Dementia and Alzheimers
Dementia is a term for a group of symptoms affecting the brain. These disorders affecting the brain function cause the patient to be intellectually impaired and interfere with their day to day activities and relationships with other people. One of the common symptoms of dementia is memory loss, but it does not imply that a patient already has dementia. Dementia is diagnosed by doctors if two or more brain functions are impaired without losing consciousness. These brain functions include language skills, perception, reasoning and judgment, and memory. While other types of dementia can be treated or reversed, Alzheimer’s disease usually leads to a progressing loss of mental functions caused by dementia.
There are many classifications of Dementia. Cortical Dementia causes memory problems, social behavior and thinking. The part of the brain affected is the outer layer, or cortex of the brain. Subcortical dementia on the other hand, causes changes in emotions and movement, alongside memory problems. Progressive Dementia gets worse gradually, affecting more cognitive abilities as time goes on. Primary Dementia or Alzheimer’s disease does not result from other diseases. Secondary Dementia on the other hand, is caused by a disease or physical injury that affects the brain.
For people aged 65 years or older, Alzheimer’s disease is one of the most common causes of Dementia. A survey states that 50,000 people in the United States die from this disease and more than 360,000 people are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s each year. In as early as the age of 30, the early-onset of the disease begin to appear and can be linked to a specific gene defect. The symptoms for Alzheimer’s begin to be noticeable by the age of 60 in most patients. In a span of 7 to 10 years, almost all brain functions such as movement, memory, language, behavior, judgment, and abstract thinking are greatly affected. Patients diagnosed with this disease usually live for 8 to 10 years after being diagnosed. In some cases, patients with Alzheimer’s die from aspiration pneumonia because in the later stages of the disease, they already lose the ability to swallow.
Next to Alzheimer’s, Vascular Dementia is the second most common cause of Dementia. It caused by brain damage from cerebrovascular or cardiovascular complications such as strokes. Patients with Vascular Dementia usually have a history of vascular dieases, high blood pressure, and previous strokes or heart attacks. In some cases, treatment can help prevent the dementia from progressing. Before a patient is diagnosed with Dementia, a few tests are performed as a standard procedure. If you score lower than six out of ten from an AMTS (Abbreviated Mental Test Score), further tests should be taken. If a patients scores lower than 24 out of 30 in an MMSE or Mini Mental State Examination, a third and 4th test should be taken. These are 3MS or Modified Mini-Mental State Examination, and CASI, or Cognitive Abilities Screening Instrument.
Treatment for Dementia includes slowing down the progress of the disease. Although most cases are incurable, administering Cholinestaerase inhibitors during the early stages can be helpful. Music therapies and behavioral and cognitive therapies are helpful in most patients. More importantly, the patient’s caregiver should also be well trained and be able to give moral support to the patient’s family as well.
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