Dementia involves loss of cognitive abilities. All forms of dementia entail progressive memory loss and confusion that impacts abilities to perform daily activities, communicate and walk. However, symptoms and treatment vary depending on the type of dementia. The risk of developing the most common forms--late-onset Alzheimer's and vascular dementia--increases with age. However, frontal lobe and alcohol dementia and Lewy body disease may appear before age 65 years.
Alzheimer's Disease
According to the Alzheimer's Association, Alzheimer's disease (AD) makes up 50 to 80 percent of dementia cases, and an individual can have more than one type. Although we associate Alzheimer's as a disease that afflicts old people, Dr. Alois Alzheimer worked in 1906 with a middle-aged woman whose brain, upon autopsy, revealed abnormal substances called plaques and tangles. She had a less common form of AD that afflicts a younger population (under age 65). This early onset AD is linked to genes and runs in families. Symptoms of the much more common older-onset AD typically presents when individuals are in their 70s or 80s as they demonstrate difficulties with short-term memory, get lost in familiar environments and have difficulty finding words. The disease is described as having early, middle and late stages, with the last stage ending with total dependency for eating, hygiene, dressing and mobility. Treatment includes medications that slow down memory loss.
Vascular Dementia
Vascular dementia is caused by abnormal delivery of blood supply to the brain due to narrowing of the arteries, inefficient heart pumping or blood clots that cause small strokes. Individuals with poor cardiovascular health are at higher risk for both AD and vascular dementia, and many people have both. Early symptoms include impaired attention, judgment, apathy and difficulty communicating or performing familiar tasks. Treatment includes treating the individual's cardiovascular disease.
Frontal Lobe Dementia
According to the Mayo Clinic, frontal lobe dementia affects the brain's frontal and temporal lobes and accounts for about 10 percent of dementia cases. Early symptoms include apathy and lack of social inhibitions that might cause unusual behaviors, such as disrobing in public or shoplifting. Patients lose abilities to communicate, perform simple tasks such as making a sandwich, or engage in repetitive behaviors. Patients may be treated with stimulant medications, such as methylphenidate.
Lewy Body Disease
According to the Lewy Body Dementia Association, the disease accounts for about 10 to 20 percent of dementia cases. Described by neurologist F.H. Lewy, the disease is degenerative and associated with protein deposits in certain parts of the brain. Early symptoms appear similar to those of Parkinson's disease, including sudden and/or involuntary movements and difficulties with balance, attention and memory. These patients may be treated with medications, such as galantamine or rivastigmine tartrate, that increase the neurotransmitter acetylcholine in the brain.
Alcohol Related Dementia
According to psychiatrist and author Dr. Daniel G. Amen, alcohol is the most common cause of a toxin-induced dementia in the United States. Ironically, small amounts of alcohol are thought to reduce dementia. However, large amounts reduce the amount of oxygen reaching the brain and the effectiveness of neurotransmitters. Alcohol abuse can cause memory loss and confusion at times when the person is not intoxicated. Other symptoms include clumsiness, poor attention and poor balance. Treatment consisting of drug rehabilitation and taking vitamins--especially thiamine--can enable some individuals to improve their functioning.
References
- Alzheimer's Association: What is Alzheimer's?
- Preventing Alzheimer's"; William Rodman Shankle, M.S., M.D. &Daniel G. Amen, M.D.; 2004
- Mayo Clinic: Frontotemporal Dementia
- Lewy Body Disease Association: Facts About LBD Brochure
- "The Forgetting"; David Shenk, 2001
