Dementia

Let's talk about dementia. Dementia is a deterioration of mental functioning that typically gets worse as a person ages and is caused by various neurologic pathology.

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Dementia is followed by disturbances of cognitive activity, loss of coordination of movement, and serious deficits in memory, skills, and knowledge.

Combined, these factors result in significant disability and eventually a full incapacitation of the person living with this condition.

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Dementias most often occur in people of advanced age. According to Dr. Vadim Baram, 40 million people around the world have dementia.

 

Dementia symptoms and signs

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The clinical picture of people with dementia depends on the location affected within the brain and the amount of damage done. There are several possible types, but each one has similar signs and symptoms with minor variances.

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Key symptoms of dementia are:

• Disturbance in orientation of time and space: the patient can forget where he or she lives, even if standing in the very area where they have lived for a long time

• There is a full passivity to assimilation of new information: interests can vanish, including those which for many years brought pleasure

• A decrease to or absence of the ability to recognize importance to any and all topics: a symptom is shown during planning for the future

• Loss of a short-term and long-term memory: the patient cannot remember yesterday's events or events that occurred a long time ago and also cannot normally perceive new information

 

Over time the symptoms of dementia grow and new, more destructive symptoms appear. Classical symptomatology is formed in the patient. If you should notice any of the signs or symptoms stated above, you are recommended to immediately seek the help from a provider such as the many experienced and caring providers at the clinic Vadim Baram Inc.

 

Additional commonly-seen symptoms of dementia:

• Loss of orientation in space and complexity of recognition – the person cannot learn familiar places or close people

• There is a decrease to I.Q. and to the ability to think objectively

• There are problems when using practically all of the household appliances, in particular the remote control to the TV, programming of washing machines, microwave ovens, stoves, etc.

• The patient cannot independently put clothes on, shoes on, eat food, or look after himself (in advanced cases).

 

At the beginning of the clinical course of this condition and also as it progresses, the patient is critical to his or her own state and surrounding events. He can look after himself, eat food and even to cook it. The expectation for dementia in many respects depends on the basic disease, with Alzheimer’s Disease being the most severe form.

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Dementia causes:

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Modern medicine knows of more than 248 causative factors that affect the development of dementia. The most widespread form of dementia, Alzheimer's disease, is responsible for more than 60-70% of all registered cases.

In more than 20% of all cases, there are vascular pathologies caused by various issues including atherosclerosis, hypertension, and other diseases of the cardiovascular system that cause damage to the vasculature within the brain.  The disease can also develop in non-elderly adults because of alcoholism, intake of street drugs, and craniocereberal injuries.

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Stages of development of dementia:

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The disease is characterized by the occurrence of three main stages of development. The duration of each stage directly depends on the primary cause of development and the complexity of the current situation:

1. Mild dementia – the beginning of a disease; is characterized by a decrease in mental abilities and social skills of the patient

2. Moderate dementia – is followed by pronounced disturbance of mental capacities, memory blackouts and confabulation which is making up details of past events when the actual details cannot be recalled

3. Severe dementia – the closing stage which is characterized by final and irrevocable destruction of the identity of the person.

 

The severe stage sometimes can be confused with slight dementia because of the increased level of emotionality of the patient. For this reason, consulting with a specialist in this field could be beneficial to providing your loved one with the most effective care.

 

Senile dementia.

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Senile dementia is not an uncommon occurrence for many elderly people. At this advanced age there are irreversible changes in a person’s body and organ systems, including the brain. When these changes happen too quickly and have pathological causes, it demonstrates manifestation of a disease.

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Dementia in the elderly can cause the loss of previously-acquired skills which includes not only professional training but can also extend to the lessons of childhood, including basic math, reading, and even toilet training. This disease is one of the most difficult to face in neurology and demands timely diagnostics, an individualized approach, and adequate treatment.

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Treatment of dementia.

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The latest research into the treatment of dementia cannot provide an absolute recovery of the patient; at present, pharmacologic treatments available only delay the development of the disease and improvement of symptomatic manifestations.  At the Vadim Baram, Inc clinic, we can work with you and your loved one to provide an individualized treatment plan that includes medications as well as other non-pharmacologic interventions to maximize the quality of life for everyone involved.