Dementia

A medical term used to describe different symptoms that negatively affect memory, social abilities, and thinking is called dementia. The symptoms that occur in people with dementia usually interact with daily activities. Moreover, this is not a specific disease but there are multiple conditions that may cause dementia.

Generally, this health problem involves memory loss and this is an early symptom often. However, if you experience only memory loss it is not sure you have dementia because there are many other causes of this symptom.

One of the most common causes of dementia in older adults is Alzheimer’s disease. Sometimes, dementia symptoms may be reversed but it depends on the cause.

Symptoms

The symptoms usually are different among people because it depends on the dementia cause. Check below the most common symptoms:

Cognitive Changes

Memory loss that commonly is observed by other people
Problems with reasoning, communication, or finding words
Confusion
Disorientation
Trouble with visual and spatial abilities, performing complex tasks, organizing, and planning.

Psychological Changes

Behavioral or personality changes
Paranoia
Hallucinations
Agitation
Depression
Anxiety

If you notice that a loved person experiences any of the previous symptoms, immediately visit a doctor.

Causes

This mental disorder is usually caused by damage to nerves or their loss of brain connection. The symptoms a person experiences depend on the brain part that is affected. This condition is grouped by healthcare providers in different ways including the protein type deposited in the brain, health conditions, or medicines that cause symptoms like dementia, or vitamin or mineral deficiency that also may cause similar symptoms. However, the symptoms usually improve with treatment.

Progressive Dementias

Check below some dementia types that cannot be reversed and often worsen over time:

Alzheimer’s disease – This is the most common cause of dementia and healthcare providers do now know all possible causes of this condition. Those who suffer from this condition have tangles and plaques in their brains. While tangles are fibrous masses produced from tau protein, plaques are made of a protein known as beta-amyloid. However, physicians believe these plaques and tangles cause damage to the brain cells and nerves that connect them.
Vascular dementia – In such cases, dementia happens due to damage to the blood vessels that supply the brain with blood. Moreover, this dementia type may cause other problems including stroke or damage to the fibers in the brain’s white matter. The most common symptoms of vascular dementia include memory loss, difficulty concentrating and focusing, and slowed thinking.
Lewy body dementia – Certain proteins that are balloon-like clumps are called Lewy bodies. These proteins are often found in people with Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and Lewy body dementia. In addition, one of the most common types of dementia is Lewy body dementia. Hallucinations, sleeping disturbances (insomnia), problems with attention and focus, tremors, and slowed movement are the most common symptoms of this type of dementia.
Frontotemporal dementia – A group of conditions in which the breakdown of nerve cells happens in the frontal and temporal brain lobes is called frontotemporal dementia. The most common symptoms include changes in behavior, personality, language, movement, and thinking.
Mixed dementia – As per studies, many people with this condition have multiple causes including Alzheimer’s disease, Lewy body dementia, and vascular dementia. However, more research is needed to determine how mixed dementia affects the treatment and symptoms.

Other Health Conditions Associated with Dementia

Huntington’s disease – This is a genetic disorder that causes the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord to waste away. Those who have this condition usually experience the following symptoms including a decline in cognitive and thinking skills.
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) – Commonly, people experience TBI due to frequent head trauma. Football players, boxers, or soldiers are more prone to develop this condition. However, symptoms of dementia usually appear depending on the brain part that is injured. The symptoms include stiffness, slowed movement, tremors, memory loss, depression, and others.
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease – Doctors do not know the exact cause or risk factors of this rare condition. However, they suspect it occurs due to infectious proteins (prions).
Parkinson’s disease – There are many people with this condition that develop dementia symptoms. In such cases, the disease is called Parkinson’s disease dementia.

Other Causes

Check below certain health conditions and medicines that may cause dementia-like symptoms:

Immune system disorders and infections – Sometimes, dementia-like symptoms may occur due to a fever or other adverse reactions when the body fights against infections. There are some autoimmune conditions (such as multiple sclerosis) that also may cause dementia.
Endocrine or metabolic disorders – Those who have thyroid gland problems and reduced blood sugar also may experience symptoms similar to dementia. It usually happens in people with increased sodium or calcium levels or decreased vitamin B-12 levels.
Decreased levels of some nutrients – People who do not get enough vitamins or minerals from their diet may experience dementia symptoms. For example vitamin B-1 (thiamin), vitamin B-6, vitamin B-12, copper, or vitamin E. Furthermore, dementia symptoms also may happen in people with dehydration.
Adverse reactions to certain medications – There are some medicines that may cause dementia-like symptoms. These include anticholinergic drugs, benzodiazepines, opioids, corticosteroids, chemo medicines, antidepressants, antihistamines, and others.
Subdural bleeding – Sometimes, people experience bleeding between brain surfaces that often cause dementia-like symptoms. Commonly, older people experience subdural bleeding after a fall.
Brain tumors – Damage to the brain caused by a tumor may cause dementia.
Normal-pressure hydrocephalus – This is a health condition in which fluid buildup occurs in the brain ventricles. People with this condition usually experience memory loss, movement problems, and loss of bladder control.

Risk Factors

There are multiple factors that contribute to dementia. While some of them cannot be changed (such as age), others can be addressed that help to reduce the risk. For example:

Unchangeable Risk Factors

Family history – If you have a parent or sibling with dementia, you are at higher risk of developing it.
Age – The dementia risk usually increases after 65 years old but it also may occur in younger people as well.
Down syndrome – There are many people with this condition that develop early-onset Alzheimer’s disease.

Changeable Risk Factors

Check below some risk factors that you can control to reduce the dementia risk:

Exercise and diet – As per studies, people with an increased risk of developing dementia who follow a healthy lifestyle have reduced their risk of cognitive decline. It is advised to include in your diet fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, oils, fish, nuts, and seeds.
Heavy alcohol drinking – There are multiple studies and reviews that alcohol use disorders are linked with an increased risk of dementia.
Cardiovascular risk factors – For example obesity, hypertension (high blood pressure) high cholesterol, and atherosclerosis (fat buildup in the arteries). Moreover, diabetes and smoking also are cardiovascular risk factors.
Deafness or blindness – People who experience hearing or vision loss and do not get treatment also are at higher risk of developing dementia. However, treatment may reduce the risk.
Depression – Experts do not fully understand why late-life depression may indicate dementia development.
Air pollution – Some research suggests that air pollution particles may contribute to nervous system degeneration (including traffic exhaust and burning wood).
Head injuries – Those who have had head injuries are at increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease which is the most common cause of dementia. Moreover, some studies showed that multiple TBIs significantly increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
Sleep symptoms – Sleep apnea and other sleeping disorders are associated with a high risk of developing dementia.
Reduced vitamin or mineral levels (especially reduced vitamin B-6, vitamin B-12, and folate levels.
Certain medicines – The following medicines are used to help people with sleeping problems, and urinary urgency but may cause memory problems. These include Diphenhydramine, Oxybutynin, and sedatives.

Complications

People with dementia may also experience certain complications. For example:

Malnutrition – Some people with dementia may experience problems with chewing and swallowing which leads to poor nutrition.
Lung conditions – Swallowing and chewing problems can cause food and drinks to enter the lungs (this process also is known as aspiration). As a result, it may block breathing and cause pneumonia.
Difficulty performing self-care tasks – These include brushing the hair or teeth, dressing, bathing, toilet use, and others.
Death – People with end-stage dementia may experience coma and then die. This complication often occurs due to an infection.

How to Prevent Dementia?

There is no sure way to prevent this condition but the following tips may help you reduce the risk of developing it. Examples include:

Perform mentally stimulating activities
Regularly exercise
Quit smoking or never begin
Adopt a diet full of fresh fruits, whole grains, fish, and vegetables. Sometimes, physicians may recommend some supplements for people who do not get enough nutrients and vitamins from food.
Cardiovascular risk factors management (including treatment for hypertension, high cholesterol, and diabetes)
Mental health conditions treatment
Practice good sleeping habits

It is also advised to have regular appointments with your doctor to check for hearing or vision problems.

Diagnosis

Usually, healthcare providers use specific biomarkers that help make a more accurate diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. They also will ask you some questions about the symptoms, evaluate your medical history, and perform a physical examination. However, doctors may perform additional tests to confirm the condition and rule out others that cause similar symptoms. For example:

Neuropsychological and cognitive tests – These tests are used to check your thinking skills including memory, orientation, reasoning, judgment, attention, and others.
Neurological evaluation – During this procedure, your memory, language skills, visual perception, attention, and others are evaluated.
Brain scans – Physicians usually perform a CT (computerized tomography) scan or MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan to check for hydrocephalus, stroke, bleeding, and brain tumors. Sometimes, PET scans are used to check brain activity and whether you have deposits in the brain including amyloid or tau protein.
Laboratory tests – It involves a blood test to check for mineral or vitamin deficiency.
Psychiatric evaluation – This procedure is used to determine whether you have depression or other mental health problems that contribute to dementia symptoms.

Treatment

While approximately all dementia types cannot be cured, the following treatment options can help lessen the symptoms. Examples include:

Medicines

Cholinesterase inhibitors – This group of medicines works by increasing the levels of specific chemicals that are involved in judgment and memory. Physicians usually recommend Rivastigmine, Galantamine, and Donepezil. Moreover, cholinesterase inhibitors are primarily prescribed for people with Alzheimer’s disease but can be used to manage vascular dementia, Lewy body dementia, and Parkinson’s disease dementia.
Memantine – These medications work by regulating Glutamate activity. This is a specific chemical involved in multiple brain functions including learning, memory, and others. Healthcare professionals usually recommend Memantine along with a cholinesterase inhibitor.
Other medications – In addition, doctors may prescribe additional medicines to control certain dementia symptoms including sleeping problems, hallucinations, agitation, depression, and others.

In addition, the FDA (the U.S. Food and Drug Administration) has approved Lecanemab and Donanemab for people with mild Alzheimer’s disease and mild cognitive impairment caused by this condition. While both medicines are given IV (intravenously), Lecanemab is injected every two weeks but Donanemab every four weeks. The most common adverse reactions of these medications include blood pressure changes, breathing problems, headaches, brain swelling (rarely), and others.

However, if you are using blood thinners (anticoagulants) or have a gene called APOE e4, you should get tested before using these medications. Otherwise, you may experience life-threatening complications.

Other Treatments

Some dementia symptoms are managed with the following therapies. Examples include:

Occupational therapy – This therapy helps people learn coping behaviors that help prevent accidents (such as falls).
Changes in the environment – There are some tips that may help improve focus and function for some people with dementia. These include hiding items that can threaten safety including car keys, knives, and others.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the primary cause of dementia?

In most cases, people have dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease. While commonly this condition occurs in older adults, younger people also may develop it.

Can dementia be cured?

Unfortunately, there is no way to cure the condition but with proper treatment, you can manage the symptoms.

Can stress cause dementia?

While some research suggests that stress can worsen or play a role in dementia development, it cannot cause this mental disorder. If you have additional questions, ask your healthcare professional.