Stroke, Parkinson's disease and senile dementia are some of the age related neurological diseases more common in poor countries like Bangladesh, than in developed countries because of malnutrition, lack of proper control and management of other common diseases, said AKM Anwarullah of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University on Monday.

He was speaking at a symposium on 'The Aging Brain: Use it or lose it' at the Sheraton Hotel organised by the Karolinska Institute of Sweden.

Research institutions in two Asian and two European countries have joined hands in a project focusing on the elderly, a neglected, yet rapidly growing population, in low income countries.

Dr Bengt Winblad of Geriatrics from Karolinska University Hospital presided over the pre-conference symposium.

In his paper, Alzheimer Disease and Neurogenesis, Igne Grundke-Iqbal from New York State Institute for Basic Research in Development said, neurogenesis in the brain is an ongoing process, which is ubiquitous in the foetal brain and then slows down proportionally with age.

Anwarullah said, the elderly can prevent ageing by using drugs, exercising physically and mentally, resisting smoking and controlling blood pressure.

The two-day international conference will be held on Mainstreaming Aging in Health Systems and Rural Development from today.