What is dementia?

Submitted by Emma Hamilton on Tue, 09/03/2010 - 4:38pm

People living with dementia will need more support from the people around them as the disease progresses.

Dementia is a term used to describe the symptoms of a number of conditions that cause damage to the structure and chemistry of the brain.

In this article:

What is dementia?
What causes dementia?
Dementia and memory loss
Dementia signs and symptoms
Dementia risk factors
Dementia diagnosis
Dementia treatment and management
Can dementia be prevented?

What is dementia?

Dementia causes damage to the brain that leads to a progressive loss of memory, orientation, judgement and insight.

Most cases of dementia are degenerative. This means that symptoms will get worse over time. People with dementia gradually lose the ability to undertake normal everyday activities, communicate with others and make decisions.

Progression of dementia is influenced by a number of factors and everyone will experience dementia in their own unique way. Eventually a person with dementia will be dependent on others for all aspects of daily care.

What causes dementia?

Over 100 different conditions cause dementia (Alzheimer's Australia 2008). These conditions cause irreversible damage to the brain. Some common causes of dementia include but are not limited to:

Alzheimer’s disease
Vascular dementia
Dementia with Lewy bodies
Fronto temporal lobar degeneration, including Pick's disease

Dementia has also been associated with other medical conditions including Parkinson’s disease, Korsakoff’s syndrome, HIV and AIDS and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD).

Dementia and memory loss

Many people worry they have dementia when they start to have problems with their memory. A small degree of memory loss is normal as we age. People with dementia experience changes in memory loss and thinking, that over time significantly interfere with daily life.

Although memory loss is one of the symptoms of dementia, problems with memory can be related to other conditions, some treatable.

Depression, vitamin and hormone deficiencies or problems with medication are just some of the common causes of dementia like symptoms. Treating these conditions usually improves people's memory.

Dementia signs and symptoms

Early signs and symptoms of dementia vary widely. Many early signs of dementia can be subtle, easily overlooked or attributed to old age.

Common early symptoms of dementia are short term memory loss and problems with words. A person can still function quite well in the early stages of dementia appearing well one day but not the next. Symptoms may become more apparent when a person is under stress, sick or tired.

Early signs of dementia can include but are not limited to:

Problems doing simple tasks, using appliances or following complicated instructions
Problems with reading, writing and doing simple calculations
Difficulty communicating, mistaking words, problems following a conversation or constantly repeating themselves
Neglecting personal hygiene or grooming
Changes in behaviour such as being withdrawn, insensitive, loss of inhibitions or becoming fearful of being left alone
Getting lost in familiar places

Dementia risk factors

One of the major risk factors for getting dementia is increasing age. Dementia is the 4th leading cause of death in ageing Australians over 65 (Alzheimer’s Australia 2008).
Dementia is thought to be related to a number of genetic, environmental and physical factors.

Risk factors for dementia include:

Increasing age
Family history
Smoking
Head injury
High blood pressure
Heart disease
Stroke
Lack of physical activity and poor diet
Excessive alcohol intake

Dementia diagnosis

An early diagnosis of dementia is critical. Anyone who experiences early signs of dementia should see their doctor as soon as possible to help rule out any treatable causes of dementia.

Diagnosing dementia involves a complete medical and psychological assessment.

A diagnosis of dementia may involve:

Taking a medical history
A physical exam
Blood and urine tests
Neuropsychological assessment
A mental status test
Chest x-ray, brain scans

A person may be referred to a neurologist, geriatrician, or neuropsychologist to confirm a diagnosis of dementia. Although a diagnosis of dementia can be devastating, it allows people with dementia and their families to access proper care and support early on.

An early diagnosis of dementia gives a person the opportunity to discuss with family how they would like to be cared for in the future. Important legal and financial decisions that affect the whole family also need to be made in the early stages of dementia.

Dementia treatment and management

There is no cure for dementia and damage that has occurred to the brain cannot be reversed.

For certain types of dementia, medications can help slow the progression of the symptoms. However, for most people treatment will largely concentrate on supporting the person and maintaining independence for as long as possible.

People with dementia experience a gradual decline in abilities. No two people experience dementia in the same way. Progression of the condition will be influenced by a person's overall health and other medical conditions.

Dementia is a condition that affects the whole family. Most people with dementia are cared for at home. As the disease progresses, people with dementia need more and more support from those around them.

Although carers can’t do much to change the course of dementia, there are many practical things a carer can do to increase the quality of life for a person with dementia.

Being aware of services that can help people with dementia will enable family to cope with the changes dementia brings.

Can dementia be prevented?

Research suggests that there are many things we can do to keep our brains, along with the rest of our body, healthy as we age.

Increasing age and family history are the most important risk factors for certain types of dementia such as Alzheimer’s disease, but not everyone with these risk factors will get dementia.

Keeping mentally active and continuously challenging our brain is thought to build our "brain reserve", protecting us from the damaging effects of Alzheimer’s disease.

Engaging in regular physical activity increases blood flow to the brain encouraging the growth of new brain cells and reducing brain shrinkage. Physical activity also protects us from chronic diseases associated with a higher risk of dementia, notably diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

Lifestyle factors play a large role in the prevention of certain types of dementia. Research is looking into how a nutritious diet high in fresh fruit and vegetables and low in fatty foods can keep our brains healthy. Not smoking, avoiding head injury and keeping socially active appear to offer some protection against vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.