What Is Dementia? | Causes, Symptoms, Types, and Diagnosis - ASLPclick

DEMENTIA

Also known as Neuro-cognitive disorder.

Dementia is a term used to describe for loss of memory, language, problem-solving & other thinking abilities, that are severe enough to interfere with daily life.

It is not a specific disease, but several diseases can cause dementia.

Many things can cause dementia. It happens when the parts of brain used for learning, memory, decision making, and language are damaged or diseased.

Causes –

          Dementia is caused by damage to or loss of nerve cells and their connection in the brain cells. This damage to brain cells interferes with ability of brain cells to communicate to each other. When brain cells cannot communicate normally, thinking, behavior and feelings can be affected.

The brain has many distinct regions, each of which is responsible for different functions (for example, memory, judgement and movement). When cells in a particular region are damaged, that region cannot carry out its functions normally.

 

Sign and Symptoms –

 Early signs & symptoms are :

-      Forgetting things or recent event

-      Losing or misplace things

-      Getting lost when walking or driving

-      Losing track of time

-      Difficulties solving problem

-      Difficulties making decisions

-      Problem following conservations

-      Difficulties performing familiar tasks

-      Misjudging distances to objects visually

Common changes in mood and behavior include :

-      Feeling anxious, sad or anger about memory loss

-      Personality changes

-      Inappropriate behavior

-      Withdrawal from work or social activities

-      Being less interest in other people’s emotions

 

Dementia affects each person in a different way, depending upon the underlying causes, other health conditions & the person’s cognitive functioning before becoming ill.

Most symptoms become worse over time, while others might disappear or only occur in the later stages of dementia.

 

Common forms of dementia –

1.  Progressive Dementias :

·        Alzheimer’s disease – this is the most common cause of dementia.

Although not all type of dementia causes Alzheimer’s disease are known, experts do know that a small percentage are related to mutations of three genes, which can be passes down from parent to child. While several genes are probably involved in Alzheimer’s disease, one important gene that increase risk is apolipoprotein E4 (APOE).

Alzheimer’s disease patients have plaques and tangles in their brains. Plaques and clumps of a protein called beta-amyloid and tangles are fibrous tangles made up of tau protein. It’s through that these clumps damage healthy neurons and the fibers connecting them.

 

·        Vascular dementia –

This type of dementia is caused by damage to the vessels that supply blood to the brain. Blood vessel problems can cause strokes or affect the brain in other ways, such as by damaging the fibers in the white matter of the brain.

The most common sign of vascular dementia include difficulties with problem-solving, slowed thinking and loss of focus and organization. These tend to be more noticeable than memory loss.

 

·        Lewy body dementia –

Lewy bodies are abnormal balloon like clumps of protein that have been found in the brain of people with Lewy body dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease. This is one of the more common types of dementia.

 

·        Frontotemporal dementia –

This is a group of diseases characterized by the breakdown of nerve cells and their connections in the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain. These are the areas generally associated with personality, behavior, and language.

Common symptoms affect behavior, personality, thinking, judgement, and language and movement.

 

·        Mixed dementia –

Autopsy studies of the brains of people 80 and older who had dementia indicate that many had a combination of several causes, such as Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, and Lewy body dementia. Studies are ongoing to determine how having mixed dementia affect symptoms and treatments.

 

2.  Other disorders linked to Dementia :

·        Huntington’s disease –

Caused by genetic mutation, this disease causes certain nerve cells in brain and spinal cord to waste away. Sign & symptoms including a severe decline in thinking (cognitive) skill, usually appear around age 30 & 40.

 

·        Traumatic brain injury (TBI) –

This condition is most often caused by repetitive head trauma. Boxers, football players or soldiers might develop TBI.

Depending on the part of the brain that’s injured, this condition can cause dementia signs and symptoms such as depression, explosiveness, memory loss and impaired speech. TBI may also cause Parkinsonism. Symptoms might not appear until years after trauma.

 

·        Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease –

This rare brain disorder usually occurs in people without risk factors. This condition might be due to deposits if infectious proteins called prions. Signs and symptoms of this fatal condition usually appear after age 60.

This disease usually has no known cause but can be inherited. It may also be caused by exposure to diseased brain or nervous system tissue, such as from a cornea transplant.

 

·        Parkinson’s disease –

Many people with Parkinson’s disease eventually develop dementia symptoms (Parkinson’s disease dementia).

 

Risk Factors –

        Many factors can eventually contribute to dementia. Some factors, such as age, can’t be changed. Others can be addressed to reduce risk.

1.  Risk factors can’t be changed are :

·        Age – The risk rises as you age, especially after age 65. However, dementia isn’t normal part of aging, and dementia can occurs in younger people.

 

·        Family history – having family history of dementia puts you at greater risk of developing the condition. However, many people with family history never develop symptoms and many people without a family history do.

 

·        Down syndrome – by middle age, many people with down syndrome develop early onset Alzheimer’s disease.

 

2.  Risk factor can be changes are :

  You might be able to control the following risk factors for dementia.

·        Diet & exercise – research show that lack of exercise increases the risk of dementia. Research indicates a greater incidence of dementia in people who eat unhealthy diet compared those who follow healthy diet.

·        Excessive alcohol use – drinking large amount of alcohol has long been known to cause brain changes. Several studies and reviews found that alcohol use disorders were linked to an increased risk of dementia, particularly early-onset dementia.

·        Cardiovascular risk factor – these include high blood pressure (hypertension), high cholesterol, buildup of fats in artery walls (atherosclerosis) & obesity.

·        Depression – although not yet well-understood, late life depression might indicate the development of dementia.

·        Diabetes – having diabetes may increase risk of dementia, especially if it’s poorly controlled.

·        Smoking – smoking might increase risk of developing dementia & blood vessel disease.

·        Air pollution – studies have found that air pollution exposure particularly from traffic exhaust and burning wood is associated with greater dementia risk.

·        Head trauma – people who have had a severe head trauma have greater risk of dementia. Several studies found that in people aged 50 years or older who had TBI, Alzheimer’s disease increase risk of dementia.

Prevention :

        There’s no sure way to prevent dementia but there are steps that might help.

·        Keep mind active – mentally stimulating activities, such as reading, solving puzzles & playing word games & memory training might delay the onset of dementia and decreases its effects.

·        Be physically & socially active – physical activity and social interaction might delay the onset of dementia and reduce its symptoms.

·        Quit smoking – smoking in middle age and beyond might increase risk of dementia & blood vessel conditions. Quitting smoking might reduce risk and improve health.

·        Manage cardiovascular risk factors – treating high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes, may reduce the risk of dementia.

·        Maintain healthy diet – good and healthy diet reduce or lower risks of dementia.

·        Treat haring problems – people with hearing loss have a greater chance of developing cognitive decline. Early treatment of hearing loss, such as use of hearing aids, might help decrease risk of dementia.