Dementia Aware: what you need to know about intimacy, sexuality and behaviours in dementia There is a widespread assumption that as we age, we lose our sexual allure and desire, and the thought of older people being sexually active is often joked about or thought of as just ‘icky!’
PET scan of the brain for depression A PET scan can compare brain activity during periods of depression (left) with normal brain activity (right). An increase of blue and green colors, along with decreased white and yellow areas, shows decreased brain activity due to depression. Picture of PET Scan used

Many of us are familiar with the ‘up and down’ mood swings of children and teenagers, the rebellious behaviours, the arguments, the tantrums, and the need to be in control and independent. This is normal childhood and we refer to it as ‘going through a phase.’ However, when these behaviours