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What is Dementia? |
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Symptoms
Dementia is a gradually-progressing brain disorder, and is commonly indicated by lapses and eventual loss of mental functions – particularly those which involve reasoning, thinking, and remembering. This happens when abnormal rounded formations develop in those regions of the brain which are responsible for normal thinking and movement. Dementia shows similar symptoms as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease; there’s confusion as in the former, and muscle rigidity and tremors which are indicative of the latter. Dementia patients also suffer hallucinations, and fluctuating intensities of alertness; a person may be energetic early in the morning and non-responsive before noon. Some cases cause the patient to act out their dreams while they are asleep, an indication of a disorder of the autonomous nervous system.
Causes
At present, the reason as to why dementia develops is still unknown. But doctors recognize that the abnormal structures which develop in the brain are very similar to those which occur in patients with Parkinson’s disease, and they are common as well in those with Alzheimer’s disease. This may indicate that these conditions are closely associated, and that any or all of them can coexist in the same patient.
Diagnosis
There is no single diagnostic procedure which can detect the presence of dementia, and doctors have to diagnose the condition by elimination – a procedure of isolating the disease from other conditions which share the same symptoms. In order to achieve this, the doctor may consult the patient’s medical history, which tells much about his or her overall health and previous medical conditions. The doctor may inquire about the patient’s daily difficulties, either from the person himself or from friends and relatives. This is usually followed by standard medical tests, such as a blood or urine exam, or through the retrieval of a sample of the patient’s spinal fluid. An inflammation as indicated by the latter procedure may mean an infection, the presence of a tumor, or a degenerative brain syndrome like Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. The doctor may also evaluate the mental status of the patient with memory and cognitive tests, in an effort to pinpoint the particular problems on cognition. As a final procedure, the doctor may order a brain scan, which may be achieved through computer tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, or positron emission tomography.
Treatment Info
Treatment can be particularly difficult since there is no actual cure for dementia. The doctors can prescribe means to regulate the symptoms, however. The measure usually comes in the form of medication, but some of these occasionally have side effects. Cholinesterase inhibitors are drugs for Alzheimer’s disease, and they gain potency by improving on the amount of neurotransmitters in the brain (the latter are believed to be the ones responsible for mental functioning). The drug can reduce hallucinatory episodes and mental/behavioral problems. Medications for Parkinson’s disease may also be prescribed to minimize the locomotor problems associated with the condition, but these can cause delusions as a side effect. Apart from antidepressant and antipsychotic drugs, the patient can undergo physical or behavioral therapy in aid for further improvement, such as showers, music or pet therapy, and massage.
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