease’s terminal stage as much as possible. However, diagnosis and treatment when symptoms occur may be too slow. This disease is not only the patients’ problem but also affects caregivers who have to take care of patients 24/7. It can cause stress and various forms of challenges for the caregivers. Therefore, raising awareness to prevent the disease is necessary for everyone,” Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sukcharoen voiced his concern about the near future when Thai society becomes a full-fledged super age society in the year 2031 in which 28 percent of the population would be the elderly. This means the tendency to find more patients with dementia will increase drastically.

Early symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease
Dementia is cognitive impairment in 6 areas: memory and learning, language use, concentration, management abilities, motor skills, and social thinking. This has an impact on a patient’s daily life and makes them dependent on their caregivers. Some may display mental or behavioral symptoms as well. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, of which early symptoms are memory loss.

“We may notice forgetful behavior. The person can’t remember what just happened, keeps repeating the same thing or question over and over again, misplacing things, like putting the phone in the refrigerator, the toothbrush in the pantry, kitchen stuff in the bathroom, forgetting appointments, or whether they have already eaten, etc. These symptoms are different from the typical age-related forgetfulness in old people. The early signs of Alzheimer’s are that these episodes happen frequently, and take a long time for them to ponder but could never recall what happened, while for ordinary people, they will remember much later.”

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sukcharoen explained that in addition to forgetfulness that affects daily life, Alzheimer’s patients have difficulties in communication, concentration, reasoning, making a decision, or fixing problems. They would have faulty logic, dimensional and spatial problems, as well as sequential activities that they used to be familiar with such as using a phone or electrical equipment. Then their condition will worsen until they are unable to perform routine activities. They also would suffer personality changes. Some people may experience mood swings and become very irritable.

“The personality of Alzheimer’s patients will change, while they develop other mental or behavioral problems, such as paranoia, jealousy like never before, use of profanity, anxiety attacks, reduced interest in their surroundings, isolation from friends and family, passiveness, and seclusion from others.”

Risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease
Alzheimer’s disease is caused by a variety of reasons, with the main risk factors being:

-Aging: People between the ages of 65-70 have a 1-2 percent chance of getting the disease, which increases every 5 years.

-Females are at greater risk of developing this disease than males.

-People with a family history of the disease are at higher risk.

-Less educated people have a higher risk than those with higher education, perhaps because the latter are more likely to perform tasks that require analytical thinking, keeping their brain active at all times.

-Hearing loss because the deterioration of the auditory nerve causes the brain to be less stimulated.

-Severe brain trauma, such as accidents that cause concussions, or loss of consciousness

-Health conditions include high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease that are not treated or controlled.

-Obesity in middle age increases the risk

-Depression in the elderly

-Substance abuse, smoking, drinking exceeding 21 standard drinks per week.

-lack of social interaction, isolation

-Lethargy or lack of activities that allow brain exercise

“However, we may find Alzheimer’s disease in people 50 years of age or younger accounting for about 2-5 percent. This group of people has a history of parents or siblings suffering from the disease, and they are found to have mutated genes that are genetically inherited,” added Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sukcharoen.

Early diagnosis increases the quality of life.
When there is a suspected onset of Alzheimer’s disease, the doctor will diagnose the case based on probing the patient’s history from the patient and close relatives or caregivers that can provide information about the patient’s daily ability and behavioral regression of brain function, along with subjecting the patient to a brain performance test using a visual assessment test on memory, concentration, decision-making, directions, language, and calculations, etc., followed by a blood test, CT or MRI brain scan to determine the root cause of the problem.

“The sooner the disease is diagnosed, the better the patients and those around them will be able to plan their lives to cope with the symptoms. Treating Alzheimer’s patients is not about curing the disease, but about planning their lives and supporting them based on the symptoms and problems to slow down dementia as much as possible,” Assoc.Prof. Dr. Sukcharoen emphasized.

Therapeutic activities for Alzheimer’s disease without medication
The approach to Alzheimer’s treatment is both drug- and non-drug-based. Drug treatment is used to help improve cognition and memory, relieve dementia, and improve brain activity, coupled with psychiatric drugs to treat the mental symptoms in question and improve the patient’s behaviors.

But most importantly there is the non-drug treatment, the main approach used by the Dementia Day Center King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, to care for people with dementia and their caregivers throughout its two years of service.

“The non-drug treatment is aimed at patients and caregivers care because successful caring for people with dementia for their improved quality of life, depends partly on caregivers. We focus on therapeutic activities to stimulate the brain, and cognition, reduce behavioral problems, and help patients practice more of their routine activities, says Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sukcharoen.

“The nature of the activities is varied and three group therapy activities are offered each day, and also attended by caregivers so that they can apply what they learn to caring for the patients at home. Patients and caregivers are advised to attend the activities as a course of at least three days a week for three-month,” Assoc. Prof. Dr.Sukcharoen added while also mentioning that an assessment of the symptoms, basic abilities, and readiness of patients and caregivers is given before the activities so that the proper type can be offered.

The Dementia Care Center for Alzheimer’s disease
The Center is open from 9.00 am with 2 morning activities between 09.00-12.00, and one more activity in the afternoon from 1-2 p.m. Each activity lasts about 45 minutes due to the inability of dementia patients to concentrate for an extended period.

“Every morning, there is an orientation session with clients in a bright light therapy room, for about half an hour, followed by group activities for cognitive stimulation, such as brainteaser, crafts, and memory jogging which lets patients reminisce, and share good stories and feelings, art, cooking, singing, art therapy, music therapy, gardening, tree planting, recreational activities, and gaming, etc. Moreover, there are exercises such as stretching, yoga, and ADL Training (Activities of Daily Living) activities like brushing one’s teeth, taking a shower, combing one’s hair, eating, etc.”

In addition, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sukcharoen said that the Center also offers “Seal Robot” therapy for people with dementia in many countries around the world.

“There are studies that suggest that seal robots can help people with Alzheimer’s disease communicate. Robots have touch sensors, and voice recognition, and can interact with patients. When patients carry, cuddle and talk to the robot, it can respond to them, and encourage them to communicate better.”

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sukcharoen reveals that patients who participate in the Center’s various activities have shown improved memory and language ability, improved mood, decreased behavioral problems, and are generally happier. The Center also receives positive feedback from caregivers.

“The activities selected by the Center all help to stimulate the brain activity. The patients are happier. The activities are adjusted to suit the clients’ ability and motivate them to join next time. Some people, after completing the course, also want to come again for a new course. We also found that these activities can slow down the disease to a satisfactory level,” Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sukcharoen emphasized.

“Caregivers also have a better understanding of how to care for patients, having learned how to cope with patients through activities. More importantly, it is the social interactions, which are not just among patients, but also among the caregivers, all of which is to improve the quality of life for both.”

In the future, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sukcharoen said that the Center has plans to do more individual brain training for cases that have problems preventing them from participating in group activities. In addition, it will develop an online service platform using virtual reality devices and other innovations in collaboration with the cognitive impairment and dementia research unit of Chulalongkorn University Faculty of Medicine, as well as offer an online course for professional caregivers of people with dementia.

The Clear Brain Club prevents Alzheimer’s before it’s too late.
Dementia is preventable, says Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sukcharoen, reiterating evidence from several studies that people can slow the development of dementia at an early age.

“If you don’t want to have dementia, and to always have a bright brain, you need to start at an early age. Lead a healthy lifestyle, which is easy to do, starting with no stress, no depression, have social interaction, constant and regular exercise, annual health checkups, taking care of personal health issues, eating five groups of healthy foods, avoiding substance abuse and alcohol, abstain from smoking, sleep well, learn new things in life, do leisure activities, practice meditation,” Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sukcharoen suggested.

For this reason, the Dementia Day Center has set up a “Bright Brain Club” to encourage the general public to recognize, understand, and possess skills to care for themselves, and their mental and brain health to prevent dementia when entering an advanced age.

“The club is established with no membership fees for anyone 45 years of age or older because people of this age who are preparing to go into the geriatric stage are beginning to have chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia, the conditions which we need them to start paying attention to now. Most importantly, some people with stress, and depression from everyday life, if not properly cared for, early on will have a high risk of dementia in the future. Therefore, everyone should take care of their brain health before it’s too late.”

The Bright Brain Club is part of the Dementia Day Center located on the 15th floor of the Sor Tor Building Currently, there are about over a thousand members. Members can participate in regular club activities free of charge, such as workshops, seminars on physical and mental health issues, film screenings and discussions afterward, or listen to audio materials via podcast or YouTube.

“We want to encourage older people to prevent dementia early on by looking after themselves, paying attention to their physical and mental health to lessen the burden for their loved ones, the society, and the country in the future.So come and join our club,” Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sukcharoen said.

Alzheimer’s care center Dementia Care Center
Contact the Dementia Care Center, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital for appointments to attend therapy or join the Bright Brain Club at the Sor Tor Building 15th Floor, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, The Thai Red Cross Society, Tel. +66-2256-40000 ext. 71501, 71507 or via Facebook “Dementia Day Center, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, The Thai Red Cross Society,” or visit https://www.dcarechula.com/

Chula’s researchers have garnered themselves a world-class reward for their latest solar cell project which increases the capacity of electricity production and can be applied to numerous types of merchandise. These new solar cells are guaranteed to meet international standards and develop clean energy for society.

What used to wow us in sci-fi movies is now coming true as a reality. The day when we all become electric humans who can produce our electric currents using our clothing with built-in solar cell fibers or our wristwatches, cellular phones, or even your favorite hat.

These are the merits of research like “Developing the Stability of Perovskite Solar Cell” by Dr. Rongrong Cheacharoen of the Institute of Metallurgy and Materials Science, Chulalongkorn University who was one of the three researchers from the ASEAN region to recently win in the Green Talents Competition 2021 in Germany. The research has succeeded in overcoming the limitations of current solar cells and increasing the diversification of various types of products.

Limitations of current solar cells
Current solar cell panels have several limitations such as production problems, large panel sizes, and diminished performance in hot and humid environments.

As Dr. Rongrong explained, “most of the solar cell panels on the roofs of houses or those found in solar farms are the silicon type. Their capacity reduces by about 15% when the panel temperature reaches 60-70 degrees Celsius.”

Moreover, the solar cell panels production process is also highly complicated and relies on high temperatures which could pose a serious problem if the world would require more solar energy.

“The research question is how to find solutions to materials, production, and solar cell panels efficiency in a hot and humid country like Thailand.”

A new type of heat-resistant solar cell panel at maximum production capacity
Other than the silicon panels, another type of solar cell panel that is gaining popularity and merits further study is the Perovskite Solar Cell which has the same capacity to produce electricity as the silicon type but requires fewer materials and works well in a wider range of temperatures than the silicon type or as high as 65 degrees Celsius.

“What is special about the Perovskite Solar Cell, aside from the flexible and thin materials (a mere 500-nanometer thinness) it is also fast and easy to produce since the forming of the Perovskite Solar Cell uses a solution process similar to printing which makes it possible to be used on surfaces of any type whether it is fabric, bent surfaces, or even tiny tools making it possible for this type of solar cell to be used in a vast range of products like wristwatches, fabric fibers, and hats.”

Solar Cells with High-Quality World Standards
With all its advantages, the new type of solar cell still has certain limitations such as stability. Damp weather or UV rays can make the materials or solar cell fringes alter their appearance after an extended period of use. Dr.Rongrong has tried to address these problems leading to her endeavors since 2015 to work with leading academic institutions both in Thailand and abroad to study the stability of the Perovskite Solar Cell by putting it to use in an environment with UV rays, humidity, and voltage difference to determine whether the capacity is equivalent to normal circumstances. This research led to the design of the tools and the selection of materials that have been developed as encapsulation that would enable the Perovskite Solar Cell to pass the IEC 61215 industrial standards (first world standards for solar cell panels).

“In terms of testing standards, we conduct an accelerated test which involves replicating various conditions anticipated to happen in the next 25 years and noticed certain problems. However, the encapsulation and materials for this research enabled us to pass the test.”

Dr. Rongrong takes great pride in the fact that winning the Green Talents Competition 2021 from Germany is an affirmation of the standards and efficiency that meet the Sustainability Development Goals. Currently, the Netherlands and many other countries are adopting the new Solar Cell and adapting it to different forms of Solar Cell structures. For Thailand’s future in clean energy, Dr. Rongrong believes additional research is needed on the stability of new solar cells that suit our hot and humid climate. She is certain, however, that we will be seeing various forms of solar cell products being manufactured here in Thailand.

The increased longevity happening all over the world means we are likely to live longer than our parents and grandparents.

According to the United Nations, the world’s population age structure will continue to shift due to increasing life expectancy and decreasing levels of fertility. The global number of older persons is expected to more than double over the next three decades, reaching over 1.5 billion in 2050.

As one of the countries with a rapidly increasing aging population, especially this 2022, Thailand is now becoming an ‘aging’ society and will likely become a ‘super-aging society’ by 2031. To better meet the needs and provide services to the nation’s aging society, experts from various fields at Chulalongkorn University have conducted research to produce and develop innovations for the elderly.

To read more about Chula’s innovations that support healthy aging, follow the links below:

– Chula Dementia Day Center Can Help You Prepare for Old Age with a Clear Mind and Away from Alzheimer’s
https://www.chula.ac.th/en/highlight/73820/

– DeepGI AI – A Thai Innovation for the Precision in Colorectal Polyp Detection
https://www.chula.ac.th/en/highlight/73670/

– “Intestinal Microflora” as Health Indicator, A National-level Research Project by Chula Doctors in Response to Problems of an Aging Society
https://www.chula.ac.th/en/highlight/71551/

– Chula Launches PDPlus Application to Monitor Symptoms in Parkinson’s Patients for a Better Quality of Life
https://www.chula.ac.th/en/highlight/71287/

– A Success for Thai Medical Doctors! Producing Hip Prosthesis for the First Time – Enabling the Aged to Walk Again and Enjoy a Better Quality of Life
https://www.chula.ac.th/en/highlight/68527/

– Chula Medical Breakthrough! RED-GEM Molecules to Reverse Aging
https://www.chula.ac.th/en/highlight/59580/

– How to Sleep to Ensure Good Health – The Excellence Center for Sleep Disorders (Nidra Vej Center) Has the Answers
https://www.chula.ac.th/en/highlight/48356/

– Continuing Education, Skills Enhancement, and Self-Reliance: Essential Ingredients for an Aging Society
https://www.chula.ac.th/en/highlight/46792/

– Chula Ari, an Innovation Driving the Model Society to Support the Thai Aging Community
http://www.sustainability.chula.ac.th/report/2547/

A startup under the umbrella of CU Innovation Hub in collaboration with the Chula Faculty of Science has developed an innovative “Detachable and Dissolvable Microneedle” that makes any injections easy and painless for everyone, while also significantly reducing medical wastes.

Those afraid of needles and injections rejoice! Today, getting an injection is no longer scary or painful, because we have a “Detachable and Dissolvable Microneedle”, an innovative microneedle patch that can be implanted, fully detached, and dissolved under your skin! A product from Mineed Technology Co., Ltd., a startup under the umbrella of the Innovation Hub of Chulalongkorn University (CU Innovation Hub) with Prof. Dr. Supason Wanichwecharraung, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University.

“Injection is one form of a typical treatment and prophylaxis that everyone has to deal with, whether it’s vaccination, insulin for diabetics treatment, or even a typical injections to treat facial acnes. In contrast, for people with Trypanophobia, the injection can significantly causes distress, in some cases, severe physical trauma, such as hyperhidrosis patients, who would require 30 injections under each armpit,” Prof. Supason explained about the kickoff ideas of the microneedle patch.

From Problems to the Development of “Detachable and Dissolvable Microneedles”
Microneedles were invented and have been used globally for a while, but they have not been as popular as they should be. Prof. Supason revealed the problem of the previous generation of microneedles “the needles do not dissolve immediately so that patches have to be left on for 2-6 hours. In addition, the levels of moisture on each person’s skin are different, causing the active medication embedded in the needles to absorb at a different rate, not completely dissolve, or do not penetrate the skin of the users.”

“So, we developed this innovation that once the needle patch is in place, the implanted needle can be instantly detached itself into the skin, similar to implanting a splinter into human skin, but in this case, it doesn’t hurt, 100% safe, and a lot quicker than other typical dissolving microneedles.”

Small but full-performance needles
The innovative microneedle contains active medication in a tiny needle of no more than 1 millimeter (1,000 microns). It can quickly dissolve into the skin giving a different sensation than an injection with a typical syringe.

Mr. Chokchai Puangsiri, Director of Business Development, Mineed Technology Co., Ltd., who frequently try the microneedle, described the experience of using the patches, “although it feels like something is touching the skin, it feels far less painful than a typical syringe injection, more like touching the prickly part of the velcro tape. The microneedles can also be self-administered anytime, anywhere without the need for any medical expert anymore.”

In addition to reducing the pain and fear of the syringe, another advantage of using microneedles is that the dosage of medication is much lower. Prof. Dr. Supason gave an example of the COVID-19 vaccination, “there are two types of COVID-19 vaccinations, intramuscular vaccinations, and subcutaneous vaccinations. Subcutaneous injections are better at stimulating the immune while using lower doses than intramuscular injections, but subcutaneous injections are more difficult to inject and, if done frequently, it can cause scarring.”

The innovative soluble microneedles, therefore, make subcutaneous injections a simple matter and eliminate the likelihood of “scarring” from injections with syringes, especially among patients who need regular subcutaneous injections, such as diabetics. Also, dissolving microneedles help significantly reducing the amount of hazardous medical waste like needles and syringes as well.

Microneedles are easy to use. Anyone can give themselves an injection.
Microneedles cater to those who need to have frequent subcutaneous injections so that they do not have to waste their time and money traveling to receive services from healthcare profession. It is also a suitable for those who are afraid of needles or do not dare to give themselves injections.

“In the past, many diabetic patients died because they did not dare to give themselves insulin injections, and therefore, were not properly treated. Therefore, microneedles are the answer for this group of people, because patients can inject themselves easily.”

“Microneedles also help extend drugs’ shelf life, as liquid drugs are solidified to be used in the microneedles, thus their shelf life is extended for up to 1-2 more years.

With various microneedle properties, Mr. Chokchai said the innovation will help healthcare profession in providing telemedicine services without patients having to come to the hospitals for their injections in the future, which is really cost inefficient.

How to use “Detachable and Dissolvable Microneedles”
The Detachable and Dissolvable Microneedle set consists of two components: a microneedle patch, and a moisture patch resembling a wet tissue. The application starts with placing the microneedle patch on the skin where the injection is needed. Use your fingers to press all over the sheet so that the needle containing the drug is embedded under the skin. Place the wet patch over the microneedle patch to dissolve it. Leave it for at least 2 minutes for those needle to be detached and dissolved under the skin. Then, peel off the wet and microneedle patches, and it’s done – both conveniently and quickly.

For people who are worried about allergic reactions, Prof. Dr. Supason explained that “the microneedle is made from hyaluronic acid, which is a polymer that is already exist in any human body, so it surely doesn’t cause any allergic reaction. The needle can be used by anyone, but it also depends on the type of drug or vaccine that is injected. If the user is allergic to the drug or vaccine, it is inevitable that there is a chance for an allergic reaction.”

Group of medicines suitable for microneedles
Microneedles can be used with all types of drugs and vaccines injected subcutaneously, whether they are topical, such as anti-acne, anti keloid scarring medicines, or drugs for bodily systems, such as diabetes, migraine, contraception, etc.

“In our Detachable and Dissolvable Microneedles, we can exactly control the dosage, the depth of the skin layer to be injected, and the time for dissolution rate appropriate to the drugs,” Mr. Chokchai said.

Unsuitable drug types for microneedles are those with high dosage, because of the limited size of patches and needles making them too small for high-dose drugs. The proper dose is 1 mg per square centimeter.

Marketing opportunities for microneedles
Mr. Chokchai mentioned that the current development of microneedles is for two markets: the cosmetics market and the pharmaceutical market.

In the cosmetics market, hospitals and cosmetology clinics, both local and overseas, have ordered and used the microneedles, which have already been registered with FDA in Thailand and Europe, with vitamins and skincare agents. In the future, interested parties with drug formulas can commission the company to develop microneedles.

For the pharmaceutical market, the process is at the Proof of Concept stage, and clinical trials are underway in collaboration with the company’s partners before the products are launched at general pharmacies.

“We tested a variety of medications, such as anti-inflammatories for the skin, acne medicines, and blood-glucose-lowering medicines for diabetics, and it worked well. But to sell them, we need to comply with the Food and Drug Administration’s regulations,” Chokchai said.

The innovative Detachable and Dissolvable microneedles can be developed for many types of medicines, such as herbal patches for mosquito bites. The characteristics and components of the microneedles can also be adjusted to match the performance of any specific medicines, such as the size of the needle, or the duration of dissolution.

Dissolvable microneedles will give people wider access to treatment and preventive medicine because there’s no need to be afraid of needles or pain any longer. Now, needles are only minute matters.

On April 21, Cloudbae Company and Chulalongkorn University held the signing ceremony of the MoU on Innovation and Entrepreneurship Cooperation for Overseas Talents at the China-ASEAN Smart City Collaborative Innovation Center. Assoc. Prof. Natcha Thawesaengskulthai, Vice President of Strategic Planning, Innovation and International Cooperation of Chulalongkorn University, and Prof. Worsak Kanok-Nukulcha, Executive Director of Bachelor of Arts and Science in Integrated Innovation (BAScII), attended the signing ceremony and delivered speeches.

The advantage of this MoU is to:

• Jointly research and work on entrepreneurial venture projects in areas of entrepreneurship, smart city solutions, and emerging technologies, including AI, machine learning, and data science.

• Recruit the next generation of employees for consecutive implementation

• Exchange knowledge and talents

Cloudbae Company, started in March 2017, is dedicated to the development and operation of new Smart Cities. The company focuses on Smart City collaborations among Chinese and ASEAN cities and delivers the building, operating and upgrading of smart city collaborations with local governments.

“I-Nanning APP” is the first product launched by CloudBae company in Jan 2018. It is a Municipal Public Service Platform connected with 47 government departments, offering more than 100 services.

By Jan 2021, Cloudbae has accumulated 6 million registered users, out of which more than 600,000 are daily active users. Some highlights of the application are the E-Identification, Once Code Smart Pass, and Real Estate E-Services.