Obvious signs of dementia include repetitious questioning, inadequate hygiene, and poor decision-making. In the most advanced stage, people with dementia become unable to care for themselves and cannot handle complex tasks. They will struggle even more with keeping track of time and remembering people and places they are familiar with. Behavior continues to change and can turn into depression and aggression.
Diagnosis of Dementia
There is no one test to determine if someone has dementia. Doctors diagnose Alzheimer's and other types of dementia based on a careful medical history, a physical examination, laboratory tests, and the characteristic changes in thinking, day-to-day function and behavior associated with each type. Doctors can determine that a person has dementia with a high level of certainty. But it's harder to determine the exact type of dementia because the symptoms and brain changes of different dementias can overlap. In some cases, a doctor may diagnose "dementia" and not specify a type. If this occurs, it may be necessary to see a specialist such as a neurologist, psychiatrist, psychologist or geriatrician.
Causes of Dementia
Many conditions can cause dementia, including degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Huntington's. Each cause of dementia causes damage to a different set of brain cells. Alzheimer's disease is responsible for about 50 to 70 percent of all cases of dementia. Other causes of dementia include:Â infections, such as HIV;Â vascular diseases; stroke; depression; chronic drug use.
Alzheimer's Disease
Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia. It makes up 60% to 80% of all dementia cases. Alzheimer's is not a normal part of aging --- it's a progressive brain disease, meaning it gets worse over time. The exact cause is unknown, and no cure is available. The time from diagnosis to death can be as little as three years in people over 80 years old. However, it can be much longer for younger people.
Symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease
Common Alzheimer's symptoms include:
(1) Trouble remembering names, events, or conversations, (2) Problems concentrating, (3)Â Personality changes, like not caring about things you used to, mistrust of others, or aggression, (4) Mood changes, (5) Depression, (6) Impaired judgment or decision making, and (7) Confusion.
It gets more challenging to carry on a conversation or do everyday tasks. A doctor can not say you have Alzheimer's with absolute certainty, but they can do things pretty sure. They include testing your attention, memory, language, and vision and looking at images of your brain. These images are taken with an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) machine, which uses powerful magnets and radio waves to make detailed pictures.
Diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease:
