Dementia
From Canva. (2022, February 24). Dementia.
DEMENTIA. What is it? Dementia is an umbrella term for cognitive decline that impairs activities of daily living of the afflicted individual (Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2019; Alzheimer’s Association, 2022; World Health Organization (WHO), 2021; Government of Canada, 2020). There are many different types of dementia such as Alzheimer’s disease, Lewy body Dementia, vascular dementia, frontotemporal dementia, and others that contribute to the development of dementia (CDC, 2019; Alzheimer’s Association, 2022).
Alzheimer’s disease is perhaps one of the more well-known ones when we think of dementia accounting for most of the cases diagnosed (CDC, 2019; Alzheimer’s Association, 2022; Alzheimer’s Society of Canada, 2022). In Alzheimer’s disease, there is an abnormal build-up of amyloid plaques in the brain which can hinder brain functioning (National Institute of Health (NIH), 2021). Like all other forms of dementia, it is a progressive disease where cognition declines over time (Alzheimer’s Association, 2022).
Lewy body dementia is a result of an abnormal accumulation of protein inside the nerve cells affecting communication between the nerves (NIH, 2021; WHO, 2021). These protein accumulations are called Lewy body proteins hence the name Lewy body dementia (NIH, 2021). The Lewy bodies can also be observed in individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease (Alzheimer’s Society of Canada, 2022). There may be a link between having Parkinson’s disease and developing Lewy body dementia as they progress through their disease (NIH, 2021; Alzheimer’s Society, 2022).
Vascular dementia develops due to a lack of blood perfusion into the brain that could be a result of damaged blood vessels (NIH, 2021; CDC, 2019). Good blood perfusion is important as the brain requires a significant amount of oxygen and nutrients to operate (NIH, 2021). A common cause of developing vascular dementia is the prior history of a cerebral vascular accident (stroke) (NIH, 2021; CDC, 2019).
Frontotemporal dementia occurs due to damage or degeneration in the frontal and temporal lobes in the brain (NIH, 2021; WHO, 2021). The frontal lobe is often where personality is located, and the temporal lobe is important for language and communication (NIH, 2019). Individuals who have frontotemporal dementia experience personality changes and difficulty in communication due to the location of the degeneration (NIH, 2021; Alzheimer’s Society of Canada, 2022).
Dementia can also develop because of infections that have spread to the brain such as the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) (WHO, 2021; NIH, 2021). Repeated traumatic brain injury, lack of nutrition, alcohol abuse, and hydrocephalus can also all develop into dementia later in life (WHO, 2021; Alzheimer’s Association, 2022).
There is no cure for the majority forms of dementia as of now and as research progresses and more knowledge about each form of dementia comes to light, we might have more solutions in the future (WHO, 2021). As of now we can only modify our life and activities to help prevent or delay dementia which will be discussed in my second post.
References
Alzheimer’s Association. (2022). What is dementia? https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/what-is-dementia
Alzheimer’s Society of Canada. (2022). What is dementia? https://alzheimer.ca/en/about-dementia/what-dementia
Canva. (n.d.). https://www.canva.com/
Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. (2019, April 5). What is Dementia? Alzheimer’s disease and healthy aging. https://www.cdc.gov/aging/dementia/index.html#:~:text=Dementia%20is%20not%20a%20specific,a%20part%20of%20normal%20aging.
Government of Canada. (2021, April 28). A dementia strategy for Canada: Together we achieve - 2020 annual report. https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/diseases-conditions/dementia-strategy-annual-report-parliament-june-2020.html#a9
National Institute of Health. (2021, July 2). What is dementia? Symptoms, types, and diagnosis. National institute of aging. https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/what-is-dementia
World Health Organization. (2021, September 2). Dementia. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/dementia