1.1. Answer: Dementia is a term for the progressive disease of brain and describes a serious deterioration in mental function, as memory, language, orientation and judgement , The causes of dementia are still not fully understood. Research in dementia is an ongoing and to date number of types of dementia and their causes have been identified. The brain contains billions of cells, in dementia some of these cells stop working properly. Depending what part of brain this occurs in it will affect the way an individual thinks, remembers, walks and communicates.
1. UNDERSTAND THE NEUROLOGY OF DEMENTIA 1.1 Describe a range of causes of dementia syndrome Dementia syndrome is caused by damage to the brain cells; this damage interferes with the ability of brain cells to communicate each other. The most common causes of dementia are called neurodegenerative diseases, and include Alzheimer’s disease, frontotemporal dementia, and dementia with Lewy bodies. When brain cells can no longer communicate normally, thinking, behaviour and feelings can be affected. Dementia is an umbrella term for number of diseases; "over 130 are known today" that affect the memory, behaviour, and motor skills.
Optional unit understand the process and experience of dementia. 1.1 Describe a range of causes of dementia syndrome. The causes of dementia vary however all are irreversible changes that have occurred in the brain. The most common causes are called neurodegenerative diseases; these include Alzheimer's, front temporal and Lewy body disease. These diseases cause the brain cells degenerate and die more quickly than the normal ageing process.
Beta amyloid is similar to cholesterol and is essential for the brain but an excessive amount inhibits proper brain function. In result recent research suggest that the cerebral cortex, which process visual and spatial information is damage in Alzheimer’s disease patients brains. In addition, areas of the brain, important for memory such as the basal forebrain and hippocampus are affected .As well as decrease level of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. In the early stage of dementia patient experience memory impairment, lapse in judgment and little change in personality .as the disease progresses, memory and language problem worsen and patient begin to have difficulty performing activities of daily living such as remembering to feed themselves and bath etc….during the last stage of the disease patient begin to lose motor functions and eventually lose the ability to recognize family member and to
Being a degenerative disease Alzheimers attacks the brain through exponentially greater cell death and tissue loss which results in decreased brain size and brain activity. Because of this behavior, memory and the normal thinking processes are affected.
Alzheimer’s disease Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia and accounts for between 50 and 70 per cent of all cases. It is a progressive degenerative illness that attacks the brain. As brain cells shrink or disappear, abnormal material builds up as ‘tangles’ in the centre of the cells and ‘plaques’ form outside the cells. These disrupt messages within the brain, damaging connections between brain cells. The cells eventually die and this means that information cannot be recalled or assimilated.
DEM 301 Understand the process and experience of dementia 1 Understand the neurology of dementia 1.1 Describe a range of causes of dementia syndrome Alzheimer’s - Alzheimer’s is caused be ‘plaques ‘ and ‘tangles’ developing within the brain which causes the brain cells to die, over time the disease progresses damaging other parts of the brain. To begin with individuals will experience memory loss and problems with word finding, as it progresses individuals may find it hard to communicate, forgetting names and places, become confused and unable to carry out every day living tasks. Vascular Dementia - Vascular dementia is caused by a lack of blood supply to the brain, starving the brain of oxygen which causes brain cells to die, this can be caused by a stroke or mini strokes over a period of time. Individuals with vascular dementia may have paralysis or weakness as in a stroke, have difficulty communicating and become confused, suffer from depression, incontinence problems and memory loss. Mixed Dementia – Mixed dementia is when an individual has Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia, the individual may have symptoms relating to either Alzheimer’s or vascular dementia or a mixture of both.
Dementia Awareness The word ‘dementia’ is a term, which describes a serious deterioration in mental functions, such as memory, language, orientation and judgement. In an individual previously unimpaired, beyond what might be expected from normal aging. The brain is a complex organ and is divided up into different areas that control different functions within the body. The brain contains around 100 billion cells. In Dementia some of these cells stop working properly.
Unit 4222-237 Dementia Awareness (DEM 201) Outcome 1 – understand what dementia is. 1) Explain what is meant by the term ‘dementia’ The term dementia describes a set of symptoms which include loss of memory, mood changes and problems with communication and reasoning. These symptoms occur when the brain is damaged by numerous certain diseases. Dementia is progressive, which means the symptoms will gradually get worse. How fast dementia progresses will depend on the individual person and what type of dementia they have.
Outcome 1 – Understand the neurology of dementia Causes of dementia syndrome • Alzheimer’s disease – possibly the most well know cause of dementia Alzheimer’s disease affects around two thirds of the elderly. The disease causes the brain to shrink and the numbers of nerve fibre gradually reduce. • Vascular dementia – this is also is a common cause of dementia. This occurs when there become problems with small blood vessels in the brain and they become damaged. Vascular dementia can also occur after a major stroke.