中醫看認知障礙症 | A TCM Perspective on Dementia - September 9, 2026 - Dim Sum Social at Legend Chinese Restaurant
中醫看認知障礙症：勞惠光醫師麗晶酒家講座重點回顧
2026年9月9日，勞惠光醫師應邀於萬錦麗晶酒家（Legend Chinese Restaurant）主講《中醫看失智症》養生講座，與一眾街坊在點心午宴中，一同認識認知障礙症的成因、中醫調理方向，以及日常照顧的實用心法。以下整理當日講座重點，與未能出席的朋友分享。
認知障礙症不是「老糊塗」
認知障礙症（又稱失智症）並非正常老化，而是大腦功能持續、進行性地退化，影響記憶、思考、語言、判斷力，甚至性格，嚴重程度足以妨礙日常生活。常見類型包括：
阿茲海默症：最常見，約佔六至七成，早期以近期記憶衰退最突出。
血管性認知障礙症：與中風或腦小血管病變有關，常呈階梯式惡化。
路易體失智症：認知能力時清時亂，常有具體視幻覺，並有類似柏金遜的動作症狀。
額顳葉失智症：發病年齡較早，以性格大變、語言障礙為主，記憶力反而較晚受損。
勞醫師特別提到，柏金遜病患者當中，約四至八成病程後期會出現認知障礙——並非單純「老了記性差」，而是執行功能、專注力、視空間能力都可能受影響，記憶問題則以「回想困難、經提示後會改善」為特徵，與阿茲海默症「記不住新事物」有所不同。
養生核心：順老，不抗老
勞醫師引《黃帝內經》「形與神俱，而盡終其天年，度百歲乃去」一語，指出中醫養生的重點不是把老人家變回年輕人，而是讓身心在生命每個階段都精氣神充足。長者養生要抓住三個根本：
補腎填精，充養髓海——腎藏精、主骨生髓，腦為髓海，記憶思維全靠腦髓充盈。
健脾益氣，化痰開竅——脾胃為氣血生化之源，脾虛則痰濕上蒙清竅，令人昏沉遲鈍。
活血化瘀，通絡醒腦——氣血貴在流通，年老氣虛易致血瘀，腦絡不通是失智關鍵。
中醫古稱認知障礙為「呆病」「痴呆」「善忘」，核心病機在於「本虛標實」：腎虛髓空為根本，痰、瘀等病理產物上擾清竅則為誘因。實際辨證分型較細，須由註冊中醫師面診後處方，不可自行對號入座抓藥。
護腦飲食：吃對食物，養好腦
勞醫師介紹了專為護腦而設計的 MIND 飲食法（地中海飲食與得舒飲食的混合版）：
多吃：深綠色葉菜、各色蔬菜、莓果、堅果、全穀物、豆類、魚類、家禽 少吃：紅肉及製品、牛油與人造牛油、芝士、甜點、油炸物
日常簡易健腦食材方面，勞醫師舉例如核桃黑芝麻糊（補腎填髓）、四神湯（健脾化痰）、山楂丹參茶（活血通絡）、百合紅棗蓮子湯（養心安神），並介紹了幾款護腦湯水，例如核桃黑豆烏雞湯（適合記憶力減退、腰痠夜尿者）、天麻川芎白芷魚頭湯（適合頭暈、腦部循環欠佳者）等，各有針對不同體質與症狀的用法。
特別提醒：湯水與西藥服用須間隔一至兩小時以上；服用薄血藥（如華法林、阿士匹靈）人士，應避免或慎用丹參、田七、川芎、銀杏等活血藥材，飲用前務必先諮詢中、西醫。
日常照顧與溝通：進入他的世界
勞醫師分享的相處心法，或許是當日最觸動人心的部分——最高原則：不爭辯、不糾正、不指責，進入他的世界，而非把他拉回現實。例如長者說「我要回家」，不必糾正「這裡就是你家」，可以回應：「好，我陪你，你想家裡的誰？我們先喝杯茶，然後告訴我多些。」
其他實用技巧包括：用短句、是非題簡化語言（例如不問「午餐想吃什麼」，改問「想吃飯還是吃麵」）；蹲下平視、放慢動作以身體溝通；用聽舊歌、看舊相簿轉移注意力；多談舊事，因為長期記憶往往保留較久，能帶來安全感。
家居安全方面，講座亦提到防跌（清除雜物、走廊裝扶手）、防走失（衣物內縫聯絡電話名牌）、浴室防滑及水溫控制等具體措施。
預防由中年開始
治未病是中醫核心思想，勞醫師建議中年起可從幾方面著手：節制房勞、適量進食黑色食物以養腎精；多閱讀、下棋以動腦筋；調暢情志，因鬱怒傷肝、思慮傷脾；規律練習太極拳、八段錦或散步；並控制三高，預防血管性失智。
別忘了，照顧者也需要被照顧
講座尾聲，勞醫師特別提醒各位照顧者：「你不是超人。」長期照顧壓力巨大，接受不完美、尋求喘息（哪怕只是兩小時去喝杯咖啡）、加入家屬支援小組分擔情緒、定期留意自己的睡眠與情緒，都同樣重要。
正如勞醫師總結：「這條路很長，你為家人做的每一件事，哪怕是安靜地陪坐片刻，都是愛的具體呈現。請記得，照顧好自己，才是能持續照顧家人的根基。」
免責聲明：以上資訊僅供參考，不能取代專業醫療人員的診斷與治療。如有具體病況，務必諮詢你的主診醫生及註冊中醫師。
📄 想保留完整講座內容？ 按此下載當日講座投影片（PDF）
如想預約勞惠光醫師面診，或想知道更多中醫養生資訊，歡迎聯絡康寧堂（416-818-7106），或加入我們的 WhatsApp 頻道接收最新健康資訊。
A TCM Perspective on Dementia: Highlights from Dr. Arthur Lo's Talk at Legend Chinese Restaurant
On September 9, 2026, Dr. Arthur Lo (勞惠光醫師) spoke at a dim sum social at Legend Chinese Restaurant in Thornhill, sharing a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) perspective on dementia and cognitive decline with community members over lunch. Here are the highlights from the talk, for those who couldn't make it.
Dementia Isn't Just "Getting Forgetful"
Dementia is not normal aging — it's a progressive decline in brain function that affects memory, thinking, language, judgment, and even personality, to a degree that interferes with daily life. Common types include:
Alzheimer's disease: the most common form, accounting for roughly 60–70% of cases, typically starting with noticeable short-term memory loss.
Vascular dementia: linked to stroke or small-vessel disease in the brain, often progressing in a step-wise pattern.
Lewy body dementia: fluctuating cognition, vivid visual hallucinations, and Parkinson's-like motor symptoms.
Frontotemporal dementia: earlier onset, marked mainly by personality changes and language difficulties, with memory affected later.
Dr. Lo noted that among Parkinson's disease patients, an estimated 40–80% develop cognitive impairment later in the disease course — not simply "getting forgetful with age."
Executive function, attention, and visuospatial ability are often affected, and memory issues tend to show up as difficulty recalling (which improves with prompting) — distinct from the "can't retain new information" pattern seen in Alzheimer's.
The Core Philosophy: Aging Well, Not Fighting Aging
Dr. Lo referenced a line from the classical text Huangdi Neijing (黃帝內經): "form and spirit together, living out one's natural years, departing at a hundred." The point of TCM wellness practice isn't to turn an older person young again, but to keep body and spirit sufficiently nourished at every stage of life.
For elders, this rests on three foundations:
Nourishing the kidney essence to fill the "sea of marrow" — in TCM, the kidneys store essence and generate marrow, and the brain (the "sea of marrow") depends on this for memory and cognitive function.
Strengthening the spleen and resolving phlegm — the spleen and stomach are the source of qi and blood production; when spleen function is weak, dampness and phlegm can cloud mental clarity.
Moving blood and clearing stagnation — free-flowing qi and blood are essential; in old age, qi deficiency can lead to blood stasis, and blocked brain vessels are considered central to cognitive decline.
Classical TCM referred to dementia-like conditions as "foolish disease," "dementia," or "forgetfulness syndrome." The core mechanism is described as a "root deficiency with branch excess" pattern — kidney deficiency and marrow emptiness at the root, with phlegm and blood stasis as aggravating factors. Precise pattern differentiation is more nuanced than this summary and requires an in-person assessment by a registered TCM practitioner — this isn't something to self-diagnose or self-prescribe from.
Eating for Brain Health
Dr. Lo introduced the MIND diet — a hybrid of the Mediterranean and DASH diets, designed specifically to support brain health:
Eat more: dark leafy greens, a variety of vegetables, berries, nuts, whole grains, legumes, fish, poultry
Eat less: red meat and processed meat, butter and margarine, cheese, sweets, fried food
For everyday brain-supporting foods, Dr. Lo mentioned simple options like walnut and black sesame paste (nourishing kidney essence), four-spirit soup (strengthening the spleen), hawthorn and salvia tea (moving blood), and lily bulb, red date, and lotus seed soup (calming the mind).
He also introduced a few therapeutic soups — such as walnut, black bean, and silkie chicken soup (for memory decline, low back ache, and nighttime urination) and gastrodia, chuanxiong, and angelica fish head soup (for dizziness and poor cerebral circulation) — each suited to different constitutions and symptoms.
Important caution: soups and Western medications should be taken at least one to two hours apart. Anyone on blood thinners (e.g., warfarin, aspirin) should avoid or use caution with blood-moving herbs like salvia, notoginseng, or chuanxiong, and should always check with their doctor and TCM practitioner first.
Daily Care and Communication: Meeting Them in Their World
Perhaps the most moving part of the talk was Dr. Lo's guidance on communication — the golden rule: don't argue, don't correct, don't blame. Enter their world rather than pulling them back into yours. If a parent says "I want to go home," rather than correcting them with "this is your home," you might respond: "Okay, I'll go with you. Who's at home? Let's have some tea first, and you can tell me more."
Other practical techniques: simplify language into short sentences and yes/no questions (instead of "what do you want for lunch," try "rice or noodles?"); communicate with your body — crouch to eye level, smile, move slowly; redirect attention with old songs or photo albums when they're agitated; and lean into reminiscence, since long-term memories often remain intact longer and can offer real comfort.
For home safety, the talk covered fall prevention (clearing clutter, installing handrails), wandering prevention (sewing contact information into clothing), and bathroom safety (non-slip mats, controlled water temperature).
Prevention Starts in Midlife
The TCM principle of "treating before disease arises" (治未病) suggests several starting points from midlife onward: moderating overexertion and eating kidney-nourishing black foods; keeping the mind active through reading and games; managing stress, since prolonged frustration and overthinking are believed to generate phlegm and stasis over time; regular gentle exercise like tai chi or walking; and managing cardiovascular risk factors to help prevent vascular dementia.
Caregivers Need Care, Too
Toward the end of the talk, Dr. Lo had a direct message for caregivers: "You are not a superhero." The pressure of long-term caregiving is real, and he encouraged accepting imperfection, seeking respite (even just two hours for a coffee or a walk), joining a caregiver support group to share the emotional load, and keeping an eye on your own sleep and wellbeing.
As Dr. Lo put it: "This road is long. Everything you do for your family — even just sitting quietly beside them — is a concrete expression of love. Remember: taking care of yourself is the foundation for being able to keep caring for them."
Disclaimer: the information above is for general reference only and is not a substitute for diagnosis and treatment by a qualified medical professional. For specific health concerns, please consult your physician and a registered TCM practitioner.
📄 Want the full talk in detail? Download the slide deck from the talk (PDF)
To book a consultation with Dr. Arthur Lo, or to receive more TCM wellness content, contact Techwork (康寧堂) at 416-818-7106, or join our WhatsApp Channel for updates.
