A REVIEW OF THE INCIDENCE, CHALLENGES & TREATMENT OF ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE IN INDIA WITH SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON THE USE OF AYURVEDIC AND HERBAL MEDICINE

The incidence of Alzheimer's disease in India has always posed unique challenges owing to the dynamic demography of the nation, along with other socioeconomic, cultural and environmental factors. This is further exacerbated by the lack of knowledge regarding the pathogenesis of the disease. The lack of infrastructure, economic constraints, and diagnostic difficulties - form a pivotal part of the challenge. This paper carried out a systematic review to evaluate, analyze and summarize patterns and trends in existing literature while mapping knowledge gaps to propose potential areas of future research. Herbal drugs, through preclinical and clinical trials, have been found to have significant therapeutic potential. While the incidence of AD was found to be the highest in Jammu and Kashmir and in Odisha, lack of awareness and studies about the disease in India result in sparse information. Preclinical trials also suggest huge potential for Ayurvedic medicine. However, the lack of clinical trials in most medicines suggests that these still require intensive study before being ready for human use. It still seems a long way before Alzheimer's can be expected to take a positive turn in India.