How does Alzeimers differentiate from Dimentia?

Is Dimentia reversible? Does the subject act/behave manipulatively with purpose or it is just a fall out of the ailment?

Answers:
Dementia is a loss of brain function. It is not a single disease. Instead, dementia refers to a group of illnesses that involve memory, behavior, learning, and communicating problems. The problems are progressive, which means they slowly get worse.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors Return to top

The two major causes of degenerative (non-reversible) dementia are Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia (loss of brain function due to a series of small strokes). The two conditions often occur together.

Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is a leading cause of degenerative dementia in elderly adults. This condition is linked to abnormal protein structures in certain areas of the brain. The structures and symptoms of DLB are associated with Alzheimer's disease, but it is uncertain whether DLB is a sub-type of Alzheimer's or separate disease. There is no cure for DLB or Alzheimer's.

Conditions that damage blood vessels or nerve structures of the brain can also lead to dementia.

Treatable causes of dementia include normal pressure hydrocephalus, brain tumors, and dementia due to metabolic causes, thyroid conditions, low vitamin B12 levels, and infections.

Dementia may be diagnosed when a patient has two or more problems in brain function. Problems may involve language, memory, perception, emotional behavior or personality, and cognitive skills (such as calculation, abstract thinking, or judgment). Dementia usually first appears as forgetfulness. Other symptoms may only be seen during a medical exam or with cognitive tests.

Dementia usually occurs in older age. Dementia is rare in people under age 60. The risk for dementia increases as a person gets older.

Symptoms Return to top

Progressive memory loss
Inability to concentrate
Decrease in problem-solving skills and judgment capability
Confusion, severe
Hallucinations and delusions
Altered sensation or perception
Impaired recognition (agnosia)
Impaired recognition of familiar objects or persons
Impaired recognition through the senses
Altered sleep patterns
Insomnia
Need for increased sleep
Disturbance or change in sleep-wake cycle
Motor system impairment
Impaired skilled motor function (apraxia)
Inability to reproduce geometric figures
Inability to mimic hand positions
Inability to dress self
Gait changes
Inappropriate movements
Other motor system impairment
Disorientation
Person, place, time disorientation
Visual-spatial disorientation
Inability to interpret environmental cues
Specific disorders of problem-solving or learning
Inability to generalize
Loss of abstract thinking
Impaired calculating ability
Inability to learn
Memory deficit
Short-term memory problems (can't remember new things)
Long-term memory problems (can't remember past)
Absent or impaired language ability (aphasia)
Inability to comprehend speech
Inability to read
Inability to write
Inability to speak, without muscle paralysis
Inability to form words
Inability to name objects
Poor enunciation
Inappropriate speech; use of jargon or wrong words
Inability to repeat a phrase
Persistent repetition of phrases
Other language impairment
Personality changes
Irritability
Poor temper control
Anxiety
Depression
Indecisiveness
Self-centeredness
Inflexibility
No observable mood (flat affect)
Inappropriate mood or behavior
Withdrawal from social interaction
Inability to function or interact in social or personal situations
Inability to maintain employment
Decreased ability to care for oneself
Decreased interest in daily living activities
Lack of spontaneity
Additional symptoms that may be associated with this disease are as follows:
Swallowing problems
Incontinence
Signs and tests Return to top

The following tests and procedures may be done to determine the severity of dementia and its cause:

Serum electrolytes
Blood chemistry (chem-20)
Serum calcium
Glucose test
Thyroid stimulating hormone level
Thyroid function tests
Liver function tests
Blood ammonia levels
B-12 level
Drug or alcohol levels (toxicology screen)
Urinalysis
Blood gas analysis
EEG (electroencephalograph)
Head CT
MRI of head
CSF (cerebrospinal fluid) analysis
Treatment Return to top

The goal of treatment is to control the symptoms of dementia. Treatment depends on the specific condition causing the dementia. Some people may need to stay in the hospital for a short time.

Stopping or changing medications that make confusion worse may improve brain function. Medicines that contribute to confusion include anticholinergics, analgesics (painkillers), cimetidine, central nervous system depressants, and lidocaine.

Medical conditions that can lead to confusion should be treated. Such conditions include heart failure, decreased oxygen (hypoxia), thyroid disorders, anemia, nutritional disorders, infections, and psychiatric conditions such as depression. Treatment of co-existing medical and psychiatric disorders often greatly improves a person's mental functioning.

Medications may be needed to control behavior problems. Possible medications include:

Anti-psychotics, given at night
Serotonin-affecting drugs (trazodone, buspirone)
Dopamine blockers (haloperidol, risperidal, olanzapine, clozapine)
Cholinesterase inhibitors such as donepezil (Aricept), rivastigmine (Exelon), or galantamine (Razadyne, formerly called Reminyl) for Alzheimer's-type dementia
Mood stabilizers such as fluoxetine, imipramine, or Celexa
Stimulants such as methylphenidate to increase activity and spontaneity
A person's eyes and ears should be checked regularly. Hearing aids, glasses, or cataract surgery may be needed.

Psychotherapy or group therapy usually does not help because it may further confuse a person with dementia

if im not mistaken dimentia is a symptom of alzeimers and can not be reversed
I THINK that dementia is both an older term, and a broader one, and that Alzheimer's is one cause of (the symptoms we call) dementia.

No, such people are not doing things on purpose. Their brains are doing funny things, and what you see is the result of that: they really don't remember things, their brains are sending "be hostile" or whatever other inappropriate signals.

I THINK that such conditions are not reversible, but may be slowed. Has this person gotten medical attention? If not, they should.

If the symptoms are due to a recent stroke, they might subside somewhat.

I have no medical expertise, BTW, and that's what's needed, both for the person and for those dealing with that person.
I knew this answer..really I did

ohh.

look at the kitty
I don't know details about having dementia as a problem, but it is a symptom rather than a disease, and Alzheimer's is a disease whose main symptom is dementia.
The page content post from users, we do not guarantee its accuracy. If you belong to the copyright which contains information, please contact us to remove it.
More Questions...