Dementia
On this page, you will find everything you need to know about dementia.
What is dementia?
- Dementia is a chronic syndrome that causes a gradual decline in cognitive abilities, such as memory, thinking, and behavior, beyond the natural changes that may occur with age, affecting the ability to perform daily tasks and activities. Dementia encompasses several diseases. Types and forms of dementia include:
- Alzheimer’s disease.
- Vascular dementia.
- Lewy body dementia.
Frontotemporal dementia.
Dementia may manifest in several types simultaneously.
What are the symptoms of dementia?
- Symptoms vary depending on the affected parts of the brain, as well as the type and severity of dementia. In general, the symptoms include:
- Lack of interest in appearance.
- Mood and psychological issues, such as depression.
- Problems with comprehension and thinking.
- Hallucinations and delusions.
- Difficulty speaking.
- Difficulty recognizing people, places, and times.
- Difficulty remembering recent as well as distant events.
- Difficulty naming objects and problems with reading and writing.
- Difficulty making decisions and exercising judgment.
- Difficulty performing calculations.
- Difficulty concentrating.
- Unusual impulsiveness in making decisions or doing things without planning or thinking.
Difficulty taking responsibility.
All these symptoms begin gradually and worsen over time, taking several years to reach an advanced stage.
What causes dementia?
- The causes of dementia vary with its different types. Generally, dementia occurs due to changes in the brain that cause nerve cells to stop functioning, leading to the loss of connections between them. Consequently, brain cells die abnormally, and symptoms begin to appear. However, the primary cause of these changes in the brain is not understood, although risk factors may increase the likelihood of developing dementia, such as:
- Primary causes of dementia (no secondary problem that can be treated), including:
- Alzheimer’s disease.
- Vascular dementia.
- Frontotemporal dementia.
- Secondary causes, where dementia symptoms improve when the causes are addressed, such as:
- Vitamin B12 deficiency.
- Thyroid problems.
- Neurosyphilis.
- Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease or Huntington’s disease.
- Parkinson’s disease.
Pseudodementia, which occurs due to psychological issues such as depression, leading to a weakening of some cognitive functions, and these functions improve with depression treatment.
- There are risk factors that may increase the risk of developing dementia, but they do not necessarily cause dementia directly, such as:
- Genetic changes.
- Family history of dementia.
- Aging.
- Poor management of chronic diseases affecting blood vessels, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and cholesterol.
- Physical inactivity and obesity.
- Depression and anxiety.
- Social isolation.
- Stroke.
- Repeated head injuries.
- Low cognitive reserve.
- Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
- Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease or Huntington’s disease.
Parkinson’s disease.
How is dementia diagnosed?
- The doctor will take the medical history and conduct a clinical examination, and may request additional procedures if necessary, such as:
- Cognitive and neurological tests.
- Laboratory blood tests.
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Computed tomography (CT) scan.
What are the treatments for dementia?
Treatment depends on the type of dementia. In most types, no cure can stop the progression of dementia, but available treatment options can help alleviate symptoms or slow the disease’s progression.
- Treatment may involve various procedures, as needed, and may include:
- Medications, as some drugs that can temporarily improve memory and thinking, in addition to medications that alleviate symptoms such as depression, anxiety, sleep disturbances, and muscle stiffness. It’s important to discuss medication use with the treating physician to avoid complications and severe side effects.
- Occupational therapy aims to improve the performance of daily tasks and activities.
- Speech therapy is used to assist with swallowing and speech problems in affected individuals.
- Managing chronic diseases.
- Psychological support for the patient, caregiver, and family.
Adopting a healthy lifestyle.
What are the preventive measures for dementia?
- There are no scientifically proven methods to completely prevent dementia, but there are some measures that may help reduce the risk factors for dementia, such as:
- Avoid smoking.
- Exercise regularly.
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- Ensure a healthy and balanced diet.
- Control chronic diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and cholesterol.
Avoid alcohol.
- Some coping strategies with the disease:
- Adhere to prescribed medications.
- Follow up with the treating physician.
- Manage chronic diseases and other illnesses.
- Understand and deal with behavioral changes.
Provide psychological support for the patient and caregiver.
- What are the complications of dementia?
- Falls.
- Depression.
Reduced quality of life.
- When should you see a doctor?
- When dementia progresses or sudden changes in mental state occur.
When the condition of a person with dementia worsens.
- Frequently Asked Questions:
Is dementia a natural part of aging?
- Although it affects the elderly, it is not considered a natural part of aging. Many people live to the age of 90 without suffering from dementia.
Is dementia an incurable chronic disease?
- It depends on the cause of dementia. If the cause is secondary, it can be treated, such as a vitamin B12 deficiency or pseudodementia due to depression. However, if the cause is untreatable, such as Alzheimer’s disease, treatments and medications can help maintain cognitive functions from deteriorating as much as possible.
I am experiencing memory loss; does this mean I have dementia?
- No, several factors may lead to memory loss, including sleep-related issues or psychological conditions, among other reasons. Thus, it is advisable to consult with a treating physician to identify and determine the causes of memory loss for appropriate treatment.
Sometimes I feel I can’t remember things that should be easily remembered; does this mean I am starting to develop dementia?
