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Dementia is an impairment in thinking abilities that persists long enough and is severe enough to interfere with daily function. Dementia is not itself a disease. It is a condition, or collection of symptoms. Many diseases can cause dementia. Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause among those over age 65.
Is Dementia the same as confusion?
Confusion is one of the symptoms of dementia. A person with dementia will most certainly be confused at times, but not necessarily all of the time. On the other hand, a person who is confused does not necessarily have dementia. Difficulty with communicating clearly and memory loss are often indications of dementia, but it is not appropriate to assume that someone who is confused or forgetful has dementia.
There are a number of reasons why older people in particular may appear to be confused. Around 20% of older people suffer from depression, which can cause difficulty with thinking and remembering. Interactions between medications can also cause problems. Drug mixes, dietary deficiencies, excess alcohol consumption, and other factors can cause symptoms similar to dementia. Appropriate medical practitioners need to investigate any symptoms of confusion to determine the cause. In some cases the symptoms can be readily reversed. Never assume that just because a person is getting older and shows signs of confusion that he or she is beginning a process of inevitable decline.
Is dementia the same as Alzheimer's disease?
Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia in the older population but it is not the only one. Lewy Body disease, vascular disease, Huntington's disease, Parkinson's disease, and many other diseases also cause dementia. --. There is no simple diagnostic test for Alzheimer's disease. Assessment can be made using sophisticated medical equipment and sensitive neuro-psychological tests.
Can medications or supplements affect a person's memory or ability to concentrate?
Both prescription and non-prescription medications potentially can affect cognitive abilities, mood, or both. However, these are complex relationships that depend on the drug, the reason the drug was prescribed in the first place, and drug-drug, drug-supplement, and drug-nutrient interactions. In addition, the presence of other risk factors a person may have for developing cognitive or mood problems is likely to play an important role in any drug's ultimate effect. The bottom line is that this is an extremely important issue that varies from person to person and should be discussed with your physician.
What is Parkinson's disease?
Parkinson's disease is a chronic neurological disorder caused by the loss of nerve cells in a specific region of the brain, the substantia nigra. The loss of these cells reduces production of an important chemical, dopamine. Dopamine deficiency leads to one or more problems with movement. Neither the cause nor cure for Parkinson's disease are currently known. However, medications and surgical procedures can help relieve the symptoms of most patients.
Parkinson's disease occurs worldwide and is slightly more prevalent in men than women. It occurs in 1.5% of the population over 55 years of age and typically is diagnosed between the ages of 50 and 60. However, Parkinson's disease can develop at a much younger age, and between 5% and 10% of the people with Parkinson's are diagnosed before the age of 40. Risk factors include increasing age, family history, and a rural environment. It is likely that a combination of many factors, both genetic and environmental, play a role in the development of PD. Familial forms of PD are known but are uncommon and atypical.
What are the symptoms of Parkinson's disease?
The symptoms of Parkinson's disease vary between individuals and can vary from day to day in the same individual. For many people the symptoms can be quite mild and may progress little over a long period of time. The disease is progressive, however, and disability as a result of its progression will increase over time. People do not die of Parkinson's disease.
There are four major symptoms of Parkinson's disease: a tremor at rest, slowness of movement (bradykinesia), rigidity, and loss of balance. Diagnosis is based on ruling out other conditions and physical examination. There currently is no test. Two of the four symptoms are needed to initiate the diagnosis. Other symptoms may occur as well, including a shuffling walk, difficulty initiating movement, "freezing," lack of facial expression, problems with speech and swallowing, constipation, urinary problems, sleep disturbance, confusion, depression, and dementia. Again, like the cardinal symptoms, the secondary symptoms vary from person to person, and each person responds to treatment differently. Other conditions can initially look like Parkinson's disease but do not respond to standard treatment or other symptoms emerge. Obtaining an accurate diagnosis is essential.
The hallmark for treatment of Parkinson's disease is medication. There are a variety of medications that can be used to control the symptoms and each person needs to be evaluated and treated individually. The balancing of medication is critical and changes over time. Medications can also cause side effects, so the treatment regimen needs to be monitored closely by the patient, family and physician. Surgery is an option for some when the medication loses its effectiveness.
What is Huntington's disease?
Huntington's Disease is a devastating, hereditary, degenerative brain disorder for which there is, at present, no effective treatment or cure. Huntington's disease slowly diminishes the affected individual's ability to walk, think, talk, and reason. Eventually, the person with Huntington's disease becomes totally dependent upon others for his or her care. Huntington's disease profoundly affects the lives of entire families -- emotionally, socially, and economically.
Early symptoms of Huntington's Disease may affect cognitive ability or mobility, and include depression, mood swings, forgetfulness, clumsiness, involuntary twitching, and lack of coordination. As the disease progresses, concentration and short-term memory diminish and involuntary movements of the head, trunk, and limbs increase. Walking, speaking, and swallowing abilities deteriorate. Eventually the person is unable to care for him or herself. Death follows from complications such as choking, infection, or heart failure.
What are Huntington's disease symptoms?
Symptoms usually evolve slowly and vary from person to person, even within the same family. Some individuals may be affected first cognitively (depression, forgetfulness, impaired judgment). Others suffer with motor skill impairment (dystonia or involuntary movements, unsteady gait). Eventually, every person afflicted by Huntington's disease requires full-time care.
Domains affected include cognitive, motor, and behavioral. Members of the same family may exhibit different symptoms. Some can show mild involuntary movements (chorea) and have more emotional/behavioral symptoms of Huntington's disease or can have less emotional/ behavioral symptoms with more difficulty with involuntary movements.
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