A stroke or brain infection can also be the cause of dementia. Excessive alcoholic intake results in alcoholic dementia. Use of recreational drugs cause substance induced dementia. Once the over use of these drugs are stopped the injury persists but may not progress. Dementia which begins gradually and worsens progressively over several years is usually caused by neurodegenerative disease that is, by conditions affecting only or primarily the neurons of the brain and causing gradual but irreversible loss of function of these cells.
The cause of the brain cells dying and the deterioration of the connectors is not fully known. Vascular dementia is a form of dementia caused by damage to the brain through deprivation of oxygenated blood. Causes are preventable and include high blood pressure, heart problems, diabetes and high cholesterol. Rarer forms of dementia are Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) and Biswanger’s disease. 1.2 Types of memory impairment Whilst long term memory loss is experienced, short term memory loss can cause more problems, although it is not the same in every case.
This leads to the decline of a person’s mental health and sometimes physical abilities. The gradual changes and damage to the cells of the brain are caused by a build-up of abnormal proteins in the brain. There are irreversible changes that occur in and individual’s brain lead to: * Death or the loss of the nerve cells * Lots of cognitive deficits, including memory lose * Decline in language understanding * Unable to recognise family and friends * The decline in the overall mental function The abnormal proteins are different in each type of neurodegenerative dementia. In most cases dementia is not inherited from family members directly. Although there a small amount of cases of Alzheimer’s and frontotemporal dementia can be inherited from a previous generation.
If it is genuine dementia it won't get better. There is medication to ease the symptoms but no cure. 2.1: A medical model for dementia would be when a persons memory is affected by a medical disease or a condition as a result of brain trauma which affects the area of the brain that is responsible for memory. Dementia is an umbrella term that covers a wide variety of ailments that affects a person ability to remember. It can range from a bump to the head to a medical disease that attacks the brains ability to function correctly, such as vascular dementia that alters blood flow to the brain.
Dementia is basically damage in the brain where there is a build-up of abnormal proteins which causes a decline in mental ability. The decline can be either rapid or a gradual process. Typical causes of Dementia can be one specific disease such as Alzheimer’s which accounts for 60-80% of cases, or Parkinson’s or motor neurone disease, however Dementia is not a specific disease but rather describes a wide range of symptoms. In most cases, dementia is not inherited directly from family members, although a small number of cases can be inherited from family members. Other less common causes of dementia may include depression, head injuries, alcohol misuse, brain tumours, infections of the brain such as HIV, Strokes, or lack of Vitamin B in the diet.
They can forget to take medications, forget that they need to eat or drink or wash and change their clothes. 3.1 The cause of dementia include various diseases or infections, Drugs, head injuries or malnutrition 3.2 Signs and symptoms of the most common causes of dementia include memory loss, personality change, impaired intellectual function. A noticeable decline in communication and signs of depression, learning and remembering things are forgotten. 3.3 The risk factors for the most common causes of dementia include having a family history, smoking, having high cholesterol and drinking large amounts of alcohol. 3.4 4.1 Individuals living with dementia may experience loss of hearing, which can make things difficult for communication and experience feeling frustrated with others causing misunderstanding of commands.
Dementia is a syndrome associated with an ongoing decline of the brain and its abilities. This includes problems with: * memory loss * thinking speed * mental agility * language * understanding * judgment People with dementia can lose interest in their usual activities, and have problems controlling their emotions. They may also find social situations challenging, lose interest in socializing, and aspects of their personality may change. A person with dementia may lose empathy (understanding and compassion), they may see or hear things that other people do not (hallucinations), or they may make false claims or statements. As dementia affects a person's mental abilities, they may find planning and organizing difficult.
The types of memory impairment commonly experienced by people with dementia are: Memory problems such as short term memory or memory recall i.e. not being able to remember what has just been said. Sensory impairment, such as being able to “see” something but not being able to “say” what it is, or saying the wrong word to describe
Unit DEM 301 Understanding the neurology of dementia: 1.1 A common misconception is that Dementia is a normal part of the ageing process. Dementia is a broad-spectrum term for a range of progressive diseases that generally affect memory, emotional and sometimes physical ability. Dementia is ultimately caused by damage to the brain cells, this damage then causes miscommunications within the brain. When the brain cells do not then work together as usually this can have an effect on an individual’s thinking, abilities and behaviour. Dependent on the type of damage to the cells and the particular regions that are affected this can indicate through investigations (i.e brain scans….)
Unit 533 - Understand the process and experience of dementia Learning outcome 1 - Understand the neurology of dementia 1. Describe a range of causes of dementia syndrome There are many different forms of dementia and each has its own causes. Dementia may also be a symptom that develops in the later stages of some illnesses. Some of the most common forms or causes of dementia include: • Alzheimer’s disease • Vascular dementia • Parkinson’s disease • Dementia with Lewy bodies • Huntington’s disease • Alcohol related dementia – Korsakoff’s syndrome • AIDS related dementia • Fronto Temporal Lobar Degeneration (FTLD) • Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. 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.