Dementia
Dementia is a collective term used to describe various symptoms of cognitive decline, such as forgetfulness. It is a symptom of several underlying diseases and brain disorders. Dementia is not a single disease in itself, but a general term to describe symptoms of impairment in memory, communication, and thinking.
Cluster Number:
Wiki Number: W055
Diagnosis: Dementia
US Patients:
World Patients: 50 Mil
Sex Ratio:
Age Onset: Age 80+- 50%
Brain Area: hippocampus shrinks; temporal and parietal lobes shrink; the brain degenerates; SPECT & PET show vascular cause.
Symptoms: early signs: handling finances, getting lost, repeating things;later-need help eating, dressing, getting out of bed
Progression: Alzheimer’s=80%; vascular, 20%=blood loss to the brain; Lewy bodies=hallucinations; frontotemporal=language problems
Causes: lewy bodies, frontotemporal dementia;people with dementia average five other chronic diseases; 50% persistent pain
Medications: donepezil, antipsychotics; no medications show a preventative effect
Therapies: exercise helps sustain activities of daily living;music; diets with low saturated fat and good carbohydrates; vitamin D
Youtube Video: Living with
Young-Onset Dementia
Youtube Video: Later Stage Dementia: Brad and Jean’s Story
Book from Amazon or Library: 2022 Dementia Overview
Click the book to link or order from Amazon.
Support Groups: alz.org; This website allows searching for
local associations. (Alzheimer’s Association)
Contact your local Social Security Office for possible Disability benefits through their Disability Determination Service,
Section 12.02.
4 CURRENT ARTICLES
FROM PUBMED
The world-wide medical research
reports chosen for each diagnosis
Clicking each title opens the
PubMed article’s summary-abstract.
- High CSF neurogranin level is related to lifetime reports of passive suicidal ideation in a population-based sample of older adultsby Irma Rymo on December 6, 2024
CONCLUSION: The association between high CSF Ng level and history of suicidal ideation suggests that synaptic dysfunction may be involved in the diathesis of passive suicidal ideation. CSF markers of neurodegeneration did not modify these findings.
- Exploring factors influencing delirium incidence: Insights from the Alzira cohort study, 2012-2021by Daniela Villalón-Rubio on December 6, 2024
INTRODUCTION: Hip fractures are a common pathology among older adults, often accompanied by significant complications such as delirium, a geriatric syndrome associated with prolonged hospitalization, reduced functional recovery, and decreased overall survival rates. This study aims to determine the incidence of delirium and its correlation with various factors during hospitalization, as well as its impact on short-, medium-, and long-term survival.
- Brain reboot: Enhancing neurogenesis and resilienceby David F Butler on December 6, 2024
In this issue of Cell Stem Cell, Shen et al. investigate in vivo transient expression of Yamanaka factors (YFs) during embryogenesis and an adult mouse model of Alzheimer's disease (AD)-associated amyloidosis. These studies demonstrate that transient induction of YFs may be capable of enhancing neurogenesis and offer resilience against neurodegeneration.
- Dementia advance care planning perspectives within an Alabama community: A theory guided qualitative studyby Christine Noelle Flaherty on December 6, 2024
Advance Care Planning (ACP) is a process that supports decision-making about end-of-life goals. Dementia ACP is recommended during the early stages of the disease to empower the individual living with dementia to express wishes for quality of life before experiencing significant cognitive decline. ACP during early dementia is rare, and hesitancy to initiate difficult and emotional conversations may be a contributing factor to delaying ACP. Effective ACP includes input from the clinician,...