Dementia: Symptoms and Treatment
Overview
The term dementia refers to a collection of symptoms that affect a person’s memory, thinking skills and social abilities. These impacts usually severely interfere with the person’s daily life. There are many different types of dementia, and the most common one is Alzheimer’s disease (AD).
Some dementias get worse over time, and others can be treated or cured. Dementia may cause different degrees of mental impairment, communication problems and personality changes.
There is a high incidence of dementia among old people. It has been estimated that about 6% to 10% of individuals ages 65 years or older are affected by dementia worldwide.
Particularly, more than 3 million people are diagnosed with dementia per year in the U.S.
Causes
Generally, dementia results from damage to or loss of nerve cells, or disturbances in other body systems affecting neuronal function.
s from damage to or loss of nerve cells, or disturbances in other body systems affecting neuronal function.
Several conditions can cause dementia. Some of the more common causes of dementia include:
Neurodegenerative diseases
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Parkinson’s disease with dementia
- vascular dementia
- medication side effects
- chronic alcoholism
- certain tumors or infections of the brain
Frontotemporal lobar degeneration
- frontotemporal dementia
- Pick’s disease
- supranuclear palsy
- corticobasal degeneration
Other conditions
- structural brain disorders, such as normal-pressure hydrocephalus and subdural hematoma
- metabolic disorders, such as hypothyroidism, vitamin B-12 deficiency, and kidney and liver disorders
- toxins, such as lead
Symptoms
Dementia symptoms vary depending on the cause, but common signs and symptoms include:
Cognitive changes
- Memory loss
- Slow response
- Difficulty communicating or finding right words
- Difficulty with visual and spatial abilities
- Difficulty reasoning or problem-solving
- Difficulty handling everyday tasks and complex tasks
- Difficulty with planning and organizing
- Difficulty with coordination and motor functions
- Confusion and disorientation
Psychological changes
- Personality changes
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Inappropriate or repetitive behaviors
- Paranoia
- Agitation
- Hallucinations
Diagnosis
Diagnosing dementia can be challenging for two reasons: symptoms of different types of dementia may overlap, or people can have multiple types of dementia at the same time.
It is advisable to find a specialist to diagnose a dementia. The physician reviews your medical history and symptoms in details, conduct a physical exam and a neuropsychological assessment, and run a number of tests to check the problems.
- Cognitive and neuropsychological tests
Doctors will evaluate your thinking function, such as memory, orientation, reasoning and judgment, language skills, and attention.
- Neurological evaluation
Doctors evaluate your memory, language, visual perception, attention, problem-solving, movement, senses, balance, reflexes and other areas.
- Brain scans
CT, MRI and PET scans are all available techniques for scanning the brain conditions.
- Laboratory tests
Simple blood tests can detect physical problems that can affect brain function.
- Psychiatric evaluation
The purpose of psychiatric evaluation is to determine whether depression or another mental health condition is contributing to the symptoms of dementia.
Treatment
Although most types of dementia can’t be cured, several medications and non-drug therapies can manage your symptoms.
Medications
Two types of medication are used to treat symptoms of dementia:
- Cholinesterase inhibitors
- Memantine
- Dietary supplements
- Herbal remedies
- Vitamins
Non-drug therapies
Common non-drug treatments for dementia include:
- Modifying your environment
- Simplifying common tasks
- Occupational therapy
- Music therapy
- Pet therapy
- Aromatherapy
- Massage therapy
- Art therapy
- Light exercise
- Watching videos of family members
Keywords: dementia.