Causes And Risk Factors
The reason depends on the type. But the exact causes for the many types of dementia are unknown. One of the main risk factors for dementia is age. In fact, 50% of people aged 85 and over have a type of dementia. Approximately 32% of people over the age of 85 have Alzheimers disease. Symptoms tend to get worse with age. But an important point to remember is that dementia is not a normal part of aging.
In other cases, however, symptoms can seriously affect life. Symptoms depend on the area of the brain affected by dementia. But the most common are; Anxiety disorder, malaise, lack of interest in the environment, repeating the same questions, mental balance disorder, sleep disorders, walking around for no reason and inappropriate behaviors.
It is possible that dementia symptoms may appear years after the onset of the syndrome. This situation creates problems in the diagnosis and treatment of the syndrome. The patient may have had significant brain damage even before visiting the doctor. Therefore, diagnosis and treatment are more difficult in this syndrome.
Treatment For Ad Can Slow Down Disease Progression
A cure for Alzheimers has still not been found. Several symptoms related to Alzheimers can be treated separately and different combinations of medicines and therapy are used to arrest the progression of the disease.
For now, the main goal is to slow down this progression and make life easier for the patient and the patients family for as long as possible. In this effort, doctors often prescribe inhibitors that slow down or prevent the breakdown of neurotransmitters to improve cognitive impairment. They may also use vitamin E to slow the progression of the disease. Behavioral disturbances including depression, psychosis, and agitation are treated with antidepressants, antipsychotics, and other psychotropic medications.20
Signs Of Alzheimers Disease
There is some overlap between dementia and Alzheimers symptoms, but there are also a few differences. Alzheimers disease is a name for a more targeted disease, so the symptoms are more specific.
Alzheimers begins with trouble remembering and confusion over places, times, and people. Over time, disorientation grows and the person will experience mood changes. In addition, they will often be suspicious of people around them.
They might also have trouble with motor skills specifically walking and swallowing.
Theyll experience impaired judgment and apathy, often resulting in depression. Unlike other forms of dementia, people with Alzheimers are unlikely to have involuntary movement or trouble with balance. The primary symptoms involve memory and cognition.
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What Is Alzheimers Disease Symptoms Causes Diagnosis Types Stages Lifeexpectancy Complications & Treatment
Alzheimers disease is basically a brain disorder which gradually impairs and destroys the ability of thinking, remembering, and reasoning. Alzheimers is an irreparable and progressive brain disease which gradually affects thinking skills and memory.; It has also a potential effect on the persons ability to perform daily routine tasks. The symptoms mostly occur in the mid-60s. Almost 60-80% dementia cases are reported and the cause is Alzheimers disease. The irreversible process of brain damage due to Alzheimers mostly affects older adults aging 65 years or older than that. According to the reports, the percentage might vary but most of the Alzheimers patients suffer from dementia first, which is actually causing due to Alzheimers.
Area Of Focus 2: Build The Evidence Base To Inform And Promote The Adoption Of Effective Interventions
Given emerging evidence about factors that affect the risk of developing dementia, building the evidence base about effective interventions is an essential step in increasing the success of prevention efforts. Recent research has shown that interventions that promote healthy living can reduce the risk of developing dementia. Footnote 28 Healthy living includes embracing actions that maintain health such as physical activity and healthy eating, and avoiding behaviours that may harm health such as smoking.
Building on the work that is already underway, more research is needed to gather evidence on and increase understanding of interventions focused on these factors to determine which are effective in preventing dementia, and in what dose and what combination. Some evidence from prevention research is encouraging, but further research on larger and more diverse populations over longer timeframes is required. Footnote 29 Work is also needed to design interventions that are culturally safe and culturally appropriate to increase the adoption of healthy behaviours. Interventions need to be adapted in ways that best address the unique needs of individuals, particularly within higher-risk populations and for those facing barriers to care.
Activities to build the evidence base to inform and promote the adoption of effective interventions may include:
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Area Of Focus : Address The Importance Of Access To Quality Care From Diagnosis Through End Of Life
Access to care that is holistic, culturally safe, culturally appropriate and respectful of diversity and dignity will help improve quality of life. Dementia care can range from therapies that manage or reduce the severity of symptoms, to services and/or programs including rehabilitation, to social, behavioural and psychological supports. The types of care needed and care settings can fluctuate as the condition progresses. Services may be delivered in a variety of health care settings, in the home and in the community . Assistive technologies and community-based services can also help people living with dementia stay at home longer, reduce hospital visits, and delay entry to long-term care.
Information relating to dementia services and supports is not always easy to find, access or coordinate. People living with dementia and caregivers would benefit from easier access to care and supports available in their community.
Text box 11: Federal funding for care
In 2017, the Government of Canada provided provinces and territories with an additional $11 billion over 10 years specifically targeted to improve home and community care, including palliative care, and mental health and addiction services.
Care settings and care coordination
Palliative care
Text box 12: A Framework For Palliative Care
Activities to address the importance of access to quality care, from diagnosis through end of life, may include:
Comparison Of Medial Temporal Measures Between Binswanger’s Disease And Alzheimer’s Disease
- Xuntao Yin ,
Contributed equally to this work with: Xuntao Yin, Chen Liu
Affiliations Department of Radiology, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China, McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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Contributed equally to this work with: Xuntao Yin, Chen Liu
Affiliation Department of Radiology, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
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Affiliation Department of Neurology, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
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Affiliation McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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Affiliation Department of Radiology, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
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Affiliation Department of Radiology, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
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Affiliation Department of Radiology, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
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Affiliation Department of Radiology, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
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* E-mail: ;
Affiliation Department of Radiology, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
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* E-mail: ;
Affiliation Department of Radiology, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
Recommended Reading: How Fast Does Dementia Kill
Most People Wont Know For Sure If They Have Alzheimers
What makes Alzheimers a difficult disease to pinpoint is the fact that the condition is only confirmed through an autopsy.
We can diagnose it when someone is alive, but we are never completely certain until after they go to an autopsy, and we look for specific pathological changes in the brain that we can determine that they died from Alzheimers, Caccappolo said.
Major medical centers are pretty good at diagnosing it, but in other parts of the country or a general neurologist, the term Alzheimers can be thrown around very commonly, and if someone doesnt have it, the medication isnt going to help, and they could be missing out on other treatments, she added.
One of the biggest red flags that someone may have Alzheimers is the classic short-term memory loss. This is because Alzheimers manifests itself in the area of the brain responsible for learning new information and making new memories, Caccappolo said. This explains why someone with Alzheimers can likely remember what they ordered on their first date with their spouse 50 years ago, but has trouble remembering where they put their glasses .
The Effects Of Alzheimers On The Brain
Damage to the brain begins years before symptoms appear. Abnormal protein deposits form plaques and tangles in the brain of someone with Alzheimers disease. Connections between cells are lost, and they begin to die. In advanced cases, the brain shows significant shrinkage.
Its impossible to diagnose Alzheimers with complete accuracy while a person is alive. The diagnosis can only be confirmed when the brain is examined under a microscope during an autopsy. However, specialists are able to make the correct diagnosis up to 90 percent of the time.
The symptoms of Alzheimers and dementia can overlap, but there can be some differences.
Both conditions can cause:
- behavioral changes
- difficulty speaking, swallowing, or walking in advanced stages of the disease
Some types of dementia will share some of these symptoms, but they include or exclude other symptoms that can help make a differential diagnosis. Lewy body dementia , for example, has many of the same later symptoms as Alzheimers. However, people with LBD but are more likely to experience initial symptoms such as visual hallucinations, difficulties with balance, and sleep disturbances.
People with dementia due to Parkinsons or Huntingtons disease are more likely to experience involuntary movement in the early stages of the disease.
Treatment for dementia will depend on the exact cause and type of dementia, but many treatments for dementia and Alzheimers will overlap.
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Symptoms & Causes Of Dementia
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In general, dementia is caused by damage to brain cells. As a result, the part of the brain with damaged cells cant operate as it normally does.;Depending on what type of dementia you have, this brain cell damage could be caused by a number of factors. For example, vascular dementia is caused by a stroke, and Lewy body dementia is caused when protein deposits called Lewy bodies form in areas of the brain involved in thinking, memory and motor control, though scientists dont know exactly what causes this to begin. Symptoms of dementia may include:
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Memory loss that may fluctuate
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Difficulty planning and organizing
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Inability to perform complex tasks
Get Care For Dementia And Alzheimers Disease Today
Now that you understand the difference between dementia and Alzheimers disease, you know why seeking care early is important. Prompt treatment from memory care professionals can help slow the decline and preserve the brain function of your loved ones.
If your loved one is experiencing Alzheimers or any other kind of dementia, reach out to us at Parsons House on Eagle Run. We have experienced professionals on hand who can help prepare a care plan for your family. Parsons House is an award-winning Best of Omaha Assisted Living & Memory Care facility. Contact us today to learn more!
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How Does Peanut Butter Detect Alzheimer’s
The researchers discovered that those who had an impaired sense of smell in the left nostril had early-stage Alzheimer’s. They noted that the participants needed to be an average of 10 centimeters closer to the peanut butter container in order to smell it from their left nostril compared to their right nostril.
Symptoms & Causes Of Alzheimers
Alzheimers occurs when a protein called beta-amyloid builds up in the brain between nerve cells and forms plaques. Another protein called tau also builds up in the brain and forms tangles. Neurons stop working, shrink and eventually die. This damage begins in the hippocampus, the part of the brain associated with memory, and gradually spreads to other parts of the brain. Scientists dont know exactly what causes Alzheimers disease to start. In some cases it is hereditary or genetic . However, experts say this does not account for a majority of Alzheimers cases. Other factors like level of exercise, blood pressure, cholesterol and loneliness can also play a role in increasing your Alzheimers risk. Symptoms of Alzheimers disease may include:
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Eventually unable to carry out basic human functions like swallowing
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Main Differences Between Alzheimers Disease And Dementia
- Dementia is a syndrome while Alzheimers is a disease that causes dementia symptoms akin to HIV vs AIDS. You may also hear dementia described as a;condition.
- Alzheimers disease is the best known of these diseases and the most common cause of dementia. There are, however, over 200 types of dementia besides Alzheimers.
Area Of Focus : Promote And Enable Early Diagnosis To Support Planning And Action That Maximizes Quality Of Life
Timely communication of symptoms to health professionals together with greater confidence among primary care practitioners in diagnosing dementia early are key to maximizing the quality of life for people living with dementia. The many benefits of receiving an early diagnosis include:
- Individuals and their friends and family members can seek information sooner to better understand what to expect and how to prepare. This learning process can help to reduce stress levels and provide a sense of control and direction.
- Therapies, services and supports can be accessed earlier, which can help to reduce the severity of symptoms. For example, having access to proper visual or hearing aids has been associated with improved cognitive function in those diagnosed with dementia. Footnote 53, Footnote 54 Support groups can help individuals feel socially connected, give a sense of belonging and purpose, and provide a safe place to seek advice and encouragement.
- Increased time for individuals to develop advance care plans, and communicate their preferences for care to their families and care providers.
Activities to promote and enable early diagnosis to support planning and action that maximizes quality of life may include:
Text box 10: Guidelines for diagnosing dementia in Canada
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Dementia Vs Alzheimer’s: Differences Diagnosis And Treatment
If someone were to ask you what to name a disorder that causes memory loss, what comes to mind? Chances are youd say either Alzheimers disease or dementia. Perhaps you use the two interchangeably. Or, perhaps you thought Alzheimers and dementia are two completely separate conditions but cant quite put your finger on what those differences are. Here, well go over how Alzheimers and dementia are the same, and where they differ.
Area Of Focus 2: Expand Awareness Of Modifiable Risk And Protective Factors And Effective Interventions
As our understanding of factors that affect the risk of developing dementia grows and we learn more about interventions that are most effective in reducing risk, creating effective ways of sharing this knowledge broadly in a way that Canadians can understand will be important. By increasing awareness among both care providers and the general population, Canadians will be empowered to take action to protect their own health and reduce their risk of developing dementia. To be effective in our diverse country, awareness activities will need to be multi-lingual and culturally appropriate.
The development of dementia can begin as early as 20 years before symptoms can be observed to permit diagnosis. Footnote 31 As a result, a focus on health promotion that expands awareness and promotes lifestyle changes that can delay or reduce risk of dementia should start as early as possible.
In Canada and internationally, the development, implementation and adoption of healthy living interventions is ongoing. Researchers and health professionals are encouraged to seek opportunities to build on and integrate dementia into existing efforts.
Activities to expand awareness of modifiable risk and protective factors and effective interventions may include:
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Causes Of Dementia With Lewy Bodies
Lewy bodies are tiny clumps of a protein called alpha-synuclein that can develop inside brain cells.
These clumps damage the way the cells work and communicate with each other, and the brain cells eventually die.
Dementia with Lewy bodies is closely related to Parkinson’s disease and often has some of the same symptoms, including difficulty with movement and a higher risk of falls.
Read more about dementia with Lewy bodies.
Risk Factors For Dementia And Alzheimers
A bit of an unsettling aspect to dementia and Alzheimers both is that theres no real cursor as to who is more susceptible than others to develop a dementia-related disease.
Most of these diseases are sporadic, they have no obvious genetic cause, Perry said. Some people may have genetic inheritance and typically those cases are the early onset version of the disease but just because someone in your family had Alzheimers doesnt mean youre going to have it too.
If your grandmother had it in her 40s then you might be more concerned and do genetic testing, but if she had it over the age of 65 you may have an increased risk, but its really small, he said.
Perry does stress that Alzheimers is more prevalent in women, most likely because women tend to live longer than men. Alzheimers prevalence doubles every five years after the age 60, he said.
Its been debated if alcohol consumption can cause any form of dementia, including Alzheimers, but Caccappolo said theres no reason to believe this is fully true.
We dont diagnose dementia from alcohol frequently, and its not a known cause. It makes other things worse, but its rare people get dementia just from alcohol abuse, she said.
However, lifestyle factors generally can play a pretty big role, Perry said. Healthy habits, including a good diet and proper exercise, are crucial to curbing your risk for and treating Alzheimers and other dementias.
This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.
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