Dementia includes many different diseases that affect the brain, causing a loss of mental functioning. According to the University of Kansas Medical Center, between 6 and 8 percent of people older than 65 suffer from some form of dementia. Diagnosis and treatment involve looking at the specific symptoms and determining which type of dementia a person has before deciding on an appropriate treatment plan.
Types
The University of Kansas Medical Center notes that more than 50 percent of those suffering from dementia have Alzheimer's disease, making it the most prevalent type. About 20 percent of dementia patients have vascular dementia, a dementia stemming from cardiovascular disease that damages the brain via small hemorrhages or major events such as stroke. Slightly less than 20 percent have Lewy body dementia, a dementia caused by acetylcholine and dopamine deficiencies in the brain. Between 5 and 10 percent have frontotemporal dementia, or Pick's disease, in which the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain shrink and cause a loss of brain function. Other types include dementia stemming from brain trauma, tumors, nutritional deficiencies, Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease, Huntington's disease, Wilson's disease and Parkinson's disease.
Symptoms
Dementia includes both an impairment of memory and a degradation of one or more cognitive abilities, such as speech or movement. Some dementia diseases, such as Alzheimer's, have multiple, varying symptoms that come on gradually and may include short periods of remission, during which some mental functioning returns. Vascular dementia's wide-ranging symptoms begin suddenly and then progress steadily, while Lewy body dementia develops rapidly and includes fluctuations in attentiveness, physical tremors and the appearance of hallucinations. Pick's disease involves language difficulties and behavioral changes that come on slowly but begin earlier in life than other dementias, typically before the age of 60. Other types, such as dementia caused by trauma, may begin suddenly and present with a wide range of symptoms.
Diagnosis
For physicians to accurately diagnose and treat dementia, they must first determine the precise cause and the degree of the disease. To determine the underlying disorder, physicians will ask for the history of the symptoms and may interview family or friends to help get an accurate picture. They will likely subject the patient to a physical and mental evaluation. If necessary, doctors may use MRI or CT scans to look inside the brain and pinpoint any abnormalities that might be causing the dementia.
Mixed Dementia
One special circumstance that physicians and patients have to consider is mixed dementia. A patient with mixed dementia has more than one underlying disorder causing the dementia. The symptoms may reflect one type or may be a combination of all disorders present. According to the Alzheimer's Foundation, up to 45 percent of people diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease also have vascular dementia.
Treatment
The treatment for dementia is determined by the specific type. Individuals with Alzheimer's disease, Lewy body disease or vascular dementia may receive a prescription for cholinesterase inhibitors, for example, which slow the progression of the disease in some patients but cannot completely cure it. Dementia caused by metabolic problems, vitamin deficiencies or brain cancer may be completely curable if the underlying problem is corrected. Some forms, such as frontotemporal dementia, currently have no effective treatment. In these cases, making patients comfortable and assisting with everyday activities as they become more difficult are the only treatment goals.
