Dementia: What You Should Know

What is dementia?

Dementia is a neurodegenerative disorder whereby a person’s cognitive function deteriorates beyond what is expected from normal biological ageing. A chronic disease, affects one’s memory, orientation, thinking, comprehension, mood, social abilities, language, judgement and learning capacity. The loss in cognitive functioning can sometimes accompanie or preceded by changes in emotional control, mood, motivation and/or behaviour.

Types of dementia

There are 4 main types each resulting from a different pathology in the brain

• Alzheimer’s disease
  This is the most common type whereby there is a build-up of a type of protein in and around the brain cells.
• Vascular dementia
  This results from disease or direct harm to the brain, mainly in the form of stroke. The onset of this type of dementia is usually acute in เล่น UFABET ผ่านมือถือ สะดวกทุกที่ ทุกเวลา nature and the symptoms encountered will depend on the location and the severity of the damage.
• Lewy body dementia
  This is another type of dementia. That happens from the build-up of abnormal structures call Lewy bodies inside the brain’s cells. Patients with this form of dementia often exhibit changes in their movement, behaviour and thinking.
• Frontal-temporal
  This is a form that is characteris by marked changes in the person’s personality and, to a certain extent. Affects language capabilities.

Signs and symptoms

Early signs can be subtle, and are often mistaken as part of normal ageing. Having the knowledge and awareness of these early signs and symptoms important. That prompt medical intervention can be started.

The symptoms vary from person to person. Also dependent on the cause They include:

• Short- and long-term memory loss
• Difficulty in performing familiar tasks or executing complex tasks
• Difficulties in word finding or communication
• Difficulties in organisation and planning
• Difficulties in co-ordination and physical movement(s)
• Difficulties in problem solving, reasoning and judgement
• Difficulties with visual spatial abilities
• Confusion and disorientation

Some patients exhibit psychological changes

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Inappropriate behaviour
• Agitation
• Paranoia
• Hallucinations
• Personality changes