Many people are affected by memory loss and slower cognitive processes as they age. Memory loss is not in itself an indicator of dementia. There are a number of different types of dementia and even more causes of the mental disorder most commonly associated with aging.
A final diagnosis of dementia is often long in coming, because doctors look for a combination of symptoms before concluding that dementia is a factor. When a combination of factors and mental changes are identified that affect thinking, personality, and social behavior; the resulting medical condition is often referred to as dementia. Dementia, in all of its forms, causes changes in the brain that affect daily social and mental functions.
Breaking down dementia into individual categories is not always easy, because dementia can be classified in so many different ways. Some types of dementia are grouped together by common symptoms, others by what part of the brain is affected, and still others by the progression of dementia.
Progressive Dementia
The most disconcerting type of dementia is the kind that gets worse with time and for which no known truth exists. Progressive dementia includes Alzheimer’s disease, which is caused by destruction of brain cells and the buildup of beta-amyloid (referred to as plaque) or the formation of tangles of the presence of an abnormal tau protein. Both conditions cause progressive degeneration of cognitive ability.
Lewy body dementia also involves the abnormal buildup of a particular protein that is often identified in individuals with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Vascular dementia is a result of brain damage caused by arterial damage as a result of stroke, heart attack, or infection of heart valve infection.
Front temporal dementia is the result of degeneration of brain cells specifically in the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain. This particular type of dementia directly affects the areas of the brain which control behavior, personality, and language.
Severe head injury, such as that suffered by stroke or accident victims may also cause dementia.
Secondary Dimension
Huntington’s disease is a genetic disease which causes nerve cells in brain and spinal cord to waste away. Personality changes including irritability, anxiety and depression slowly progress to dementia. HIV can lead to widespread destruction of brain cells resulting in dementia.
Dementia pugilistica is an unfortunate condition caused by repeated head trauma, such as that caused by boxing. Typical conditions include memory problems, muscle stiffness and poor coordination, and other symptoms similar to Parkinson’s disease.
Diseased brain and nervous tissue can reach the brain and cause dementia like symptoms, caused by Creutzfeldt-Jakob.
There are other disorders that may eventually lead to dementia. Due to the lack of understanding about many of these diseases, the relationship between the disease and the development of dementia is not yet clear.
Dementia that may be treatable
There are some causes of dementia that may be treatable and even reversible. Immune disorders, vitamin deficiencies, metabolic disorders, medical or metal poisoning may cause dementia that can be reversed. Alcoholism and a buildup of fluid on the brain may also lead to abnormal brain function and dementia related disorders.
Sources:
Alzheimer’s disease Health Center, WebMD
Dementia, MayoClinic
Dementia Topic Overview, WebMD
Types of Dementia, Neurology.health-cares.net
What types of Dementia Last Night, Emeritus Senior Living
