What is Dementia?

  • Dementia is a disorder in which a previously normal brain does not function normally and the affected person becomes confused, forgetful and out of touch with the real world. 
  • It is rare in people under 65 years of age and appears more likely to develop with increasing age. 
  • It tends to progress slowly after it develops. 
  • So early signs are subtle and vague, and dementia may take some time to be obvious. 
  • The cause is not always known, but dementia can follow brain damage from physical abuse such as boxing, excessive alcohol and other drugs, and hardening of the arteries to the brain. 
  • There is a genetic tendency to early dementia in some families.

What is Alzheimer’s disease?

  • This refers to the most common type of dementia in which there is wasting of some brain cells, the cause of which is uncertain. 
  • It can occur at any age, but when it develops at a relatively young age (under 65) it is referred to as presenile dementia. 
  • It is sometimes familial (inherited), although anyone can develop Alzheimer’s disease. It is more common in people who have some other condition such as Parkinson’s disease or Down syndrome. 
  • Another common type of dementia is vascular dementia, which is caused by multiple ‘mini-strokes’ caused by disease of the small arteries in the ageing brain. 

What are the symptoms?

There are 10 key features or warning signs: 

  1. The main feature is loss of memory of things that have happened recently. You will notice that the person cannot remember what has happened a few hours (or even moments) earlier but can clearly remember events in the past. 
  2. Apathy and loss of initiative 
  3. Misplacing things 
  4. Problems with language (e.g. finding the right word) 
  5. Difficulty performing familiar tasks 
  6. Disorientation in time and place 
  7. Poor or decreased judgement (e.g. driving)
  8. Problems with abstract thinking (e.g. balancing a cheque book) 
  9. Personality changes, such as being suspicious, irritable, humorless, uncooperative or aggressive, overfamiliar 
  10. Changes in mood and behavior (e.g. rapid mood swings, withdrawn, confusion, restless) 

How common is dementia?

The older a person gets, the more likely they are to have dementia. The incidence is probably about 1 person in 10 over 65 years, 1 in 5 over 80 years and 7 in 10 at 100 years. 

What are the risks?

  • Risk of accidents in the home involving fire, gas, kitchen knives and hot water. 
  • Accidents at the toilet, in the bath and when crossing roads may be a problem, especially if dementia is combined with failing sight and hearing. 

What is the treatment?

 If you suspect that a friend or relative has early dementia, take him or her to the doctor for assessment. There is no cure, but some modern drugs may improve the symptoms in some people for a limited time—in the order of 6 to 12 months. Special attention should be paid to organizing memory aids such as lists, routines and medication, and to hygiene, diet and warmth. Adequate nutrition, including vitamin supplements if necessary, has been shown to help these people. Support groups, It is important to contact an Alzheimer’s support group in your state or locality. One such special support and advisory group is called ADARDS (the Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders Society).

Reference:

  • Thompson, J. K. (Ed.). (2004). Handbook of eating disorders and obesity. John Wiley & Sons, Inc..
  • Striegel-Moore, R. H., & Smolak, L. (Eds.). (2001). Eating disorders: Innovative directions in research and practice. American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/10403-000
  • Murtagh’s patient education, sixth edition © mcgraw-hill

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