Dementia is a term used to describe a group of symptoms that includes loss of memory as well as other mental capabilities. It is caused by physical changes to the brain, and in most cases, symptoms become so severe that they begin to interfere with everyday life. The exact symptoms will vary depending on the type of dementia that is causing the problems. There are many different types of dementia, but here is a look at the most common.
Progressive Dementias
Types of dementia that are progressive mean that symptoms will continue to worsen over time. This includes:
Alzheimer’s Disease: Accounting for roughly 70% of all dementia cases, Alzheimer’s is the most common type of dementia. This disease is caused by the presence of plaques and tangles in the brain, which lead to nerve cell damage and death. Alzheimer’s symptoms will be mild at the onset of the disease and slowly continue to worsen as time goes on.
Vascular Dementia: Less common than Alzheimer’s, vascular dementia makes up about 10% of all cases of dementia. This type of dementia is caused by blockage or reduced flow of the blood vessels to the brain. Typically, vascular dementia occurs in people who have a history of heart problems or stroke. Unlike Alzheimer’s, the symptoms of vascular dementia will often occur suddenly. However, it is still a progressive form of dementia, so medication can only temporarily relieve symptoms, not stop the disease entirely.
Frontotemporal Dementia: Unlike Alzheimer’s, this type of dementia usually develops at a much younger age; symptoms will sometimes begin to present themselves as young as 50 years old. Frontotemporal dementia is characterized by the degeneration of nerve cells in the temporal and frontal lobes of the brain.
Mixed Dementia: Sometimes, multiple types of dementia can be present at once. The most common example is Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia. When this happens, it is referred to as mixed dementia.
Dementia-Like Conditions
Some disorders and diseases are not primarily involved with memory loss, but dementia is still a common symptom for the conditions.
Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease: This is an extremely rare and fatal disease that can affect humans as well as other mammals, such as cows (hence the term "mad cow disease"). It is a very rapidly progressing disease that affects coordination, behavior, and memory.
Huntington’s Disease: This is an inherited disease that is caused by a single defective gene on the fourth chromosome. It begins showing symptoms between the ages of 30 and 40 and includes a severe decline in thinking and reasoning skills, as well as depression, irritability, and personality changes.
Parkinson’s Disease: As this fatal nervous system disease slowly progresses, dementia will often develop in the later stages.
Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome: This is a rare disorder that is caused by a deficiency of vitamin B-1 in the brain, and it is most commonly caused by prolonged alcohol abuse. In some cases, it may lead to dementia.
Reversible Dementia
Though most types of dementia are progressive, and therefore incurable, there are some conditions that produce dementia-like symptoms that can be reversed with the correct diagnosis and effective treatment plan. These conditions include:
Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus: This occurs when there are enlarged ventricles in the brain. Thankfully, the condition can be corrected with a shunt surgery.
Brain Tumors: If pressure is relieved by removing the tumor, symptoms can improve.
Medication Side Effects: Sometimes dementia can be a side effect of medication or an interaction between multiple medications. However, simply stopping or changing medications will sometimes reverse effects.
Infections: If a patient has a high fever because the body is trying to fight off an infection, dementia can sometimes be a result. Once the infection is treated, the dementia will no longer be a problem.
Thyroid Problems: A result of metabolic problems and endocrine abnormalities can be personality changes and dementia-like symptoms that persist until the condition is diagnosed and treated correctly.
Nutritional Deficiencies: Dehydration and lack of vitamin B-1, B-6, and B-12 can all lead to dementia-like symptoms.
Subdural Hematomas: Bleeding on the surface of the brain can cause symptoms that are similar to dementia. Surgery is required to correct this problem.
Poisoning: Being exposed to things like lead, heavy metals, and pesticides can all lead to dementia-like symptoms.
Anoxia: When oxygen can't reach organ tissues because of asthma, heart attack, or carbon monoxide poisoning, memory problems and confusion can be a result. These symptoms may continue even during recovery, depending on how long the oxygen was deprived.
