Introduction

Dementia is a term that describes a group of symptoms affecting memory, thinking and social abilities severely enough to interfere with daily functioning. It isn’t a specific disease, but several different diseases may cause dementia.

Symptoms of Dementia

Dementia symptoms vary depending on the cause, but common signs and symptoms include:

• Cognitive changes, such as memory loss, difficulty communicating or finding words, difficulty with complex tasks, difficulty with planning and organizing, difficulty with coordination and motor functions, problems with disorientation, such as getting lost.
• Psychological changes, such as personality changes, depression, anxiety, inappropriate behavior, paranoia, agitation, hallucinations.

Causes of Dementia

Dementia is caused by damage to brain cells. This damage interferes with the ability of brain cells to communicate with each other. When brain cells cannot communicate normally, thinking, behavior and feelings can be affected.

The brain has many distinct regions, each of which is responsible for different functions (for example, memory, judgment and movement). When cells in a particular region are damaged, that region cannot carry out its functions normally.

Different types of dementia are associated with particular types of brain cell damage in particular regions of the brain. For example, in Alzheimer’s disease, high levels of certain proteins inside and outside brain cells make it hard for brain cells to stay healthy and to communicate with each other. The brain region called the hippocampus is the center of learning and memory in the brain, and the brain cells in this region are often the first to be damaged. That’s why memory loss is often one of the earliest symptoms of Alzheimer’s.

Treatment for Dementia

While there is no cure for dementia at this time, there are ways to manage symptoms. Medications and non-drug treatments can both be effective.

Medications commonly used in dementia treatment include:

• Cholinesterase inhibitors. These medications — including donepezil (Aricept), rivastigmine (Exelon) and galantamine (Razadyne) — work by boosting levels of a chemical messenger involved in memory and judgment.
• Memantine. Memantine (Namenda) works by regulating the activity of glutamate, another chemical messenger involved in brain functions such as learning and memory.

Non-drug treatments can also help manage some behavioral symptoms of dementia. For example:

• Occupational therapy can show you how to make your home safer and teach coping behaviors. The purpose is to prevent accidents like falls; manage behavior; and prepare you for the dementia progression.
• Modifying the environment. Reducing clutter and noise can make it easier for someone with dementia to focus and function.
• Modifying tasks. Break tasks into easier steps and focus on success, not failure.

Diet and Dementia

A heart-healthy diet may also be a brain-healthy diet. Evidence suggests that many of the same factors that increase your risk of heart disease can also increase your risk of dementia. These include:

• Lack of exercise
• Smoking
• High blood pressure
• High blood cholesterol
• Elevated homocysteine levels
• Poorly controlled diabetes
• A diet lacking in fruits and vegetables

By controlling these factors you may also reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s.

Conclusion

Dementia is a challenging condition both for those who have it and for their caregivers. However, understanding more about this condition can help manage its symptoms effectively.