Dementia

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Dementia

What Is It? Symptoms Prevention

Treatment Prognosis

What Is It?

Dementia is a general term for a number of diseases characterized by nerve cell deterioration. This degeneration can come about from some as-yet-unknown cause, as in Alzheimer's disease, or from an encounter with an infectious agent, as in Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, or by poor blood flow to the brain.

Dementia is defined as a loss in at least two areas of complex behavior, such as language, memory, visual and spatial abilities, and judgment, that significantly interferes with a person's daily activities.

It is usually a slow process, taking months or years. Symptoms of various diseases differ widely in individuals, depending on what area or areas of the brain are involved.

Dementia affects more than 4 million Americans. Alzheimer's disease accounts for about half of all diagnoses of dementia. Other causes are Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease; vascular causes, such as stroke or heart disease; metabolic diseases, such as thyroid or liver diseases; infectious diseases, such as acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS); head trauma; toxins such as alcohol; and brain tumors.

Symptoms

Although dementia affects multiple areas of mental performance, initial symptoms may occur in only one area. For example, you may notice that remembering things like today's date is becoming more difficult. Although all dementia-disordered people forget, being forgetful is not necessarily a sign of dementia. A slight decrease in short-term memory often occurs with aging, and occasional forgetfulness should not be confused with the severe decline in memory that characterizes dementia. Dementia is failure to retain mental capabilities once enjoyed, such as abstract thinking, judgment, or cognitive orientation. Many people with advanced dementia are not aware of or will not admit to a problem.

Prevention

In many instances, dementia cannot be prevented. For example, only some of the factors involved in Alzheimer's disease are now known. But, because some dementia can be related to preventable diseases, keeping those illnesses at bay can keep dementia from developing. For example, exercising regularly, not smoking, and keeping an eye on blood cholesterol level can reduce the risk for stroke; abstaining from alcohol or drinking only moderately may help decrease the risk of liver disease which can cause dementia.

Treatment

Therapy generally involves managing various symptoms. Tranquilizers can lessen agitation, anxiety, and aggression. Keeping a familiar routine, encouraging social and physical activity, and maintaining a safe environment can enable the person to maintain comfort and dignity. A person with dementia should wear a medical identification bracelet in the event of wandering or disorientation. In cases where the underlying cause of dementia is untreatable, it may eventually be necessary to place the person in a health facility providing care on a 24-hour basis.

Prognosis

People have a good chance of recovering mental functioning if a treatable cause of their dementia is discovered, such as metabolic disorder, brain tumor, or cerebrovascular disease. But most people with dementia will experience gradually deteriorating mental function.

Last updated February 09, 1999