What is Dementia? | Dementia Symptoms, Stages, Types, Causes & Treatment

Dementia is the general term for  a group of diseases or conditions   that cause impairment to a person’s  thinking, memories, or decision-making.  Disorders grouped under the general term  “dementia” are caused by abnormal brain changes.  These changes trigger a decline in thinking  skills, also known as cognitive abilities,   severe enough to impair daily  life and independent function.  They also affect behavior,  feelings and relationships.  Though dementia mostly affects older  adults, it is not a part of normal aging.   Many people live into their ninety’s and  beyond without any signs of dementia.  According to world health organization  about more than 55 million people live   with dementia worldwide, and there are  nearly 10 million new cases every year.  It is also the seventh leading cause  of death among all diseases and one   of the major causes of disability and  dependency among older people globally.  There are several different forms of  dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease.   A person’s symptoms can  vary depending on the type.  The signs and symptoms linked to dementia  can be understood in three stages.  The early stage of dementia is often  overlooked because the onset is gradual.   Common symptoms may include: forgetfulness  losing track of the time becoming lost in familiar places.  As dementia progresses to the middle stage, the  signs and symptoms become clearer and may include:  becoming forgetful of recent  events and people's names  becoming confused while at home having increasing difficulty with communication  needing help with personal care experiencing behavior changes,   including wandering and repeated questioning The late stage of dementia is one of near total   dependence and inactivity. Memory disturbances  are serious and the physical signs and symptoms   become more obvious and may include: becoming unaware of the time and place  having difficulty recognizing  relatives and friends  having an increasing need for assisted self-care having difficulty walking  experiencing behavior changes that  may escalate and include aggression As said before there are many forms of dementia.   These include: Alzheimer’s disease.  This is the most common cause of dementia,  accounting for 60 to 80 percent of cases.  It is caused by changes in the brain,  including abnormal buildups of proteins,   known as amyloid plaques and tau tangles. The trademark symptom is trouble remembering   recent events, such as a conversation  that occurred minutes or hours ago.  vascular dementia. It is a form of dementia   caused by conditions that interrupt the  flow of blood and oxygen to the brain.  Symptoms vary depending on the area  and size of the brain impacted.  Lewy body dementia. It is a form of dementia   caused by abnormal deposits of the protein  alpha-synuclein, called Lewy bodies.  In this people may have movement or balance  problems like stiffness or trembling.  Many people also experience changes in  alertness including daytime sleepiness.  They may also experience visual hallucinations.  Fronto-temporal dementia. It is associated with abnormal   amounts or forms of the proteins tau and TDP-43. This type of dementia most often leads to changes   in personality and behavior because  of the part of the brain it affects.  There may also be problems with language  skills like speaking or understanding.  Mixed dementia. Sometimes more than one   type of dementia is present in the brain at the  same time, especially in people aged 80 and older.  For example, a person may have  Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia.  Dementia is caused by damage to brain cells. This damage interferes with the ability of   brain cells to communicate with each other. The brain has many distinct regions, each of   which is responsible for different functions. When cells in a particular region are damaged,   that region cannot carry out its functions  normally causing symptoms of dementia.  There is no one test to determine  if someone has dementia.  Doctors diagnose Alzheimer's and other types  of dementia based on a careful medical history,   a physical examination, laboratory tests,  and the characteristic changes in thinking,   day-to-day function and behavior. There is currently no treatment   available to cure dementia. Anti-dementia medicines and disease-modifying   therapies developed to date have limited efficacy  and are primarily labeled for Alzheimer’s disease.

Channel: MedBoard

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Id: V0EkhvPs8eU

Length: 5min 26sec (326 seconds)

Published: Tue Jul 12 2022