Dementia Therapy
Dementia is the accurate term for any permanent reduction in the the brain's ability to think. The type of thinking impairment differs with the cause of the dementia. Different brain regions are responsible for different types of thinking. For example, word finding, memory, orientation in space, and judgment are all primarily handled by different brain regions.
Everyone has heard of Alzheimer's disease. Everyone knows that it is a disease of late life, and that it causes dementia. There is a widespread misconception, though, that all or most older adults get Alzheimer's Disease or some other dementing disorder. This is not true! In fact, only 5-8% of adults age 65+ have dementia; among those age 80+, it is only 20%. Again, most older adults never become demented!
Of those older adults who do develop dementia, the most common cause is Alzheimer's disease (about 55% of cases). The second leading cause is stroke (about 20% of cases). The remainder are caused by relatively rare diseases, including Pick's disease, Parkinson's, head trauma, alcoholism, etc.
Alzheimer's Disease causes a gradually progressive dementing syndrome, in which the earliest symptoms include impairment of memory for new information, depressed or irritable mood, and withdrawal from challenging activities. It progresses through somewhat predictable and increasing levels of impairment for 10 to 12 years, with increasing need for supervision and direct care. The final stage is total disability in thinking and self-care.
Current medications for Alzheimer's Disease, such as Aricept and Namenda, have demonstrable ability to slow the decline of thinking ability. It is important to note, however, that these medicines do not stop or reverse the impairment process.
Any cognitive impairment should trigger a thorough medical and psychological evaluation. In many cases, treatable and reversible problems are detected, and dementia is avoided. When dementia is diagnosed, psychological care includes supportive counseling for the patient, caregiving skill coaching for relatives and other caregivers, and grief support.
Everyone has heard of Alzheimer's disease. Everyone knows that it is a disease of late life, and that it causes dementia. There is a widespread misconception, though, that all or most older adults get Alzheimer's Disease or some other dementing disorder. This is not true! In fact, only 5-8% of adults age 65+ have dementia; among those age 80+, it is only 20%. Again, most older adults never become demented!
Of those older adults who do develop dementia, the most common cause is Alzheimer's disease (about 55% of cases). The second leading cause is stroke (about 20% of cases). The remainder are caused by relatively rare diseases, including Pick's disease, Parkinson's, head trauma, alcoholism, etc.
Alzheimer's Disease causes a gradually progressive dementing syndrome, in which the earliest symptoms include impairment of memory for new information, depressed or irritable mood, and withdrawal from challenging activities. It progresses through somewhat predictable and increasing levels of impairment for 10 to 12 years, with increasing need for supervision and direct care. The final stage is total disability in thinking and self-care.
Current medications for Alzheimer's Disease, such as Aricept and Namenda, have demonstrable ability to slow the decline of thinking ability. It is important to note, however, that these medicines do not stop or reverse the impairment process.
Any cognitive impairment should trigger a thorough medical and psychological evaluation. In many cases, treatable and reversible problems are detected, and dementia is avoided. When dementia is diagnosed, psychological care includes supportive counseling for the patient, caregiving skill coaching for relatives and other caregivers, and grief support.
