Karachi: Epilepsy Foundation Pakistan President Dr. Fowzia Siddiqui has said that Alzheimer's disease is a leading cause of dementia and a complex illness, said noted neurophysician of the country and the President of Epilepsy Foundation Pakistan. She was speaking at the 26th National PPS Psychiatric Conference 2025 Karachi.She said Alzheimer's disease, the leading cause of dementia, is now understood as a complex disorder involving far more than memory loss. It is a loss of one's self, the insight of who we are -- it is profoundly psychiatric in its presentation and progression.Dr. Fowzia Siddiqui, who is Neurologist and Epileptologist Aga Khan University Hospital Karachi, said as Neurodegeneration advances, it disrupts circuits in the limbic system, frontal cortex, and neurotransmitter pathways, giving rise to a spectrum of neuropsychiatric symptoms often more distressing than the cognitive decline itself. She said the common manifestations include depression, anxiety, apathy, irritability, paranoia, d elusions, and hallucinations.She said up to 90 percent of patients experience at least one of these symptoms during the course of their illness. Early in the disease, depression and anxiety may reflect awareness of cognitive loss; later, psychosis and agitation emerge as cortical control weakens.She said once defined by amyloid plaques and tau tangles, new research reveals that the disease process begins decades before symptoms, influenced by genetic, vascular, metabolic, and inflammatory factors.Dr. Fowzia said advances in biomarkers and neuroimaging allow earlier, more precise diagnosis, while emerging therapies-such as anti-amyloid antibodies and anti-inflammatory agents-aim to slow progression rather than merely treat symptoms.She said the 'Mind plus Memory' approach emphasizes holistic brain health: physical activity, cognitive engagement, emotional well-being, and social connection. Together, these foster resilience and may delay onset.Dr. Fowzia Siddiqui said though a cure remains elusive, th ese insights offer hope-transforming Alzheimer's from an inevitable decline to a condition we can understand, manage, and perhaps one day prevent. The future lies in preserving both memory and the mind that defines our humanity.