All about dementia - causes, symptoms, treatment

When an elderly person over the age of 65 years starts to forget things and gets easily confused, it might be a good idea to get a medical evaluation for dementia. Put simply, dementia is an umbrella term used to describe a group of diseases that lead to a decline in cognitive function, logic and analytical thinking. Ultimately, dementia leads to the complete deterioration of the individual’s independence and ability to lead an independent life.

Let’s understand dementia

Did you know that there are several types of dementia? In fact, dementia is not a disease, but a syndrome!

Dementia is defined as the loss of cognitive functioning. This loss is to such a devastating extent that it can impact the patient’s daily lifestyle and activities. The individual’s personality undergoes a seachange. If they were once calm and patient, they may suddenly become agitated, aggressive, and even unruly.

Dementia occurs due to damage to brain cells and is not a normal part of aging, even though it’s commonly seen in elderly people.

Symptoms of dementia

The signs and symptoms of dementia include -

● Inability to dress

● Inability to eat

● Inability to solve everyday (mundane) problems

● Lack of control on emotions

● Aggression

● Decline in language and communication skills

● Decline in cognitive abilities

● Decline in logical thinking

● Memory loss (especially short term memory)

● Inability recognize faces

If your loved one has been diagnosed with dementia, then you need to be wary of the below -

● Inability to remember home address or way back home

● Hallucinations

● Repeating questions

● Using unusual words/phrases when referring to familiar objects

● Forgetting family members

● Attributing family members with other roles (spouse becomes parent)

● Lack of compassion

● Forgetting social graces and niceties

The patient becomes a prisoner of their own minds. The decline is slow and gradual, and it is hard on the patient’s family too. It is a devastating way to lose a dear one

Types of dementia

The different types of dementia include -

● Alzheimer’s - most common type of dementia; caused by changes in the brain, like abnormal protein buildups

● Lewy body disease - caused by abnormal deposits of the protein alpha-synuclein known as Lewy bodies

● Vascular dementia - caused by conditions that damage blood vessels in the brain or disrupt the flow of oxygen and blood to the brain

● Frontotemporal dementia - occurs in individuals younger than 60 years, caused by abnormal forms or amounts of protein buildup

All of the above types (can) lead to irreversible progressive dementia.

Other disorders that may be responsible for the onset of dementia include -

● Traumatic brain injury

● Parkinson’s

● Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease

● Huntington’s disease (caused by genetic mutations in the brain and spinal cord)

Risk factors of dementia

Uncontrollable risk factors for dementia include:

● Aging

● Family history

● Down syndrome

● Mild cognitive impairment

Controllable risk factors include smoking, alcohol, diabetes, depression and sleep apnea.

Diagnosing dementia

Diagnosing dementia can be challenging and include a complete medical history, physical examination, psychiatric and neurological evaluation as well as a battery of tests including MRI, CT and PET scans.

Treatment and care

Some forms of dementia are treatable and can be reversed. Therefore, it is important to visit your doctor at the earliest to determine the underlying cause.

Dementia treatment is usually conservative and can differ from case to case, depending on the part of the brain that is affected. Some forms of dementia are degenerative, meaning the individual deteriorates with time. Other forms may be caused by vitamin deficiencies or reaction to medications. The latter may be reversible.

Certain drugs can be used to manage symptoms of dementia along with the help of an occupational therapist and a modification of the home environment to make it less cluttered and dangerous.

Some schools of thought believe that nutritional supplements, music, art, massage and aroma therapies may be beneficial for dementia too.

Numerous dementia-like conditions that can be reversed with treatment include those caused by

● Nutritional deficiencies

● Subdural hematomas

● Reactions to medications

● Metabolic problems

● Endocrine disorders

● Infections

● Immune disorders

● Brain tumors

● Anoxia

● Poisoning

● Normal-pressure hydrocephalus

At Plexus, we offer customized treatment programs for dementia that include physiotherapy, occupational therapy, behavior therapy, cognitive rehabilitation therapy, and speech therapy.

Reach out to us today to know more.

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