Dementia: Stages, causes, symptoms and treatments

The article was professionally consulted with Master, Doctor Bui Ngoc Phuong Hoa - Neurologist - Department of Medical Examination & Internal Medicine - Vinmec Danang International General Hospital.

Dementia is one of the common syndromes in the elderly, or those who have experienced injuries that affect brain function. Although dementia is not a life-threatening condition, it can cause a number of problems in a person's day-to-day life.

Dementia is a group of symptoms that cause problems with memory, thinking, reasoning, orientation, judgment, and language. In fact, this is not a disease but a chronic syndrome, also known as "Neurocognitive Disorder".
It happens when parts of the brain that perform tasks for learning, decision making, memory and language are affected or “sick”.

There are different types of dementia syndromes, including:
Alzheimer's disease: this is the leading cause of dementia. According to statistics from experts, about 60%-80% of people with dementia have Alzheimer's. With this type of dementia, patients often present with mild to severe symptoms, such as memory loss, difficulty planning or performing familiar activities, confusion. dates, problems with speaking and writing, forgetting things, poor judgment, changes in personality and mood. Vascular dementia: This is the second most common type of dementia after Alzheimer's disease. This syndrome is usually caused by a severe stroke or damaged blood vessels. The symptoms of vascular dementia will depend on the part of the brain that is damaged after the stroke. While Alzheimer's disease often begins with problems with memory loss, the syndrome begins with difficulties with planning, judgment, organization, and decision-making. Other symptoms may include: difficulty speaking or understanding speech, problems perceiving sounds or places, agitation or confusion, mood and personality changes, frequent falls. Dementia Lewy body (DLB): occurs when microscopic solid clumps of a protein are formed in the cerebral cortex. The most common symptoms of this type of dementia include: incoherent thinking, difficulty making decisions, difficulty concentrating, trouble remembering, visual hallucinations (seeing) things that aren't real), unusual drowsiness, shakiness or slowness to move.

Mixed dementia is a combination of two other types of dementia, the most common being Alzheimer's disease combined with vascular dementia. Frontotemporal dementia (FTD): occurs due to the development of cell damage in the area of ​​the brain that controls planning, emotions, judgment, speech, and action. . People with FTD often have symptoms such as behavior and personality changes, sudden anger, loss of self-control, problems choosing words when speaking, tremors or loss of balance when moving. movement, muscle contraction.

Dementia syndrome is often caused by the following causes, including:
Neurodegenerative diseases: including Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's disease and several other types of multiple sclerosis. These diseases tend to get worse over time. Vascular disorders: affecting the circulation of blood vessels of the brain, leading to dementia. Traumatic brain injury : due to accident, concussion, or car fall,... Central nervous system infections: including HIV, meningitis and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Long-term use of banned substances or stimulants: including drugs or alcohol. Hydrocephalus: accumulation of fluid in the brain that can lead to dementia.

Here are some common symptoms of dementia:
Memory loss Confusion about time and place (spatial) Problems communicating, using language, or thinking abstractly Difficulty performing familiar daily activities Losing things without being able to find them Sudden emotional, behavioral and personality changes Apathy and loss of initiative In addition, other symptoms not mentioned that the patient may have. If you find any unusual signs, visit your doctor for timely diagnosis and treatment.

The diagnosis and conclusion that a person has dementia or not will depend on the information provided by the patient, as well as through diagnostic tests.
Medical history: Does anyone in the family have dementia, or the patient is suffering from chronic diseases, has undergone surgery, has an injury and uses some drugs. Clinical examination: the doctor will examine the patient's hearing, vision, pulse and blood pressure. Neurological exam: helps detect nerve and brain problems, such as abnormalities in behavior and thinking. Neuropsychological tests: The doctor will ask the patient to do some simple tests, for example asking the patient to name objects or repeat certain words. This helps your doctor detect your condition and assess the affected area. Tests: Depending on the symptoms and condition of the disease, each person will be performed a different type of test. Typically, the types of tests commonly used to diagnose dementia include: computed tomography (CT) or MRI (magnetic resonance) cranial-vascular, blood tests, and blood tests. electroencephalogram.

After diagnosis, the doctor will determine specifically what type of dementia the patient has. Treatment can begin with medication combined with making healthy lifestyle changes.
Here are some commonly used drugs and therapies to treat dementia, including:
Anticholinesterase drugs: for example, Rivastigmine (Exelon), donepezil (Aricept) and Galantamine (Razadyne). Therapies include massage, listening to music, enjoying art or keeping a pet. This helps patients improve confusion, behavioral control and mood. In addition, patients should also change unhealthy habits by taking the following measures:
Exercise: spend 30 minutes a day exercising. This not only helps you improve your health, but also protects brain functions. Applying a healthy diet: including eating lots of green vegetables, adding vitamins and fiber to the body, limiting the consumption of fat, sugar, caffeine and processed foods.

Get enough sleep: you should sleep enough from 7-8 hours a day, especially the resting space needs to be quiet, avoiding noise. In addition, you should also shorten nap time and increase physical activity more. Communicate with people: you should regularly meet and talk with relatives or friends around. Try to use body language and eye contact when talking.

Article reference source: webmd.com