Dementia Also called: Senility
What is dementia?Dementia is a loss of mental functions that is severe enough to affect one’s daily life and activities.
These functions include:
MemoryLanguage skills
Visual perception (your ability to make sense of what you see)Problem solving
Trouble with everyday tasks
The ability to focus and pay attention
It is normal to become a bit more forgetful as you age. But dementia is not a normal part of aging. It is a serious disorder which interferes with daily life.Types of Dementia
The most common types of dementia are known as neurodegenerative disorders. These are diseases in which the cells of the brain stop working or die. They include:
Alzheimer’s disease, which is the most common form of dementia among older people. People with Alzheimer’s have plaques and tangles in their brain. These are abnormal buildups of different proteins. Beta-amyloid protein clumps up and forms plaques in between your brain cells. Tau protein builds up and forms tangles inside the nerve cells of your brain. There is also a loss of connection between nerve cells in the brain.
Lewy body dementia, which causes movement symptoms along with dementia. Lewy bodies are abnormal deposits of a protein in the brain.
Frontotemporal disorders, which cause changes to certain parts of the brain:Changes in the frontal lobe lead to behavioral
Symptoms
Changes in the temporal lobe lead to language and emotional disorders
Vascular dementia, which involves changes to the brain’s blood supply. It is often caused by a stroke or atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) in the brain.
Mixed dementia, which is a combination of two or more types of dementia. For example, some people have both Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia.Other conditions can cause dementia or dementia-like symptoms, including:Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, a rare brain disorderHuntington’s disease, an inherited, progressive brain disease
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), caused by repeated traumatic brain injury
HIV-associated dementia (HA
There is no cure for most types of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia. Treatments may help to maintain mental function longer, manage behavioral symptoms, and slow down the symptoms of disease. They may include:Medicines may temporarily improve memory and thinking or slow down their decline. They only work in some people. Other medicines can treat symptoms such as anxiety, depression, sleep problems, and muscle stiffness. Some of these medicines can cause strong side effects in people with dementia. It is important to talk to your health care provider about which medicines will be safe for you.Occupational therapy to help find ways to more easily do everyday Activities
Speech therapy to help with swallowing difficulties and trouble speaking loudly and Clearly
Mental health counseling to help people with dementia and their families learn how to manage difficult emotions and behaviors. It can also help them plan for the future.Music or art therapy to reduce anxiety and improve well-being
Can dementia be prevented?Researchers have not found a proven way to prevent dementia. Living a healthy lifestyle might influence some of your risk factors for dementia.
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