A Guide to Understand and Dealing with Dementia

Dementia typically affects the elderly and progresses with age. With  life expectancy increasing, more people are finding themselves dealing with dementia and memory loss in a parent or a loved one.

Dementia is a descriptive term for symptoms that affect memory, cognitive function, communication, and reasoning ability. Dementia is a progressive loss of cognitive function.  Over time, all types of dementia will lead to loss of memory, diminished reasoning skills, personality and behavioral changes, and physical decline. As these symptoms progress, it makes it difficult for its victims to perform even daily simple tasks.

Common Cognitive and Sensory Changes Caused by Dementia

• Memory loss
• Difficulty finding the right words to communicate
• Reduction in ability to plan, organize, reason, or solve problems
• Confusion and disorientation
• Difficulty with math or handling complex tasks
• Reduced visual perception
• Reduction in ability to plan, organize, reason, or solve problems
• Reduction in ability to plan, organize, reason, or solve problems

Common Psychological Changes Caused by Dementia

• Mood swings and agitation
• Depression and anxiety
• Changes in personality
• Apathy
• Hallucinations

Causes of Dementia

There are many types or causes of dementia. Alzheimer's is the most common, but other forms include vascular dementia, Lewy body dementia, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, among others.
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Alzheimer's Disease

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia, causing approximately 70% of all dementia cases. Alzheimer’s is a very specific form of dementia and symptoms of  include confusion, impaired speech and thought. Doctors use a variety of screenings to determine the cause of dementia, including blood tests, brain scans and mental status evaluations.

Alzheimer's disease is a progressive neurologic disorder that causes the brain to shrink (atrophy) and brain cells to die. As Alzheimer's disease advances, those suffering with the disease will develop severe memory impairment and lose the ability to carry out everyday tasks.
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Medications may temporarily improve or slow progression of symptoms, but there is no cure.

Multi-infarct Dementia, also Referred to as Vascular Dementia

Multi-infarct Dementia, also commonly referred to as "Vascular Dementia," is caused by a series of small strokes. A stroke is an interruption of blood supply to the brain. If blood flow is stopped for more than a few seconds, the brain is deprived of oxygen and brain cells can die causing permanent damage. Multi-infarct Dementia is the second leading cause of dementia after Alzheimer disease in people over age 65. It usually affects people between ages 55 and 75 and men are more than women have MID.

Lewy Body Disease

Lewy body disease is a common cause of Dementia in the elderly. It occurs when abnormal structures called Lewy bodies, build up in the brain. It can cause a wide range of symptoms, including changes in alertness and attention, hallucinations, problems with movement and posture, muscle stiffness, and confusion.

Because of Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease cause similar symptoms, Lewy body disease can be hard to diagnose.  Many scientists believe that Lewy body disease might be related to Alzheimer's disease and/or Parkinson's disease, or that they sometimes happen together.

Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson’s disease is related to Lewy Body Dementia that can occur in people with Parkinson’s disease. It often affects memory, social judgment, communication skills, and reasoning. Autopsy studies have shown that people with Parkinson's Disease often have amyloid plaques and tau tangles similar to those found in people with Alzheimer's disease.

Huntington's

Huntington's is an inherited disease that causes nerve cells in your brain and spinal cord to waste away. Signs and symptoms usually appear during your 30s or 40s. People may experience personality changes, such as irritability or anxiety. The condition causes a severe decline in thinking  skills over time. Huntington's disease also causes muscle weakness and difficulty with motor skills.