What is Dementia?
BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery), 10 years of experience
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What is the meaning of Dementia?
Dementia is a composite term that is used for diseases and conditions that are caused by a decline in memory, language, problem-solving, and other thinking skills that affect a person’s ability to perform everyday activities.
Memory loss is an example of dementia. Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of dementia and is a type of mental illness. The treatment of Alzheimer’s disease is not available, but treatment can be done to reduce its symptoms. Some types of diseases associated with dementia get cured on their own, while other types may require treatment.
In this article, we are going to talk in detail about dementia.
- What are the types of Dementia?
- What are the causes of Dementia?
- What are the risk factors for Dementia?
- What are the symptoms of Dementia?
- How to diagnose Dementia?
- What are the treatments for Dementia?
- What are the complications of Dementia?
- How to prevent Dementia?
What are the types of Dementia?
There are several types of dementia, including:
Alzheimer’s disease:
- This condition is characterized by “plaques” between the dying cells in the brain and “tangles” within the cells (both are due to protein abnormalities).
- Not all causes of Alzheimer’s disease are known, but experts believe that one of the causes could be genetics and family history of Alzheimer’s disease.
- The brain tissue in an individual affected with Alzheimer’s has progressively fewer nerve cells and connections, and the total brain size shrinks.
- The disease is characterized by loss of memory; loss of language function (aphasia); immobility of the muscles of the lips, jaw, and tongue during speech (apraxia); or visual and perception disorders causing difficulty in recognition of speech or naming objects (agnosias).
( Know more about- What is Alzheimer’s Disease? Causes, Symptoms and Treatment )
Vascular dementia:
- When the blood vessels that supply blood to the brain are damaged it may cause vascular dementia.
- Vascular dementia can lead to less focus and slower thinking.
Dementia with Lewy bodies:
- It is a neurodegenerative condition associated with abnormal structures in the brain.
- It is a common type of progressive dementia and includes symptoms like hallucinating (seeing objects or people that are not present), problems in concentrating, tremors, uncoordinated movements, and rigid muscles.
Mixed dementia:
- It refers to the diagnosis of two or three types of dementia occurring together.
- For example, a person may show both Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia at the same time.
- Frontotemporal dementia:
- This condition includes the breakdown of nerve cells and the connection of these nerve cells in the temporal and frontal lobes of the brain.
- The commonly seen symptoms in this condition affect the personality, behavior, language, movement, judgment, and thinking of an individual.
Parkinson’s disease:
- This disease is also characterized by the presence of Lewy bodies.
- Parkinson’s disease is normally considered to be a movement disorder, but it can also lead to dementia symptoms.
( Know more about- What is Parkinson’s Disease and Deep Brain Stimulation Therapy )
Huntington’s disease:
- This disease is characterized by specific types of uncontrolled movements, and a decrease in the thinking ability of an individual.
- It is usually seen in people between 30 to 40 years of age.
What are the causes of Dementia?
The common causes of dementia are:
- Degenerative neurological diseases
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Huntington’s disease
- Parkinson’s disease
- Certain types of multiple sclerosis (a disease in which the immune system attacks and damages the protective covering of the nerves, causing a disturbance in the communication between the brain and the body)
The above diseases usually get worse with age.
Vascular disorders: These disorders usually affect the blood circulation in the brain and include:
- Infections affecting the central nervous system (brain and the spinal cord or back) of the body such as HIV (a sexually transmitted disease), meningitis (inflammation of the brain and the membranes of the spinal cord), Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (a degenerative disorder of the brain which may cause dementia and even death).
- Prolonged use of alcohol or drugs
- Trauma or injury to the brain caused due to an accident or fall
- Fluid buildup in the brain (hydrocephalus)
( Know more about- What is Brain Injury? Causes, Symptoms and Treatment)
Other reversible causes of dementia
- Tumors
- Excessive consumption of alcohol
- Substance abuse
- Subdural hematomas (formation of blood clots under the outer brain covering)
- Metabolic disorders like vitamin B-12 deficiency
- Normal-pressure hydrocephalus (fluid build-up in the brain)
- Hypothyroidism (low level of thyroid hormones)
- Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)
- HIV- associated neurocognitive disorders (brain-related disorders associated with HIV and AIDS)
- Depression
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What are the risk factors for Dementia?
A few physical and lifestyle factors may increase the risk of developing dementia. The risk factors for dementia include:
- Age
- Family history of dementia
- Depression
- Pre-existing medical conditions like diabetes, multiple sclerosis, heart diseases, sleep apnea (a sleep disorder that can lead to heart conditions and high blood pressure), and Down syndrome (a genetic disorder associated with intellectual disability)
- Injury to the brain
- Smoking
- Heavy alcohol consumption
- Poor diet
- Lack of physical exercise
- Stroke (interrupted blood supply to the brain causing brain damage)
- Brain infection, like in cases of meningitis and syphilis (a bacterial infection that spreads through sexual contact)
( Know more about- What is the differences between Brain Stroke and Heart Attack )
What are the symptoms of Dementia?
The symptoms of dementia can vary greatly. Examples include:
- Memory loss
- Difficulty in communication and speech
- Difficulty in spatial and visual abilities, like losing the way while driving
- Inability to handle complex tasks
- Difficulty in solving problems and reasoning
- Difficulty in planning and organization
- Difficulty in coordination
- Confusion
- Disorientation
- Change in personality
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Getting agitated easily
- Improper behavior
- Hallucinations
- Paranoia (irrational distrust and suspicion of others)
If one notices any of the above symptoms, he/she should contact a doctor immediately.
How to diagnose Dementia?
The doctor will observe and physically examine the patient. The doctor will take note of the medical and family history of the patient, along with the symptoms of the patient.
A single test cannot confirm the diagnosis of dementia. The doctor is likely to advise several tests to diagnose the exact problem.
Laboratory tests:
- Blood tests can detect problems like a vitamin deficiency or thyroid disorders that can affect the function of the brain.
- Spinal fluid (fluid present in the spinal cord or backbone) may be examined for inflammation, infection, or markers of certain degenerative disorders.
Psychiatric evaluation:
- A psychologist can determine if depression or other mental health conditions are responsible for the symptoms seen.
Neurological evaluation:
- Doctors evaluate the language, attention, memory, visual perception, problem-solving ability, balance, senses, and reflexes of the patient.
Cognitive and neuropsychological tests:
- The thinking capability of the patient is evaluated by using several tests for measuring the thinking skills, like language skills, memory, orientation, attention, reasoning, and judgment.
Brain scans
- CT scan or MRI scan: These scans are done to check if there is any sign that shows evidence of bleeding, tumor, hydrocephalus, or tumor.
- PET scans: These scans show the brain activity patterns and check for deposition of the amyloid or tau proteins in the brain. The presence of these proteins indicates the presence of Alzheimer’s disease.
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What are the treatments for Dementia?
There is no definitive form of treatment for dementia yet. However, the doctor can find the cause of dementia and treat the cause.
The symptoms associated with dementia can be controlled by certain forms of treatment.
Medications
Cholinesterase inhibitors:
- Medicines like donepezil, galantamine, and rivastigmine help in increasing the levels of chemical messengers that help in memory and judgment.
- These medicines are primarily used for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, but can also be prescribed for other types of dementia.
- The side effects of these medications are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, slower heart rate, sleep disturbances, and dizziness.
Memantine
- Memantine (Namenda) regulates the activity of glutamate, which is a chemical messenger that regulates brain functions like memory and learning.
- Memantine can be sometimes prescribed with a cholinesterase inhibitor drug.
- Dizziness is the common side effect associated with this drug.
Other medications
- Certain medications may be prescribed by the doctor for the treatment of certain disorders like depression, hallucinations, Parkinson’s disease, agitation, and sleep disturbances.
Therapies
Some symptoms of dementia can be treated by using certain therapies like:
Occupational therapy:
- An occupational therapist will teach how to manage the behavior of a dementia patient and make the house safe to prevent accidents.
Modification of the environment
- The noise and clutter in the surrounding environment are reduced to help a dementia patient to concentrate and work.
- Sharp and dangerous objects like knives are hidden.
- Monitoring systems help to keep an eye on the person affected by dementia.
Making the tasks easier:
- Breaking down any task into steps makes it easier to understand and follow for a dementia patient.
- Following a routine is also beneficial to the patient.
- This helps in reducing confusion.
( Know more about- What is Group Therapy? Types, Methods and Benefits )
What are the complications of Dementia?
Dementia can lead to the following complications:
- Inability to perform simple self-care tasks: Dementia usually becomes more severe with age. As dementia progresses, an individual is unable to do simple tasks like brushing teeth, bathing, dressing up, combing hair, using the washroom alone, and taking medicines.
- Safety challenge: Simple day-to-day activities can pose safety issues for people suffering from dementia, including activities like cooking, walking, and driving.
- Poor nutrition: People with dementia tend to reduce or stop eating completely, affecting their nutrient levels. This may lead to an inability to chew and swallow food.
- Pneumonia: Difficulty in swallowing may increase the risk of choking or aspiration of the food into the lungs. This can block the breathing ability of the individual and can cause pneumonia.
- Death: Dementia in its advanced stage can cause coma and death from infection.
( Know more about- What is Staph Infections? Causes, Symptoms and Treatments )
How to prevent Dementia?
Some of the following measures can be taken to prevent dementia:
- Quit smoking
- Stop the consumption of alcohol
- Be physically active
- Be socially active
- Keep your mind busy and active
- Increase the intake of vitamins
- Treat any pre-existing mental health conditions like anxiety and depression
- Treat any physical diseases that you may be having like high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, and high cholesterol
( Know more about- What to eat to lower Cholesterol ? )
- Eat a healthy diet
- Get good quality and quantity of sleep every day
- Treat any hearing problem that you may be having
( Know more about-What is Vitamin B3 deficiency? Causes, Symptoms,Benefits of Vitamin B3 )
We hope we could answer all your questions about Dementia through this article.
If you want to get more information and treatment of Dementia, then contact a Neurologist.
We aim to provide you with information about Dementia through this article. We do not recommend any medicine, treatment, or surgery in any way. Only a qualified doctor can give you good advice and the correct treatment plan.
