What causes dementia?
Over 100 different conditions cause dementia. These conditions cause irreversible damage to the brain.
Some medical conditions can cause dementia like symptoms that can be treated including metabolic disorders, infections, reactions to medications and nutritional deficiencies.
Common causes of dementia include but are not limited to:
Dementia has also been associated with other medical conditions including Parkinson’s disease, Korsakoff’s syndrome, HIV and AIDS and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD).
Alzheimer's disease is the most common of all dementias. Alzheimer's disease is a progressive form of dementia. A build up of 'plaques' and 'tangles' cause brain cells to shrink and die. People with Alzheimer's also have a deficiency in brain chemicals that help the brain send messages to the rest of the body.
Damage to various parts of the brain causes a deterioration in brain function leading to a gradual decline in cognitive function. Alzheimer's causes changes in cognition, memory loss and behaviour.
As Alzheimer's progresses a person can experience loss of language skills, mobility and the ability to undertake daily living skills.
Symptoms of Alzheimer's disease generally occur after 60 years and older. Alzheimer's disease can occur in younger age groups, usually as a result of a defective gene.
Vascular dementia is the second most common form of dementia. Vascular dementia can be caused by a stroke (single infarct dementia) or a small series of strokes (multi-infarct dementia). Sub-cortical vascular dementia is caused by damage to tiny blood vessels within the brain. Sometimes vascular dementia and Alzheimer's disease exist together.
Vascular dementia occurs when blood supply and flow to the brain is disrupted. Symptoms of vascular dementia can vary. People with vascular dementia can experience a sudden worsening of their symptoms rather than a gradual decline.
Symptoms may include moments of acute confusion, depression, memory loss, symptoms of stroke, hallucinations and problems with communication and coordination.
Damage to the brain caused by vascular dementia cannot be reversed. Maintaining a healthy vascular system and managing existing conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure and cholesterol may help prevent vascular dementia.
Lewy bodies are protein deposits found in nerve cells. In the brain they can cause disruption to important chemical messages including acetylcholine and dopamine. Lewy bodies are also present in the brains of people with Parkinson's disease who can later develop Lewy body dementia.
Symptoms of Lewy body dementia are similar to Alzheimer's but include Parkinson's like rigidity and tremor. Periods of acute confusion and lucidity are unique symptoms of Lewy body dementia. People may also have hallucination and sleep problems.
Frontotemporal dementia is characterised by damage to and degeneration of the nerve cells in the frontal and temporal regions of the brain.
Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) causes damage to the areas of the brain responsible for our emotions, behaviour and language skills.
This type of dementia generally appears between the ages of 40 and 65. The progression of frontotemporal dementia can vary between 2 and 10 years. Family history of the condition is evident in many cases of fronto temporal dementia.
Symptoms of frontotemporal dementia can vary and may include changes in behaviour and personality, problems with language, difficulty concentrating and thinking.
In the early stages of frontotemproal dementia a person's memory may be intact. Frontotemporal dementia can cause more obvious changes in personality. A person may be disinhibited, lack empathy, appear flat or may exhibit compulsive or repetitive behaviour.
People with frontotemporal dementia often have problems finding the right word, naming objects or expressing themselves. As the disease progresses symptoms become more general.
Dementia risk factors
Related articles
- Early signs and symptoms of dementia
- Dementia risk factors
- Diagnosing dementia
- Treatment of dementia
- Can dementia be prevented?
References
Alzheimer's Association (USA)
Vascular dementia
Accessed, March 2010
Alzheimer's Australia
Dementia with lewy bodies
Accessed March , 2010
Alzheimer's Australia
Alzheimer's disease
Accessed March, 2010
Alzheimer's Society UK
What is Fronto-temporal dementia (including Pick's disease)?
Print
Send to friend
Add your comment