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.
It is important to encourage to maintain independence. Know the most common types of dementia and their causes. 3.1) The most common causes of dementia are neurodegenerative disease where the brain cells die more quickly than normal which leads to a decline in the persons mental and physical abilities. Dementia can be caused by strokes, brain damage, old age, or it can be hereditary. 3.2) Symptoms of Alzheimer’s; Becoming more confused and forgetful, Mood swings, Becoming withdrawn due to loss of confidence, Having difficulty completing every
Thalamus – Muscle movement and processing sensory information. Hippocampus – Processes recent memories into stored memory Limbic system - Emotions and smell. 1.3. Explain why depression, delirium and age related memory impairment may be mistaken for dementia Depression is caused by chemical imbalances in the brain. A person who is depressed can often show similar signs or symptoms to a person that has dementia.
NVQ Level 2 Adult Social Care Understand what dementia is 1.1 -Explain what is meant by the term ‘dementia’ The word dementia describes a set of symptoms that may include memory loss and difficulties with thinking, problem-solving or language. Dementia is caused when the brain is damaged by diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease or a series of strokes. 1.2 -Describe the key functions of the brain that are – affected by dementia The key functions that are affected by dementia are as follows: temporal lobe which is responsible for vision, memory, language, hearing and learning. Frontal lobe which is responsible for decision making, problem solving, control behaviour and emotions. Parietal lobe which is responsible for sensory information from the body, also where letters are formed, putting things in order and spatial awareness.
Functions that are affected by dementia are; Short term Memory loss, Language skills, the ability to interpret information, spatial skills, judgement and attention. These are all affected with the different types of dementia due to which part of the brain is affected. Depression, Delirium and age related memory impairment may be mistaken for dementia as the individual may present with similar signs and symptoms to dementia. To ensure weather these conditions are dementia or not a full assessment needs to be carried out by a qualified doctor. The medical model of dementia sees dementia as being degenerative with no cure.
But there are many other conditions that can cause symptoms of dementia, including some that are reversible, such as thyroid problems and vitamin deficiencies. Dementia is often incorrectly referred to as "senility" or "senile dementia," which reflects the formerly widespread but incorrect belief that serious mental decline is a normal part of aging. Dementia may be caused by : alcoholism, brain injury, drug abuse, side effects to certain medication, thyroid function abnormalities, vitamin B12 deficiency, in korsakoffs, prolonged alcohol abuse is to blame, in vascular dementia, clots and strokes cause abnormal functioning to the effected area of the brain, which is often at the front, above the eyes which effects inhibition and judgement, in lewy body dementia, abnormal clusters of protein cause Parkinson like symptoms, picks disease occurs after trauma to the front section of the brain, starting out with personality and behaviour changes and followed by memory loss. 1.2 While symptoms of dementia can vary greatly, at least two of the following core mental functions must be significantly impaired to be considered
FINAL EXAM QUESTIONS TYPES OF AMNESIA: There are three types of amnesia; anterograde amnesia, retrograde amnesia, and infantile amnesia. Both anterograde and retrograde amnesia are the most severe types of memory loss disorders. They are caused by damage inflicted on the areas of the brain that provide the functioning of memory. Often, these brain injuries can be a result of severe concussions, traumatic events, and the abuse of alcohol, mental disorders, and disorders that occur from aging. Retrograde amnesia is defined as the loss of memory from the point of injury backwards.
Understand the process and experience of dementia Task A Questions and Answers 1 For each of the following forms of dementia, describe: • How the brain is affected • The symptoms an individual might experience. a) Alzheimer’s disease The affects of Alzheimer’s disease on the brain are;- The brain cortex shrivels up this damages the areas involved in thinking, planning and remembering, Shrinkage is especially severe in the hippocampus, this is the area of the cortex that plays a key role in formation of new memories, as the cortex continues to shrivel the Ventricles, which are fluid filled spaces within the brain grow larger. As the above process continues brain cells and nerves are killed off this causes changes to the chemistry of the brain, which results in the number of neurotransmitters being reduced and levels of acetylcholine falling. Abnormal clusters of protein fragments, which are called Plaques, build up in between nerve cells. These Plaques are formed as protein pieces, which are called beta-amyloid, clump together, (Beta-amyloid is formed from a larger protein which is found in the fatty membrane surrounding nerve cells).
Understand the process and experience of dementia Definition of dementia is a syndrome usually of a chronic or progressive nature in which there is deterioration in cognitive function, thinking, orientation, comprehension, and calculation, learning capacity, language and judgement. Dementia is caused by damage in brain. The most common cause of dementia is called neurodegenerative diseases that include Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, Huntington disease, Front temporal dementia and dementia with lewy bodies. With this disease the brain cell degenerate and die more quickly than normal ageing process, these decline a persons mental and some times physical abilities. The gradual changes and damage to the brain cells are caused by a build up of abnormal proteins in the brain.
Alzheimer's disease affects the brain through exponentially greater cell death and tissue loss, resulting in a decreased brain size. As a result, behavior, memory and thinking are affected. Vascular dementia is caused by blockages and breaches in the brain's blood supply that damage the brain and can be caused by any condition which results in an interruption to the blood flow to the brain, and as well as strokes, this could include diseased arteries, heart attacks, high blood pressure, raised cholesterol, diabetes, furred arteries and irregular heart rhythms. Any condition causing damage to the circulation of blood to the brain carries a risk to mental functioning. People experiencing vascular dementia will, like those with Alzheimer’s disease, have problems with learning, remembering, recognition, planning and problem solving.