Dementia facts

 

 

 

 

Dementia facts

 

 

 

 

Dementia

 

•  is a term that describes a collection of symptoms that include decreased intellectual functioning that interferes with normal life functions and is usually used to describe people who have two or more major life functions impaired or lost such as memory, language, perception, judgment or reasoning; they may lose emotional and behavioral control, develop personality changes and have problem solving abilities reduced or lost.

 

 

 

 

Different classification schemes for  dementias

 

• cortical (memory, language, thinking, social )
• subcortical (emotions, movement, memory), progressive (cognitive abilities worsen over time)
• primary (results from a specific disease such as Alzheimer's disease)
• secondary (occurs because of disease or injury)

 

 

 

 

Causes of dementia

 

• Alzheimer's disease 
• Vascular dementia
• Lewy body dementia: is common and progressive where cells in the brain's cortex die and other contain abnormal structures (Lewy bodies); symptoms overlap with Alzheimer's disease but also include hallucinations, shuffling gait, and flexed posture with symptoms that may vary daily

 

 

 

 

Causes of dementia

 

• Frontotemporal dementia: is dementia linked to degeneration of nerve cells in the frontal and temporal brain lobes and some evidence for a genetic factor
• HIV-associated dementia: is due to infection of the brain with HIV virus; symptoms include impaired memory, apathy, social withdrawal, and concentration problems.

 

 

 

 

 

Causes of dementia

 

• Huntington's disease: is a heredity disorder caused by a faulty gene and children of a person with the disorder have a 50% chance of getting the disease
• Dementia pugilistica: is also termed Boxer's syndrome, is due to traumatic injury (often repeatedly) to the brain

 

 

 

 

 

Dementias in children 

 

While infections, trauma and poisoning can  lead to dementia in both children and  adults, there are some dementias that  are unique to children but may result  in mental problems, seizures, reduction or  loss of motor skills, blindness, neurodegeneration  and death; many are inherited disorders  such as Niemann-Pick disease, Batten disease,  Lafora disease and mitochondrial abnormalities.

 

 

 

 

Other conditions that may cause  dementia: 

 

• Reactions to medications 
• endocrine and metabolic problems
• nutritional deficiencies
• infections
• subdural hematomas
• poisoning
• heart and lung problems

 

 

 

 

• All causes of dementia result from death and damage of nerve cells in the brain; genetics and possibly the formation of different types of inclusions in the brain cells are likely the major causes, although some researchers suggest that certain inclusions may be only side effects of an underlying disorder. 

 

 

 

 

Risk Factors for Dementia 

 

• include advancing age 
• smoking
• mild cognitive impairment
• Down syndrome

 

 

• genetics (family history)
• alcohol
• Atherosclerosis
• high cholesterol, diabetes
• high plasma homocysteine levels

 

 

 

 

Diagnosis of dementia

 

• Dementia is diagnosed by using many methods such as patient's medical and family history, physical exam, neurological evaluations, cognitive and neuropsychological testing, CT's, MRI's and other brain scans, mental status exams, electroencephalograms, blood tests, psychiatric evaluations, and even some pre-symptomatic tests are available for some patients that may have a genetic link to dementia.
• Most treatments for dementia will neither reverse or stop the disease; however, there are treatments and medications that may reduce the symptoms and slow the disease progression; they are tight glucose control by persons with diabetes, intellectual stimulating activities, lowering cholesterol and homocysteine levels, regular exercise, education, controlling inflammation of body tissues, using NSAID's and possibly other medications.

 

 

 

 

Dementias in Children 

 

• Niemann-Pick disease is a group of inherited disorders that affect metabolism and are caused by specific genetic mutations. Patients with Niemann-Pick disease cannot properly metabolize cholesterol and other lipids. Consequently, excessive amounts of cholesterol accumulate in the liver and spleen and excessive amounts of other lipids accumulate in the brain. Symptoms may include dementia, confusion, and problems with learning and memory. These diseases usually begin in young school-age children but may also appear during the teen years or early adulthood.

 

 

 

 

 

Dementias in Children

 

• Batten disease is a fatal, hereditary disorder of the nervous system that begins in childhood. Symptoms are linked to a buildup of substances called lipopigments in the body's tissues. The early symptoms include personality and behavior changes, slow learning, clumsiness, or stumbling. Over time, affected children suffer mental impairment, seizures, and progressive loss of sight and motor skills. Eventually, children with Batten disease develop dementia and become blind and bedridden. The disease is often fatal by the late teens or twenties.

 

 

 

 

Dementias in Children

 

• Lafora body disease is a rare genetic disease that causes seizures, rapidly progressive dementia, and movement problems. These problems usually begin in late childhood or the early teens. Children with Lafora body disease have microscopic structures called Lafora bodies in the brain, skin, liver, and muscles. Most affected children die within 2 to 10 years after the onset of symptoms.

 

 

 

 

Dementias in Children

 

• A number of other childhood-onset disorders can include symptoms of dementia. Among these are mitochondrial myopathies, Rasmussen's encephalitis, mucopolysaccharidosis III (Sanfilippo syndrome), neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation, and leukodystrophies such as Alexander disease, Schilder's disease, and metachromatic leukodystrophy

 

 

 

 

What Kind of Care Does a  Person with Dementia Need?

 

 

 

 

What Kind of Care Does a  Person with Dementia Need?

 

• People with moderate and advanced dementia typically need round-the-clock care and supervision to prevent them from harming themselves or others. They also may need assistance with daily activities such as eating, bathing, and dressing. Meeting these needs takes patience, understanding, and careful thought by the person's caregivers.

 

 

 

 

 

What Kind of Care Does a  Person with Dementia Need?

 

• A typical home environment can present many dangers and obstacles to a person with dementia, but simple changes can overcome many of these problems. For example, sharp knives, dangerous chemicals, tools, and other hazards should be removed or locked away. Other safety measures include installing bed and bathroom safety rails, removing locks from bedroom and bathroom doors, and lowering the hot water temperature to 120°F (48. 9°C) or less to reduce the risk of accidental scalding. People with dementia also should wear some form of identification at all times in case they wander away or become lost. Caregivers can help prevent unsupervised wandering by adding locks or alarms to outside doors.
• People with dementia should be encouraged to continue their normal leisure activities as long as they are safe and do not cause frustration. Activities such as crafts, games, and music can provide important mental stimulation and improve mood. Some studies have suggested that participating in exercise and intellectually stimulating activities may slow the decline of cognitive function in some people.

 

 

 

 

What Kind of Care Does a  Person with Dementia Need?

 

• The emotional and physical burden of caring for someone with dementia can be overwhelming. Support groups can often help caregivers deal with these demands and they can also offer helpful information about the disease and its treatment. It is important that caregivers occasionally have time off from round-the-clock nursing demands. Some communities provide respite facilities or adult day care centers that will care for dementia patients for a period of time, giving the primary caregivers a break. Eventually, many patients with dementia require the services of a full-time nursing home.

 

 

 

 

Conclusion

 

• This medical article is about dementia. Ir is Written by Drs. Charles P. Davis, Maryland, and the Doctor of Philosophy. The article is devoted to such a disease as dementia. The article discusses the causes of dementia and its various types. It also describes the behavior of the people suffering from this disease. Besides it tells us about child dementia and its causes. Doctors speak about the possible treatment and the prevention of the disease. In conclusion, this article describes how to take care of such people. 

 

 

 

 

Thank you

 

for your attention!!!