Preventative Measures Are Still The Best Bet Against Dementia
Eating a healthy diet has been found to contribute to good brain health aerobic activities including swimming and jogging have also proven beneficial, and even unexpected habits like socializing have been shown to help prevent dementia. These are all research-based recommendations to help slash the risk of dementia, but until now, the medications developed to address the disease are not effective as a cure.
“Current medications can’t cure Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias, but they might be able to slow it down and make it easier to live with,” explains the Weill Institute for Neurosciences Memory and Aging Center. But “Medications may not work for everyone,” says the site, noting that the medications may worsen the disease, or have undesirable side effects.
However, Medical News Today reports that a new study has revealed promising data about treating dementiaand it involves the a hormone you may have heard of.
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Support And Other Therapies
In addition to medicine, there are a number of therapies and practical measures that can help make life easier for someone with dementia.
These include:
- occupational therapy to identify problem areas in everyday life, such as getting dressed, and help make life easier
- speech and language therapy to help improve communication or swallowing problems
- physiotherapy to help with movement
- psychological therapies, such as cognitive stimulation
- relaxation techniques, such as massage, and music or dance therapy
- social interaction, leisure activities and other dementia activities, such as memory cafes
- home modifications, such as removing trip hazards, ensuring the home is well lit, and adding grab bars and handrails
Cognitive Decline Has Many Different Causes
With no known cure for diseases like AD, the focus is on preventative measureswhich continue to be discovered as we learn more about what causes cognitive decline.
For example, Harvard Health reported in 2019 that there is a link between gingivitis and Alzheimer’s disease. “A recent study says that the bacteria that cause gingivitis also may be connected to Alzheimer’s disease,” the site reported, explaining that this type of bacteria is called Porphyromonas gingivalis and can travel from the mouth to the brain. “Once in the brain, the bacteria release enzymes called gingipains that can destroy nerve cells, which in turn can lead to memory loss and eventually Alzheimer’s.”
This research has led to the recommendation that flossing and brushing your teethas well as practicing good oral hygiene in generalcan help decrease your risk of Alzheimer’s. And there are myriad other ways to help prevent cognitive decline.
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Dementia Risk Factors That Can Be Changed
- Smoking and alcohol use smoking and drinking alcohol increase your blood vessel disease and dementia risk. Smoking often leads to atherosclerosis and vascular diseases, underlying causes of increased dementia. Studies show that heavy drinkers are at higher risk of dementia than moderate drinkers and those who abstain entirely.
- Diet and exercise studies show that lack of exercise and an unhealthy diet elevates the risks of dementia. Also, certain conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity can increase the risk of dementia. Regular exercise and healthy diets help fight these conditions, which in turn bring a positive effect on dementia risk.
- Depression older people with depression, are at a higher risk of developing dementia. But research is not detailed on the direction of the relationship. Whether depression causes dementia or dementia causes depression. People with depression symptoms tend to suffer memory loss and thinking problems. These conditions tend to increase the risk of dementia.
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Causes And Risk Factors
The precise cause of LBD is unknown, but scientists are learning more about its biology and genetics. For example, they know that an accumulation of Lewy bodies is associated with a loss of certain neurons in the brain that produce two important neurotransmitters, chemicals that act as messengers between brain cells. One of these messengers, acetylcholine, is important for memory and learning. The other, dopamine, plays an important role in behavior, cognition, movement, motivation, sleep, and mood.
Scientists are also learning about risk factors for LBD. Age is considered the greatest risk factor. Most people who develop the disorder are over age 50.
Other known risk factors for LBD include the following:
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Caring For Someone With Lewy Body Dementia
Caring for someone with LBD, or any form of dementia, is hugely challenging. Just as LBD can impact every aspect of a person, caring for someone with the disease can impact every aspect of your daily life. Youll likely face tests of stamina, problem solving, and resiliency. However, your caregiving journey can also be an intensely rewarding experience as long as you take care of yourself and get the support that you need.
Coping With Cognitive Changes
Some medications used to treat Alzheimer’s disease also may be used to treat the cognitive symptoms of LBD. These drugs, called cholinesterase inhibitors, act on a chemical in the brain that is important for memory and thinking. They may also improve hallucinations, apathy, and delusions. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved one Alzheimer’s drug, rivastigmine, to treat cognitive symptoms in Parkinson’s disease dementia. Several other drugs are being tested as possible treatments for LBD symptoms or to disrupt the underlying disease process.
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Causes Of Potentially Reversible Dementia Symptoms
Worried that a loved one has Alzheimer’s disease? While you may be right, you should be sure to have a physician conduct a thorough evaluation to be certain. Some illnesses and conditions that look and act like Alzheimer’s are reversible with appropriate treatment.
Here are 10 potentially reversible causes of dementia symptoms.
Lewy Body Dementia Root Causes & Risk Factors
The exact cause of Lewy body dementia is still unknown, but researchers continue to study and try to figure out this complex disease. We do know that an accumulation of abnormal protein deposits in the brain, or Lewy bodies, are associated with a loss of certain neurons that produce two important neurotransmitters, acetylcholine and dopamine. Acetylcholine is key to the brains ability to remember and learn things while dopamine plays a crucial role in behavior, cognition, movement, motivation, mood and sleep.
Although the cause of Lewy body dementia isnt clear, several factors appear to increase the risk of developing the disease. They include:
- Age Being older than 50. Age is considered the greatest risk factor.
- Gender Being male. Slightly more men than woman have LBD.
- Genetics Having a family member with Lewy body dementia, but LBD is not normally considered a genetic disease. A small percentage of families with dementia with Lewy bodies has a genetic association with the disease. In some cases, its a variant of the GBA gene, but in most cases, the cause is unknown. Currently there is no genetic test that can accurately predict whether someone will develop LBD.
- Other diseases Having Parkinsons disease or REM sleep behavior disorder is linked to a higher risk of LBD.
Final Thoughts
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Building A Lewy Body Dementia Care Team
After receiving a diagnosis, a person with LBD may benefit from seeing a neurologist who specializes in dementia and/or movement disorders. Your primary doctor can work with other professionals to follow your treatment plan. Depending on an individual’s particular symptoms, physical, speech, and occupational therapists, as well as mental health and palliative care specialists, can be helpful.
Support groups are another valuable resource for people with LBD and their caregivers. Sharing experiences and tips with others in the same situation can help people find practical solutions to day-to-day challenges and get emotional and social support.
Alcohol And Brain Injury
Alcohol intoxication tends to impair coordination, so people who are intoxicated are more likely to have accidents or falls. Head injuries, especially if they are severe, involve a loss of consciousness, or happen multiple times, are linked to an increased risk of dementia, even many years after the brain injury occurs.4,9 These types of injuries may be known as traumatic brain injuries , and can occur as a risk of car accidents, falls, or fights. TBIs can cause damage to areas of the brain, and begin a series of changes that allow proteins that cause dementia to accumulate near the damaged area.9
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Research: The Road Ahead
There is a great deal to learn about LBD. At a basic level, why does alphasynuclein accumulate into Lewy bodies, and how do Lewy bodies cause the symptoms of LBD? It is also of increasing interest to the Alzheimers and Parkinsons disease research communities. LBD represents an important link between these other brain disorders, and research into one disease often contributes to better understanding of the others.
Many avenues of research focus on improving our understanding of LBD. Some researchers are working to identify the specific differences in the brain between dementia with Lewy bodies and Parkinsons disease dementia. Others are looking at the diseases underlying biology, genetics, and environmental risk factors. Still other scientists are trying to identify biomarkers , improve screening tests to aid diagnosis, and research new treatments.
Scientists hope that new knowledge about LBD will one day lead to more effective treatments and even ways to cure and prevent the disorder. Until then, researchers need volunteers with and without LBD for clinical studies.
To find out more about clinical trials, talk with a doctor or visit the National Institutes of Health Web site at www.clinicaltrials.gov.
What Is Lewy Body Dementia Causes Symptoms And Treatments
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Lewy body dementia is a disease associated with abnormal deposits of a protein called alpha-synuclein in the brain. These deposits, called Lewy bodies, affect chemicals in the brain whose changes, in turn, can lead to problems with thinking, movement, behavior, and mood. Lewy body dementia is one of the most common causes of dementia.
LBD affects more than 1 million individuals in the United States. People typically show symptoms at age 50 or older, although sometimes younger people have LBD. LBD appears to affect slightly more men than women.
Diagnosing LBD can be challenging. Early LBD symptoms are often confused with similar symptoms found in other brain diseases or in psychiatric disorders. Lewy body dementia can occur alone or along with other brain disorders.
It is a progressive disease, meaning symptoms start slowly and worsen over time. The disease lasts an average of five to eight years from the time of diagnosis to death, but can range from two to 20 years for some people. How quickly symptoms develop and change varies greatly from person to person, depending on overall health, age, and severity of symptoms.
In the early stages of LBD, symptoms can be mild, and people can function fairly normally. As the disease advances, people with LBD require more help due to a decline in thinking and movement abilities. In the later stages of the disease, they often depend entirely on others for assistance and care.
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Difference Between Lewy Body Dementia And Parkinsons Disease
People with both Parkinsons disease and Lewy body dementia have abnormal clumps of alpha-synuclein protein in their brains.
However, motor problems come on early in Parkinsons disease and dementia comes on very late in Parkinsons disease or not at all. In Lewy body dementia, the dementia comes on early in the disease together with motor problems.
Dementia & Alzheimer’s Disease
For years, research has been ongoing to identify the foods to reverse dementia. Even though dementia currently does not have a cure, experts state that lifestyle and diet can play a significant role in preventing and even reversing pre-dementia and early dementia.
Dr. Mark Hyman, a champion of the body-mind effect, explains that the things you do to your body end up affecting the brain. Thus, the importance of healthy diet and nutrition.
Going by the fact that dementia usually begins with too much sugar in the brain, controlling blood sugar levels can help in reversing cognitive decline and dementia.
Controlling blood sugar has a lot to do with what you eat.
Lets look at nine foods that can help to reverse dementia.
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Treating Movement Symptoms In Lewy Body Dementia
LBD-related movement symptoms may be treated with medications used for Parkinson’s disease, called carbidopa-levodopa. These drugs can help make it easier to walk, get out of bed, and move around. However, they cannot stop or reverse the disease itself. Side effects of this medication can include hallucinations and other psychiatric or behavioral problems. Because of this risk, physicians may recommend not treating mild movement symptoms with medication. Other Parkinson’s medications are less commonly used in people with LBD due to a higher frequency of side effects.
People with LBD may benefit from physical therapy and exercise. Talk with your doctor about what physical activities are best.
How Is Parkinsons Disease Dementia Diagnosed
No single test can diagnose Parkinsons disease dementia. Instead, doctors rely on a series or combination of tests and indicators.
Your neurologist will likely diagnose you with Parkinsons and then track your progression. They may monitor you for signs of dementia. As you get older, your risk for Parkinsons dementia increases.
Your doctor is more likely to conduct regular testing to monitor your cognitive functions, memory recall, and mental health.
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What Are The Causes Of Lewy Body Dementia
The precise cause of LBD is unknown, but scientists are learning more about its biology and genetics. For example, we know that an accumulation of Lewy bodies is associated with a loss of certain neurons in the brain that produce two important chemicals that act as messengers between brain cells . One of these messengers, acetylcholine, is important for memory and learning. The other, dopamine, plays an important role in behavior, cognition, movement, motivation, sleep, and mood.
Scientists are also learning about risk factors for LBD. A risk factor is something that may increase the chance of developing a disease. Some risk factors can be controlled while others cannot. Age is considered the greatest risk factor. No specific lifestyle factor has been proven to increase one’s risk for LBD.
Other known risk factors for LBD include certain diseases and health conditions, particularly Parkinson’s disease and REM sleep behavior disorder, which have been linked to a higher risk of LBD.
Having a family member with LBD also may increase a person’s risk, though LBD is not considered a genetic disease. Variants in three genes APOE, SNCA, and GBA have been associated with an increased risk, but in most cases, the cause is unknown.
The Link To Parkinsons Disease
Most people with Parkinsons disease have Lewy bodies in their brains. Its these clusters that cause some or all of the motor symptoms of Parkinsons disease, as well as memory or cognitive problems, visual hallucinations, and problems with alertness.
We rarely know if a living patient has Lewy bodies with certainty, however. Its not until an autopsy that they can be seen, says Liana Rosenthal, M.D., assistant professor of neurology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. If we see Lewy bodies in someones brain during an autopsy, thats considered a pathologic certainty of Parkinsons disease, she says.
As with Parkinsons, Lewy body dementia is associated with a depletion of certain neurotransmitters in the brain. These are:
- Dopamine: This neurotransmitter helps transmit signals that control muscle movement. When the accumulation of Lewy bodies blocks dopamines production and transmission, the result is the hallmark movement issues of Parkinsons disease.
- Acetylcholine: This neurotransmitter does its work in the parts of the brain responsible for memory, thinking and processing. When Lewy bodies build up in these areas, they interfere with acetylcholine, causing symptoms of dementia.
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Can An Mri Detect Lewy Body Dementia
Imaging techniques, such as MRI and CT scans are doing the rounds for many years, and they act as vital tools to diagnose many diseases. Though MRI isnt a diagnostic test of Lewy body dementia, yet it can assist a physician in diagnosing the condition. Moreover, the brain imaging has a significant role in research to have a better understanding of the changes in the brain linked with Lewy body dementia.
Lewy Body Dementia Vs Parkinsons Disease Dementia
Diagnoses of Lewy body dementia include dementia with Lewy bodies and Parkinsons disease dementia. Symptoms in both of these diagnoses can be similar.
Lewy body dementia is a progressive dementia caused by abnormal deposits of a protein called alpha-synuclein in the brain. Lewy bodies are also seen in Parkinsons disease.
The overlap in symptoms between Lewy body dementia and Parkinsons disease dementia include movement symptoms, rigid muscles, and problems with thinking and reasoning.
This seems to indicate that they could be linked to the same abnormalities, though more research is needed to confirm that.
The later stages of Parkinsons disease have more severe symptoms that may require help moving around, around-the-clock care, or a wheelchair. Quality of life can decline rapidly.
Risks of infection, incontinence, pneumonia, falls, insomnia, and choking increase.
Hospice care, memory care, home health aides, social workers, and support counselors can be a help in later stages.
Parkinsons disease itself isnt fatal, but complications can be.
Research has shown a median survival rate of about
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