Hearthside Home Instead Senior Care Blog

Dementia is not a specific disease. It is a term which describes a group of symptoms that causes a significant decline in intellectual functioning, impairing normal activities and changing relationships. While memory loss is a common symptom of dementia, by itself it does not mean that a person has dementia. Doctors diagnose dementia only if two or more brain functions – such as memory, orientation, learning or language skills, reasoning or judgment – are significantly impaired.  Such impairments eventually decrease one’s ability to perform everyday activities like driving, paying bills, housekeeping, preparing meals and even personal care skills like bathing and dressing. A person with dementia also may exhibit personality changes, loss of emotional control and behavioral problems such as agitation, paranoia and hallucinations.

Dementia is most common in older adults, but is not a normal part of aging. It is caused by a number of medical conditions. In come cases, dementia can be reversed or stopped from getting worse. In others, it is permanent and usually gets worse over time. As with any other medical condition, it is essential that a proper evaluation be made when the symptoms of dementia first appear, so that appropriate treatments can be offered. Common forms and causes of dementia include:

Alzheimer’s Disease is the most common cause of dementia in older persons. It is marked by the abnormally rapid death of brain cells. The precise cause of Alzheimer’s Disease is unknown, but this is being aggressively studied worldwide by researchers. Alzheimer’s is characterized by a progressive loss of intellectual and functional abilities. On average, persons with Alzheimer’s Disease live for 8-10 years after they are diagnosed, with death often resulting from pneumonia and other infections that arise late in the disease. Current treatments focus on medications to prolong the functioning of still-living brain cells. These medications slow, but do not halt the progression of Alzheimer’s Disease.

Vascular Dementia is caused either by a severe narrowing or blockage of arteries that carry blood to the brain, or from strokes caused by an interruption of blood flow to the brain. The first symptoms of vascular dementia usually start suddenly, and progression is often marked by abrupt “step downs” of cognitive abilities. But vascular dementia may also slowly and progressively worsen over time. Treatment involves preventing additional strokes by addressing underlying diseases, such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol, and by use of blood-thinning medications. There is some evidence that use of medications commonly prescribed to treat Alzheimer’s Disease may also slow the progression of vascular dementia.

Parkinson’s Dementia. Persons with late-stage Parkinson’s Disease or “Parkinson’s Plus” Diseases (such as Progressive Supranuclear Palsy) may develop a dementia with symptoms and a progressive course similar to those of Alzheimer’s Disease.

Lewy Body Dementia is marked by small protein deposits found in deteriorating nerve cells in the brain. These often appear in areas of the brain that are associated with the tremor and rigidity of Parkinson’s Disease. When these lewy bodies are spread through out the brain, they may produce symptoms similar to those of Alzheimer’s Disease as well as hallucinations and major fluctuations in alertness.

Fronto-Temporal Dementia is marked by a deterioration of nerve cells in the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain. Initial symptoms include behavioral and personality changes, such as poor judgment and impulsiveness. It then progresses to impairments of language and cognitive skills. Fronto-Temporal Dementia is not curable, and usually does not respond to the medications used to treat Alzheimer’s Disease. Mood and behavioral problems can be treated using standard anti-psychotic and anti-depressant medications.

Head Trauma Dementia may result from a single, significant head injury, or from a series of head blows, such as those suffered by professional boxers. A single traumatic brain injury may produce an immediate dementia, but symptoms vary depending on which part of the brain was damaged. Dementia from repeated head blows may appear many years after the trauma ends, and is often marked by symptoms of Parkinsonism.

For more information or to get answers to your questions, please contact your Home Instead Senior Care office serving The Greater Worcester County and MetroWest MA Areas.

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