Common symptoms of dementia include: confusion and needing help with daily tasks – such as shopping or paying bills. problems with language and understanding – including often being unable to find the right word, or having trouble following a conversation.
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.
Someone with dementia may find it really difficult to do things like getting dressed, washing, eating or going to the toilet. They might not know where they are, and get lost easily. They may have trouble keeping themselves safe. They need lots more help and support from other people.
There is a constellation of dementia symptoms, and memory loss is the primary feature. Other common symptoms are physical functional decline and difficulty with mental tasks, like planning or spatial ability. Pain is another frequent symptom, although it is often overlooked and undertreated.
Alzheimer disease is the most common form and may contribute to 60–70% of cases. Other forms include vascular dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies (abnormal deposits of protein inside nerve cells), and a group of diseases that contribute to frontotemporal dementia (degeneration of the frontal lobe of the brain).
For many years, individuals with frontotemporal dementia show muscle weakness and coordination problems, leaving them needing a wheelchair — or unable to leave the bed. These muscle issues can cause problems swallowing, chewing, moving and controlling bladder and/or bowels.
Introduction: The five-word test (5WT) is a serial verbal memory test with semantic cuing. It is proposed to rapidly evaluate memory of aging people and has previously shown its sensitivity and its specificity in identifying patients with AD.
Anxiety and Agitation
A person with dementia may become restless or upset in certain places when focused on specific details.
People with dementia may say or ask things repeatedly. They may also become very clinging and shadow the person caring for them, even following them to the toilet. These behaviours can be very upsetting and irritating for families and carers.
Psychological symptoms and behavioral abnormalities are common and prominent characteristics of dementia. They include symptoms such as depression, anxiety psychosis, agitation, aggression, disinhibition, and sleep disturbances. Approximately 30% to 90% of patients with dementia suffer from such behavioral disorders.
The SAGE test is a 12-question exam that measures cognitive functioning and may help a physician determine whether Alzheimer's is present.
Difficulties with memory are the most well-known first signs of dementia. For example, a person may not recall recent events or may keep losing items (such as keys and glasses) around the house. Memory loss is often the first and main symptom in early Alzheimer's disease.
The Mini-Cog test.
A third test, known as the Mini-Cog, takes 2 to 4 minutes to administer and involves asking patients to recall three words after drawing a picture of a clock. If a patient shows no difficulties recalling the words, it is inferred that he or she does not have dementia.
Change in routine
People with dementia often rely on their routines as a source of comfort. A daily routine helps a person know what to expect. This means that a sudden disruption in routine may cause dementia symptoms to get worse. This is especially true if a person experiences stress.
Overview. Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is the stage between the expected decline in memory and thinking that happens with age and the more serious decline of dementia. MCI may include problems with memory, language or judgment. People with MCI may be aware that their memory or mental function has "slipped."
They may be aware of their symptoms in the early stages of dementia. However, a person may lose this awareness by the late stages of dementia. The term dementia refers to a range of conditions that involve a deterioration in someone's ability to process thoughts.
“Beyond being active and looking after our heart, getting a good night's sleep, challenging our brain and keeping connected to the people around us can all help reduce our chances of developing dementia,” she added.
Therefore, not drinking enough water or consuming foods that contains liquid can cause dehydration which causes dementia. 4. Drug and alcohol use: Overindulging in alcohol for an extended period of time can harm your brain and raise your risk of dementia.
Dementia and its risk factors
Some risk factors for dementia cannot be altered, such as increased age or family history. However, people can modify other risk factors to reduce risk. For example, smoking, obesity, and excessive use of alcohol are all risk factors for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.
I'm going to discuss five of the most basic ones here: 1) Don't tell them they are wrong about something, 2) Don't argue with them, 3) Don't ask if they remember something, 4) Don't remind them that their spouse, parent or other loved one is dead, and 5) Don't bring up topics that may upset them.
On average, a person with Alzheimer's lives four to eight years after diagnosis, but can live as long as 20 years, depending on other factors.
Many people affected by dementia are concerned that they may inherit or pass on dementia. The majority of dementia is not inherited by children and grandchildren. In rarer types of dementia there may be a strong genetic link, but these are only a tiny proportion of overall cases of dementia.
Perseveration clock-drawing errors are likely due to impairment of executive function in the prefrontal area of the frontal lobe, which is found in many dementia disorders.