Introduction to Dementia
Dementia is an epidemic affecting 8.8 million people above 60 years in India. Research shows the numbers are going to double (17 million by 2036) in the next decade.
With an increase in the elderly population, the incidence of dementia is an inevitable consequence for most people. It is a loss of cognitive functioning (thinking, memory, and reasoning) to an extent that it impacts activities of daily living. It’s a progressive neurological disorder that disables a person to function normally, and the burden of the caregiver increases proportionally.
It is most prevalent among:
- Females
- People over 85
- Less educated people
- People of lower socioeconomic status
There are different types of dementia:
Alzheimer’s: The most common form, caused by the accumulation of amyloid protein and tau protein in the brain.
Vascular dementia: Caused by changes in the blood vessels in the brain resulting in interruption of blood flow to the brain.
Lewy body dementia: Caused by deposits of alpha-synuclein protein called Lewy bodies.
Frontotemporal dementia: A rare form of dementia found in younger people (less than 60) due to the build-up of Tau and TDP-43 protein.
Dementia is a syndrome. The signs and symptoms include :
- Experiencing memory loss, poor judgment, and confusion
- Difficulty speaking, understanding, and expressing thoughts, or reading and writing
- Wandering and getting lost in a familiar neighborhood
- Trouble handling money responsibly and paying bills
- Repeating questions
- Using unusual words to refer to familiar objects
- Taking longer to complete normal daily tasks
- Losing interest in normal daily activities or events
- Hallucinating or experiencing delusions or paranoia
- Acting impulsively
- Not caring about other people’s feelings
- Losing balance and problems with movement
There are several causes for dementia. Some common causes include:
- Alcohol use
- Head injuries
- Mood disorders
- Hydrocephalus
- Huntington’s disease
- Traumatic brain injury
Available Diagnostic Tests
- Cognitive neurological tests
- Brain scans
- Psychiatric evaluation
- Genetic tests
- Cerebrospinal fluid test
- Blood tests
Multiple tests need to be completed to get a proper diagnosis of dementia. A neurologist, geriatrician, or psychiatrist should be consulted for a proper diagnosis of this condition.