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This paper sets out to provide a brief guide to brain function and the main causes of brain dysfunction likely to be encountered in social care and neurodisability practice. For the first issue of Social Care and Neurodisability, it was felt that such an overview paper serving both as a self‐contained aide memoire, and as a ‘signpost’ for other relevant resources, would be a useful tool to sit alongside any subsequent articles published in the Journal and provide some relevant brain function context. We have drawn on clinical experience, key references and the growing area of internet‐based resources in order to provide what is hopefully an accessible paper in the spirit of the ubiquitous ‘Made Simple’ series.

The dementias are important disorders of ageing which result in cognitive and functional decline, behaviour change, increasing dependency and premature death. Alzheimer's disease and other dementias are at least as prevalent in older people with learning disabilities as in the general population. In addition, people with Down's syndrome have high rates of early onset Alzheimer's disease. Assessment of dementia in people with learning disabilities is confounded by pre‐existing cognitive and functional impairments and high rates of comorbid disorders. This paper discusses assessment of dementia in people with learning disabilities from a clinical perspective, with reference to the current evidence base.

This case study is of a man with learning disabilities and significant general medical and mental health problems. It illustrates some of the difficulties in assessment, diagnosis, management and service provision with such cases. It is described how an extended admission to a specialist in‐patient unit was necessary in which the Care Programme Approach (CPA) was used to organise multidisciplinary care.

The purpose of this article is to discuss the policy developments of integration and personalisation within the context of Primary Care, specifically an innovative Memory Service provided within a General Practice. It examines how these policies work together in this context to deliver a high quality service that is responsive to individual needs in an area of care: memory disorder or dementia, which has often relied heavily on secondary care services.

The article is a case study analysis of integration and personalisation in Primary Care, allowing for examination and elaboration of both concepts as applied in this setting; and their contribution to a better quality care Memory Service. The analysis is produced by independent researchers (MC and NM), background and facts by service personnel (IG, NG and DJ).

The innovative Memory Service operates as a person‐centred facility, integrating into the surgery, expertise that would traditionally be locked into secondary care health services. It makes maximum use of locally available knowledge of the patient, their family and formal and informal sources of support and therapy through links which cross agency boundaries. These links are identified and utilised in tailored support for individuals by the practice‐based Dementia Advisor. Outcomes include improved dynamics of identification, diagnosis and after care, high satisfaction amongst patients and families and reduced utilisation and expenditure of other healthcare facilities.

Personalisation and integration can be united in the development of innovative and improved Memory Services centred in Primary Care.

Maintaining a focus on the needs of people within their social contexts (being person‐centred) is a powerful means of driving better integrated care in Primary Care for people living with dementia and related disorders.

This is the first examination of personalisation and integration as coupled concepts to lead the improvement of care, specifically a Memory Service, in Primary Care.

This study aims to systematically review randomized clinical trials (RCTs) evaluated the effects of resveratrol on vascular flow-mediated dilation (FMD).

All published RCTs in English were systematically searched on PubMed and Scopus search engines up to October 2017. A total of 61 studies were found through search databases. The outcome variable of interest was FMD. Six articles which met inclusion criteria were included in this study.

From six studies, four showed a significant improvement in FMD after resveratrol supplementation acutely or chronically in subjects with cardio-metabolic risk factors. Two other studies did not show any significant effect of resveratrol on FMD.

The authors systematically reviewed the effectiveness of resveratrol supplementation on FMD for the first time. The findings suggest that pure resveratrol supplementation may have beneficial effects on endothelium dependent vasodilatation indicator, FMD.

Discusses environmental factors which may have harmful effects on the cardiovascular system and cause acute or chronic disease. Classifies these factors as chemical, physical, biological and psychosocial. Concentrates on describing the chemical, physical and biological elements which directly cause cardiovascular diseases, such as nicotine and carbon monoxide (chemical); temperatue and electricity (physical) and viral infections such as maternal coxsackie (biological). Concludes by stressing the need for more intensive studies on this subject.

Being overweight or obese is widely accepted as a health risk for many years. But recent research in Sweden, France, England and Britain has shown that the areas of the body in which fat is deposited are more important indicator than degree of over weight per se for disorders as ischaemic heart disease, hypertension and diabetes. Joyce Hughes discusses the importance of regional distribution of adipose tissue

This paper presents an analysis of a sample of the monographs listed in the National Library of Medicine's Current Catalog under subject headings in the cardiovascular diseases category. The sample was composed of 326 publishers and 770 monographs. The sample of monographic literature used in this study conforms to Bradford's law and demonstrates that the law is not confined by political or economic boundaries.

The aim of this study is to provide a review of the research studies that took place in the previous years regarding Mangiferin and its potential use in the treatment of various disorders such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, cancer and human immunodeficiency virus.

Mangiferin can be easily extracted from the plant at a very low cost to treat some common as well as deadly diseases, which will be a miracle in herbal treatment. In support of this, the recent related articles were considered to understand the bioactive compound “Mangiferin” to treat lifestyle diseases. Various review articles and research papers were collected from international and national journals, and internet sources were also being used to compile the current manuscript.

Mangiferin has been shown to have the potential to mitigate many life style diseases such as diabetes, obesity, hypertension, fatty liver, atherosclerosis, dyslipidemia and diabetes-related end-organ complications such as retinopathy, neuropathy and nephropathy.

In this comprehensive review, this study evaluates Mangiferin and its lifestyle disease-modifying properties for nutraceuticals purposes.

Human vibration exposure from hand-operated equipment emissions can lead to irreparable and debilitating hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS). While work-place health and well-being (H&WB) policies, strategies and procedures have been extensively researched and documented, little has been done to develop a specific strategic framework tailored to the management of hand-arm vibration (HAV). This study fills that gap.

A mixed philosophical approach of interpretivism and critical realism is adopted within a case study of a utilities contractor. Within this overarching epistemological design, action research approach is implemented via a three-stage investigation, namely, relevant company H&WB documents and procedures were examined, leading to the formulation of semi-structured interview questioning of the H&WB team. Their responses informed the next line of questions, delivered to middle-management responsible for overseeing H&S.

The findings are instructive in revealing that while substantial documentation management (augmented with protocols and checks) was in place, the system fell short of implementation within the workforce and thus failed to preserve worker H&WB. The investigation generated recommendations for shoring up H&WB deficiencies observed and developed a theoretical model to represent these. Though these recommendations were developed in response to a specific case, they form the core of a HAV operational H&WB strategy framework with applicability over a broader context.

This research provides unique insight into contemporary industry practices employed to manage HAV in the workplace and represents an invaluable opportunity to learn from prevailing practices and rectify deficiencies observed.