Cognitive abilities include the ability to think, reason, solve problems, remember, and process information. Dementia is a loss in cognitive abilities that is significant enough to interfere with daily life. Dementia is a symptom caused by various disorders and diseases, with Alzheimer’s disease being the most renowned. The popular myth surrounding dementia is that it is a normal part of aging. However, this is simply not true.
The symptoms of dementia depend on the type of disease that is involved and the area of the brain that is damaged. For example, the onset of Alzheimer’s disease is characterized by damage to the hippocampus region of the brain. The resulting symptom is memory loss. Meanwhile, frontotemporal degenerations are characterized by damage to the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain. The resulting symptoms are problems with speech and language.
The symptoms of dementia include, but are not limited, to the following:
In most cases, dementia and its symptoms will worsen over time.
Dementia is caused by damage to nerve cells in the brain. It is a symptom of several neurodegenerative disorders and diseases. These disorders and diseases include the following:
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia. It is a progressive disease in which abnormal structures within the brain (plaques of beta-amyloid and tangles of tau protein) cause the disruption and death of brain cells.
Vascular dementia represents the second most common type of dementia. It is caused by bleeding and/or blockage of the blood vessels within the brain.
Lewy bodies are abnormal deposits of the alpha-synuclein protein. Dementia with Lewy bodies is a progressive form of dementia that is closely linked to the dementia caused by Parkinson’s disease.
Frontotemporal degenerations refer to the deterioration of the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain due to the tau and TDP43 proteins. The symptoms include dementia.
Huntington’s disease is a progressive brain disorder caused by a gene mutation on chromosome 4. It is an inherited disease. The brain damage caused by Huntington’s disease results in mood changes, dementia, and problems with motor movement.
CJD is a fatal and rare brain disease. It is caused by the abnormal clumping of prion proteins within the brain. These clumps of prions result in brain damage.
Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome is a memory disorder caused by a severe deficiency in the vitamin thiamine. This causes bleeding, scarring, and cell death within the brain.
Dementia can also be caused by conditions other than the neurodegenerative diseases listed above. Examples are thyroid problems, vitamin deficiencies, medication side-effects, normal-pressure hydrocephalus, and infections (i.e., HIV and COVID-19). Dementia is classified as mixed dementia when it has more than one cause.
Several factors that increase one’s risk for developing dementia are:
To diagnose dementia, a doctor (typically a neurologist) must go through multiple steps. First, they will carefully review the patient’s medical history and medications. Next, the doctor will review all the symptoms that have presented themselves. At this point, they will most likely interview someone close to the patient. Finally, the doctor will conduct a battery of tests, such as the following:
In some cases, such as with Alzheimer’s disease, there are medications available that can slow the progression of dementia. Unfortunately, there is no cure for the types of dementia caused by neurodegenerative diseases and disorders described earlier.
Although neurodegenerative dementia has no cure, there are several other conditions that cause dementia which, with treatment, can be reversed. These conditions include thyroid problems, vitamin deficiencies, medication side-effects, normal-pressure hydrocephalus, and infections (i.e., HIV and COVID-19).
There is no prevention for the types of dementia caused by neurodegenerative diseases and disorders described earlier. One can take actions to prevent dementia caused by other conditions though. One recommendation is to keep the brain engaged and stimulated via reading, puzzles, intellectual games, and social interaction. Another recommendation is to maintain a healthy lifestyle. This entails keeping a healthy diet, exercising regularly, not smoking, abstaining from alcohol, and getting adequate sleep.