Dementia - Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

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Dementia is a condition where a person's memory ability is reduced which often occurs in the elderly, especially those aged 65 years and above. This condition can affect a person in living their life. This condition is also often associated with forgetfulness, even though people who are forgetful do not necessarily have dementia.

What is Dementia?

Dementia is a disease characterized by a decline in memory. But essentially, dementia is not a disease, but a collection of symptoms that affect the brain's ability to remember, think, speak and behave.

The severity of dementia varies from mild to severe. The condition is progressive and may worsen over time. Dementia is a condition that is more likely to occur the older the person is. However, genetics also play an important role as a risk factor for dementia.

Causes of Dementia

Dementia is caused by damage to brain nerve cells that occurs in several parts of the brain. Each area of the brain that is affected will cause a different condition.

In addition, the condition can also be caused by reduced blood flow to the brain. This can occur due to various reasons, such as stroke, heart valve infection, or other vascular disorders.

Dementia Risk Factors

Some factors that can increase the risk of dementia in the elderly are as follows:

• Having a family history of dementia.
• Smoking habit. Unhealthy diet.
• Lack of exercise.
• Consumption of alcoholic beverages.

Meanwhile, some diseases that are also at risk of causing dementia are as follows:

• Down syndrome.
• Sleep apnea.
• Obesity.
• Hypertension.
• Diabetes.
• High cholesterol.

Types of Dementia

Based on the cause, there are several types of dementia, namely:

• Alzheimer, it is caused by gene mutations passed down from parents or the formation of protein plaques or clumps in the brain. This is the most common type of dementia.
• Vascular dementia, occurs due to insufficient blood flow to the brain. The condition can be caused by a stroke or other disorders.
• Lewy body dementia, one of the progressive dementias caused by protein clumping in the brain's nerves, which inhibits the delivery of brain signals.
• Frontotemporal dementia, caused by nerve cell damage in the frontal or temporal lobe of the brain. This condition can affect a person's behavior, personality and language skills.
• Combination dementia, a condition where a person has two or more types of dementia.

Symptoms of Dementia

Some of the symptoms caused by dementia are as follows:

• Difficulty communicating or speaking.
• Memory loss (usually noticed by those closest to the person).
• Difficulty planning things.
• Difficulty coordinating and decreased motor function.
• Frequent confusion.
• Difficulty completing complex tasks.

Dementia can also cause symptoms in the form of psychological changes, such as;

• Personality changes.
• Restlessness.
• Hallucinations.
• Agitation.
• Strange behavior.
• Experiencing excessive fear.

Diagnosis of Dementia

In making a diagnosis, the doctor will ask about symptoms, changes in attitude, and changes in physical and cognitive abilities experienced by the patient.

Then, the doctor will perform some supporting examinations, such as:

• Neurological examination, to assess muscle strength and body reflexes.
• Mental examination using MMSE (mini-mental state examination), to measure the extent of cognitive impairment experienced by the patient.
• Sublime function test, to measure the patient's ability to think, for example by counting backwards or showing a certain time.

If there is a suspicion that another disease is causing the dementia, supporting examinations will be carried out, such as:

• Brain scanning tests with CT Scan, MRI, or PET Scan.
• Blood tests.
• Examination of brain electrical wave activity using EEG.

Dementia Treatment

Some of the treatments used to reduce the symptoms of dementia are as follows:

• Cholinesterase inhibitors, drugs to increase the production of acetylcholine which can keep the Alzheimer's condition from worsening.
• Memantine, a drug to delay the onset of cognitive and behavioral symptoms in patients with moderate or severe Alzheimer's disease.
• Behavioral therapy, aims to suppress uncontrollable behavioral changes.
• Cognitive therapy, aims to stimulate memory, and improve language and problem-solving skills.
• Occupational therapy, aims to teach how to perform activities safely.

Then, one of the most important things in overcoming dementia is family support. Strong support from the family will help maintain the patient's quality of life in the future.