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Dementia

Dementia

Alternative Names

Chronic brain syndrome, Lewy body dementia, DLB, Vascular dementia

What is Dementia

Dementia is a general term that describes a group of disorders in which memory and thought processes become weakened for a period of at least 6 months. Dementia is not a specific disorder or disease. It is a syndrome associated with a progressive loss of memory and other intellectual functions that is serious enough to interfere with performing the tasks of daily life. Dementia can affect your memory and your decision-making ability, can impair your judgment and make you feel disoriented, and it may also affect your personality. It can occur to anyone at any age from an injury or from oxygen deprivation, although it is most commonly associated with aging. It is the main reason of an institutionalization of older people.

Signs and symptoms

Signs and symptoms of dementia depend on the cause and the area of the affected brain. Memory loss is usually the earliest and most common symptom. Other symptoms include:

Difficult to remember latest events.
Not recognizing familiar people and places.
Having trouble finding the right words to express thoughts or name objects.
Difficult to perform calculations.
Having problems planning and carrying out tasks, such as checkbook balancing, following a recipe, or writing a letter.
Having trouble exercising judgment, such as knowing what to do in an emergency.
Difficult to control moods or behaviors. Depression is common, and agitation or aggression may occur.
Not keeping up personal care such as grooming or bathing.

People who have dementia with Lewy bodies often have highly detailed visual hallucinations. They may fall frequently.

The first symptoms of frontotemporal dementia may be personality changes or unusual behavior. People with this condition may not express any caring for others, or they may say rude things, expose themselves, or make sexually explicit comments.

Symptoms of dementia that come on suddenly suggest vascular dementia or possibly delirium-short-term confusion caused by a new or worsening illness.

Possible complications

People who suffer from dementia may become aggressive or cruel toward others. Suicidal thoughts may be possible in the early stages when people are still capable to plan performance. Falls, injuries, and other accidents are extended because of weakened judgment and coordination. When demented people lose control of their bowels and bladder (become incontinent), they are more likely to get urinary infections and bedsores (decubitus ulcers), and to be institutionalized. Bedridden people with dementia are more likely to develop pneumonia, blood clots (thromboembolism), and joint immobility (contractures). Vascular dementia is likely to be complicated by additional strokes and heart attack (myocardial infarction), which can be fatal. Poor appetite and difficulty operating utensils may lead to undereating or dehydration. Seizures may occur in vascular dementia or in dementias related to autoimmune disease, infection, or trauma.

What causes

There are many things that are known to cause dementia, including progressive degenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Lewy body dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and Huntington’s disease, infections such as HIV and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, medications, alcohol abuse, hormonal or chemical imbalances, vitamin deficiency, depression, infection, heart or lung disease, normal pressure hydrocephalus (fluid collection on the brain), or brain tumors. Some conditions which cause dementia run in families and others have certain risk factors.

Prevention

Any known way to prevent irreversible dementia or even many types of reversible dementia doesn't exist. The following steps may prevent you from dementia:

Having a healthy lifestyle that includes a balanced diet, regular exercise, avoid use of alcohol and smoking or substance abuse
Taking precautions to prevent infections (such as practicing safe sex)
Using protective equipment such as a seat belt or motorcycle helmet to prevent head injury

The following may presumes the early treatment and at least cancellation of dementia:

Being alert for symptoms and signs that suggest dementia
Early recognition of the basic diseases, such as HIV infection

Treatment

Dementia treatment depends on the condition causing the dementia. Some people may need to stay in the hospital for a short time.

Discontinuing or changing medications that make disorder worse may improve brain function.

There is growing evidence that some kinds of mental exercises can help dementia.

Treating conditions that can lead to confusion often greatly improve mental functioning. These conditions are:

Anemia
Congestive heart failure
Decreased blood oxygen (hypoxia)
Depression
Heart failure
Infections
Nutritional disorders
Thyroid disorders

Certain medications which are needed to control behavior problems caused by a loss of judgment, increased impulsivity and confusion include:

Antipsychotics (haloperidol, risperidone, olanzapine)
Mood stabilizers (fluoxetine, imipramine, citalopram)
Stimulants (methylphenidate)

Some drugs are used to slow the rate at which symptoms get worse. The benefit from these drugs is often small, and patients and their families may not always notice much of a change.