According to the Alzheimer’s Association - every 67 seconds a person in the United States develops Alzheimer’s Disease
Dementia
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Dementia is a chronic or progressive syndrome that is marked by a collection of symptoms that include decreased intellectual functioning that interferes with normal life functions. The term dementia is usually used to describe people who have two or more major life functions impaired or lost such as:
• memory
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• language
• perception
• judgment or reasoning
• loss of emotional and behavioral control
• personality changes
• reduced or lost problem solving abilities
Although dementia is known to affect mainly older people, dementia is not a normal part of aging.
Just the Facts
• As of 2013, there were an estimated 44.4 million people with dementia worldwide.
• A new case of dementia is diagnosed every 4 seconds.
• The number of people diagnosed with dementia is expected to double every
20 years, reaching 75.6 million in 2030, and 135.5 million by the year 2050.
Types of Dementia
Alzheimer's disease is reported to be the most common dementia for people over age 65, and accounts for 60% - 80% of dementia cases.
Vascular dementia is usually caused by brain damage from a cerebrovascular accident or cerebrovascular insult (stroke), and is the second most common dementia type.
Lewy body dementia is another common and progressive dementia where cells in the brain's cortex die and other areas contain abnormal structures called Lewy bodies. Symptoms may include hallucinations, shuffling gait, and flexed posture. These symptoms may vary daily.
Frontotemporal dementia is associated with the degeneration of nerve cells in the frontal and temporal brain lobes.
HIV-associated dementia is due to infection of the brain with HIV virus; presenting with symptoms such as impaired memory, apathy, social withdrawal, and concentration problems.
Huntington's disease is a heredity disorder caused by a faulty gene symptoms beginning in 30-40 year old people. This is marked by personality changes such as anxiety, depression and progress to show psychotic behavior, severe dementia and chorea (involuntary jerky, arrhythmic movements of the body).
Boxer's syndrome is the result of a traumatic injury (often repeatedly) to the brain. Symptoms commonly are dementia and parkinsonism (tremors, gait abnormalities) and other changes depending on where in the brain the injury took place.
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is a fairly rare disease for people over 60 years of age, that seems related to a gene mutation that causes a rapid degenerative and fatal brain disease. This is marked by personality changes and reduced coordination, rapidly followed by impaired judgment and vision.
Secondary dementias occur in patients with movement disorders such as Parkinson's Disease or Multiple Sclerosis.
Other Conditions that May Cause Dementia include reactions to medications, endocrine and metabolic problems (e.g. Thyroid, Diabetes), nutritional deficiencies (e.g. Vitamin B1), infections (e.g. Urinary Tract Infection), subdural hematomas, poisoning, brain tumors, anoxia (lack of oxygen), as well as heart and lung problems which restrict oxygen to the brain.
Mild Cognitive Impairment is a fairly new term that is used to describe people who have some problems with their memory, but do not currently meet the criteria to be diagnosed with dementia.
Pseudodementia is a syndrome seen in older people where a person who is suffering with depression can also experience cognitive impairment that looks like dementia. It is important to keep in mind that alcohol and other substance abuse or dependence may also co-exist with depression.
Symptoms of Dementia
Early symptoms of dementia may include:
• Difficulty performing tasks that once came easily (e.g. balancing a checkbook, playing games, learning new information)
• Getting lost in familiar places
• Language problems (e.g. difficulty with word finding such as naming a familiar object)
• Losing interest in previously enjoyed activities
• Misplacing items
• Personality changes
• Changes in a person’s level of social functioning
As the dementia worsens, symptoms will become more obvious and will begin to interfere with daily living, such as:
• Changes in sleep patterns (e.g. waking during the night)
• Forgetting details about current events, or forgetting events in one's own life history
• Having difficulty with basic tasks (e.g. selecting appropriate attire, driving)
• Experiencing hallucinations, increased arguments, or being more aggressive
• Having more difficulty reading or writing
• Using poor judgment or losing the ability to recognize danger
• Using the wrong word, not pronouncing words correctly, or speaking in confusing sentences
• Withdrawing from friends and social contacts
Additional Information
For more information, or to request an initial consultation, please contact:
Linda Ziac, LPC, LADC, BCPC, CEAP, CCM, CDP
The Caregiver Resource Center
Greenwich, CT
