dementia - ReaDementia

Dementia Praecox – Definition, Causes, Symptoms

Rok Krivec Blog January 28, 2021October 18, 2021dementia, dementia praecox

Previously referred to as precocious madness or premature dementia, dementia praecox was a term used to describe a chronic deteriorating psychotic disorder.

It was popularized by Emil Kraepelin, a German psychiatrist in 1896. The psychotic disorder that begins during late teens or early childhood is characterized by rapid cognitive disintegration.

Over time, the term “schizophrenia” replaced dementia praecox, and it remains the current diagnosis label.

Dementia Praecox: Definition, Causes and Symptoms

According to R.Warner, in the International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioural Sciences, schizophrenia is a psychosis – severe mental disorder where a person’s grasp of reality, emotions, judgment, thinking, and are affected resulting in severe impairment of functioning.

Causes of Dementia Praecox

To date, it is still not clear what causes schizophrenia exactly. Scientists, however, suggest that a combination of environmental, genetic, psychological, and physical factors can increase a person’s risk of getting the disorder.

Seeing that it is not easy to pinpoint the exact causes of schizophrenia, experts have identified some risk factors that are common with individuals who have the condition that includes:

Genetics

Dementia praecox tends to run in families even though there is no specific gene that has been identified to be responsible.

You will most likely end up with schizophrenia if your identical twin has it, the risk goes up by about 50%.

If both parents have it – the chances of getting it to go up by at least 40% or if a sibling or one parent has it – your chances of getting it is are around 10%.

Birth and Pregnancy Complications

Some studies indicate that a percentage of people who develop schizophrenia went through some complications before and during birth.

This accounts for factors like premature labor, low birth weight, and lack of oxygen during birth.

If your mother was malnourished when she was pregnant with you, you might end up with the disorder. Being exposed to a certain viral infection before you were born can also be a risk factor.

Drug Abuse

While drugs do not directly cause dementia praecox, research shows that drug abuse might increase the risk of developing the disorder.

Drugs like LSD, cocaine, or cannabis might trigger schizophrenia symptoms.

Chemical Imbalances in the Brain

Some experts believe that the imbalance of dopamine and serotonin, as well as other neurotransmitters, may be involved in the development of schizophrenia.

Trauma

The frequency of schizophrenia is also higher in adults who underwent different kinds of trauma in their childhood, such as physical or sexual abuse.

Triggers

These define things that can cause people who are at risk of developing schizophrenia. They include stressful life events such as losing a job, house, relationship, or a loved one.

Note that although these stressful events can be life-changing, they do not cause schizophrenia. Instead, they can trigger schizophrenia development in a person who is already vulnerable to the condition.

Symptoms of Dementia Praecox

A person usually experiences dementia praecox symptoms between the ages of 16-30. In some rare cases, young children also get a positive diagnosis for the disorder.

Schizophrenia symptoms are typically divided into three categories, namely: positive symptoms, cognitive symptoms and negative symptoms.

Let’s look at these categories individually below.

Cognitive Symptoms

The cognitive symptoms refer to the issues that arise when people with schizophrenia develop thinking problems. Most people with the disorder will have a hard time processing or understanding information, which can affect their ability to make decisions.

A huge percentage of affected persons will also have a hard time concentrating on something.

Some will also have trouble with working memory where they cannot use the information they have just learned. Because of all this, communication also becomes a problem.

Positive Symptoms

The positive symptoms are categorized as signs that showcase abnormal perceptions and delusions. These have a lot to do with the inability to determine what is real. This is where a person may have:

1. Hallucinations, false beliefs, or delusions: these are quite common with people with schizophrenia and can be related to auditory, visual, or any of the other human senses. These may become too real to a person to the extent that they are not even aware that they are ill.

Affected individuals might refuse to take medicine, thinking that it is poison or will subject them to adverse side effects.

2. Some people may also go through unusual thought disorders or disorganized and illogical thinking, which results in dysfunctional ways of thinking.

3. A certain percentage of people with the disorder may also showcase agitated physical movements.

4. Inappropriate behavior.

Negative Symptoms

Schizophrenia’s negative symptoms refer to the behavioral and emotional changes that the people with the disorder experience. These can include signs such as:

Reduced facial expressions
Flat affect which explains changes in voice tones
Some persons with the disorder do not feel the daily pleasures of life
Speaking very little
Inability to begin or even continue activities
Depression
Mood changes
Social withdrawal
Absence of normal thoughts
Loss of drive

There are other symptoms that some professionals use, which cannot fit into the three main categories. These include signs such as:

Sleep disturbances
Weight gain
Restless leg syndrome
Dropping performances especially for students
Suicidal thoughts

Worth noting is that the dementia praecox symptoms start gradually develop at the onset of young adulthood and persist for as long as one lives.

The chronic condition also demands that most affected people go through lifelong treatment.

Closing Thoughts

Schizophrenia, which was known as dementia praecox, is among the most devastating neuropsychiatric diseases.

With this in mind, you should also note that experts are still working on ways to prevent and treat the condition.

There is a lot of hope that soon medics will be able to deal with the symptoms of the disease so that affected individuals can live “normal” lives functioning well in day to day activities while enjoying the little pleasures of life.

Subcortical Dementia – What Is It?

Rok Krivec Blog, Types January 28, 2021October 18, 2021dementia, subcortical dementia

There are different types of dementia, one of them being subcortical dementia.

According to many studies and researches, this is a type of dementia that affects the white matter of the brain affecting structures below the cortex.

This type of dementia is a clinical syndrome that includes multiple diseases that primarily affects the subcortical structures that include:

The midbrain (mesencephalon)
Cerebellum
Thalamus & hypothalamus (diencephalon)
Basal ganglia

The above are responsible for various functions, including procedural learning, eye movement, voluntary motor movement control, arousal, emotions, visuospatial skills learning of habits, and cognition.

History of the Clinical Syndrome

In 1817, James Parkinson wrote an essay where he recognized depression as one of the symptoms of the disease named after him.

He described a man who was once a confident with an active mind and cheerful disposition appearing dejected, emancipated and stopping.

Despite all this, the power of his mind and his senses remained unimpaired.

He remained attentive, was able to listen to conversations and had a desire to join in though he was struggling with speech, and he could even read and write.

Years later, in 1861, Vulpian and Charcot observed cognitive impairments in persons who have Parkinson’s and Huntington’s diseases.

However, it was not until 1912, when Wilson became the first person to observe a distinction between dementia that involve subcortical structures, and other kinds of cognitive impairments.

Wilson described the impairment of Wilson’s disease as one that showed the narrowing of mental horizons.

He went on further to state that the impairment did not include agnosia and apraxia. Wilson also compared this pattern to the one presents in Huntington’s disease.

As research went on by other experts on the subject, the concept of subcortical dementia was finally crystallized into a clinical entity in the mid-1970s.

Examples of Subcortical Dementia

This dementia type is in connection with numerous diseases. These include Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, Wilson’s disease, Multiple System Atrophy, and progressive supranuclear palsy, etc.

The conditions fall into the category of subcortical processes that are characterized by deterioration of mental abilities.

The concept of this type of dementia has led to a lot of debate where researchers are seeking to divide cognitive dysfunction into the subcortical and cortical dichotomy.

Over the years, experts have been collecting evidence that supports the idea of the clinical syndrome being classified as its clinical entity.

The evidence touches base on distinct patterns of neuropathology, neurological, and neuropsychological profiles.

Symptoms of Subcortical Dementia

Various symptoms may suggest a person has this type of dementia. Some of them include:

Slowness when it comes to mental processing
Depression
Abnormal movements
Tremors
Lack of initiation
Apathy
Loss of social skills
Mild intellectual impairment
Inertia
Difficulties solving problems

In a majority of cases, the clinical entity does not affect perception and language. Although persons with the illness may experience forgetfulness, amnesia is usually not severe.

Looking at a Neurobehavioral Perspective of This Dementia

Subcortical dementias have a common neurobehavioral change pattern even though the subcortical structures usually affect different areas of the subcortical pathology.

This is because of the disruption that happens to the frontal-subcortical systems. The clinical presentations include abnormalities in different areas like:

Memory

With this type of dementia, it appears like the ability to retain information, which can also be referred to as immediate memory is spared while it affects the ability to recall information.

Personality and Mood

Personality and mood changes have been recognized in persons with this clinical syndrome. About 90% of persons with Parkinson’s experience depression at one point in the illness.

General Appearance

Because of significant extrapyramidal motor deficits, the general appearance of people with this type of dementia is different from that of cortical dementia. For example, Parkinson’s disease is often marked by a shuffling gait, hypomimia, and tremor.

Chorea is common with Huntington’s disease while a “surprise” look is seen with people who have supranuclear palsy.

Language

There is no record of significant changes in language when talking about subcortical dementia. People with the illness may, however, experience deformities with speech.

For instance, an individual with Parkinson’s disease may have reduced phrase length and dysarthria.

Subcortical Dementia Treatment Options

Although this kind of dementia remains highly controversial, some researchers believe that they are part of the dementias that can be treated. This is because most disorders that are associated with dementia respond to appropriate treatment and some may be reserved completely.

Consulting your physician will give you a better idea of which treatment route to take while dealing with this dementia type.

Closing Remarks

While some physicians will use the classifications of subcortical or cortical dementia, others argue that it is not worth categorizing the neurodegenerative illness into groups depending on the location of brain damage.

As new evidence emerges, it is only a matter of time before the experts can put the matter into rest as to whether it is important to classify dementia into two major groups.

Coronavirus and Dementia – Is There Risk?

Rok Krivec Blog January 27, 2021October 18, 2021coronavirus, dementia

How closely related are coronavirus and dementia? Can the new virus cause death in patients who are diagnosed with dementia and any other related states, like Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia?

Country lockdowns, new infections, thousands of fatalities, are some of the negative effects of the newly discovered coronavirus disease or COVID-19.

Information from China where the disease started states that some people are at higher risk of getting very ill from the disease.

These include older people and individuals who have chronic medical conditions like lung disease, heart disease, and diabetes.

Statistically, a high percentage of persons with dementia are seniors.

This automatically puts them at a higher risk of contracting coronavirus disease in regions where the virus is spreading like wildfire.

Coronavirus and Dementia Risk

It must be tough for one person to suffer from both coronavirus and dementia.

For this reason, it is best to keep individuals with dementia safe from the virus.

Before we look into the steps to prevent people from dementia from contracting the virus, here is an overview of the coronavirus illness.

What is COVID-19?

It is an infectious disease that the newly discovered coronavirus causes. The disease and the virus were unknown before an outbreak began in December 2019 in Wuhan, China.

WHO (World Health Organization) describes coronavirus as a huge family of viruses that may cause illness in both humans and animals.

Symptoms of Coronavirus Disease

You can find some of the potential warning signs of COVID-19 below. Note that the list is not inclusive.

Dry cough
Fever
Shortness of breath
Tiredness
Persistent pressure or pain in the chest
Sore throat
Nasal congestion
Diarrhea

Anyone who develops the symptoms must immediately get medical attention.

Worth noting is that some people will become infected without feeling unwell or developing any symptoms.

About 80% of the people with the disease recover without needing special treatment.

Protect Persons With Dementia From Coronavirus

When it comes to protecting persons with dementia from the coronavirus disease, there are a few steps caregivers and the weak individuals can take such as:

Stick to Essential Hygienic Practices

It is very easy for persons with dementia to forget about daily hygienic practices which might increase the risk of getting the disease from coronavirus and dementia.

Caregivers may need to step in to offer reminders or help them execute duties like washing hands with warm water and soap.

Demonstrate or offer a hand where necessary so that the ill person knows how to wash their hands well for about 20 seconds. If a person cannot always wash their hands, they can use an alcohol-based sanitizer with a minimum of 70% alcohol.

While caring for a person with dementia, it also helps to keep an eye on them so that they do not touch their mouth, eyes, or nose.

Additionally, it is also vital to disinfect and clean all the surfaces that ill individuals touch daily.

This can include things such as sinks, faucets, keyboards, handles, light switches, tables, countertops, desks, phones, and toilets.

Understand How the Virus Spreads

Currently, both coronavirus and dementia have no cures or vaccines. According to the CDC (Centre or Disease Control and Prevention), one of the best ways to prevent a person from getting the virus is to avoid its exposure.

Scientists believe that it primarily spreads from one person to another through respiratory droplets that infected person produces when they cough or sneeze.

When these droplets land into your nose or mouth, you inhale them into your lungs and you end up with coronavirus disease.

It is, therefore, imperative to put persons with dementia at a safe distance from other people especially if the community around them is affected by the viral illness.

It is also advisable for persons with dementia to stock up on supplies, including groceries and household items that will enable them to stay at home for long periods until health officials confirm that it is safe to go about regular businesses.

Shopping online and mail order medications can come in handy during tough times.

Limit Number of Trips

The burden of coronavirus and dementia on one person may be too much to handle. For this reason, it is important to limit the movements of the person with dementia so that their chances of contracting the virus are significantly reduced.

It would be best if they stay at home or in their facility without leaving until the situation is contained. Persons with dementia should hold off on taking any trips by road, air or sea.

Think and Plan Ahead

Based on how infections seem to skyrocket within no time, caregivers also need to think of alternative care plans should anything change in the future because of the COVID-19.

Think of possibilities like the primary caregiver getting infected. They will not be in a position to execute their caring duties and the person with dementia cannot be abandoned.

The individual with dementia may also not be able to access services like respite care or adult day care services if the region they are in is experiencing a lockdown and people cannot move about freely.

It is vital to come up with alternative plans beforehand; things do not go south if the virus causes unimaginable changes.

Closing Thoughts

It is scary to think about the effects of coronavirus and dementia on a person.

However, taking the necessary precautions may keep suffering people safe from the recently discovered disease.

Remember to keep medical contacts close by so that you can contact medics if you feel like you have symptoms of the disease.

It is also important to stay up to date about the coronavirus disease from reliable sources.

Scientists continue monitoring and responding to the pandemic because they still do not fully understand the complete clinical picture of the disease.

Heart Disease and Dementia – Risk Factors

Rok Krivec Blog, Causes January 27, 2021October 18, 2021dementia, heart disease and dementia

Over the years, there have been studies trying to uncover the link between heart disease and dementia.

As a result, scientists now include heart disease as one of the risk factors that contribute to the development of dementia.

To get more information about this, here are examples of some of the studies that showcase the link between the development of dementia and heart disease.

Is dementia related to heart disease?

Studies Explaining the Relationship between Heart Disease and Dementia

As mentioned earlier, researchers have conducted several studies on vascular risk factors concerning the development of dementia.

Dr. Rebecca Gottesman led one of the studies at John Hopkins University. It was called the ARIC (Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities) study.

Together with her team, they studied about 16,000 middle-aged people over 25 years.

These were persons who lived in four different states aged between 44-66 years.

Researchers studied the participants with numerous medical tests at least five times. During the 2nd, 4th, and 5th exams, the participants underwent cognitive tests of thinking and memory.

Medical history is important

Caregiver interviews, in-person visits, telephone interviews, death certificates, and hospitalization records were the methods that the researchers used to collect health data.

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) funded the study.

Within the 25 year study period, over 1500 participants got dementia.

The study confirmed reports that persons with vascular risk factors during midlife, like hypertension or diabetes, had higher chances of developing dementia.

Another study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association states that women should be given the same treatment as men when they have heart disease.

This was conducted by a team of psychologists, neurologists, and cardiologists.

Men and women should get the same treatment

In their findings, they record that internists and cardiologists have a crucial role in preventing strokes, which can be done by giving women a similar treatment to men.

This is important when learning about heart disease and dementia because the link between stroke and heart disease is quite significant.

Stroke is one of the risk factors for coronary heart disease.

On the other hand, different forms of heart disease are also considered to be stroke risk factors.

After extensive research, the professionals found out that women usually get less aggressive treatment when it comes to preventing strokes as opposed to men.

According to the experts on the study, receiving appropriate treatment can help to decrease the risk of stroke by 80%.

They go further to state that receiving an adequate dose of blood thinners raises the dementia survival rate to 97% when compared to 85% for the individuals who do not get the correct dose.

Women, after surgery, experience more problems

In addition to this, the report also informs us that women who go through heart procedures without surgery, like the aortic valve procedure, experience more strokes but with less mortality.

Women also tend to have more brain injury after going through cardiac surgery when compared to males.

The study does not define why the difference exists, citing that further research needs to be done to come up with a solid answer.

A third study specifically looked at the link between heart disease and dementia in women. This was titled “Cardiovascular Disease and Cognitive Decline in Postmenopausal Women.

This stated that older women who had a history of heart diseases or other heart-related issues were at higher risk of developing dementia and memory and thinking problems than the ones without heart disease.

The study was released on 18th December 2013 in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

Women are more prone to experience cognitive decline

The lead author of the study was Dr. Bernhard Haring, who is based in Germany at the Comprehensive Heart Failure Center, which is part of the University of Wurzburg.

Researchers uncovered that women who experienced heart attacks were twice as likely to start experiencing declines in their memory and thinking skills.

The researchers studied over 6000 women between the ages of 65-79. At the onset of the study, all the participants went through a brain function test and they were also asked if they had any heart problems.

About 900 said that they had heart disease while none had memory or thinking problems.

After about eight years, over 400 women started showing signs of dementia or cognitive decline.

The study found out that the ladies who already had heart disease were 29% more likely to experience cognitive problems than those who did not have heart disease.

The research also reported that women who have already experienced a heart attack were at higher risk of developing memory and thinking trouble.

The same case also applied to those who have a history or hardening of the arteries that transport blood to the feet and legs as well as those who have a history of peripheral vascular disease or bypass surgery.

It also stated that heart failure and abnormal heart rhythm were not linked to a decline in brain function.

Closing Remarks

Understanding the connection between heart disease and dementia is crucial one of the reasons multiple studies are conducted on the same.

This is especially because dementia is not reversible, but heart disease is.

People should, therefore, adopt healthy practices like eating well, exercising, and getting quality sleep to keep heart diseases at bay as this might, in turn, prevent the development of dementia.

This is even though scientists are still looking into the causes of dementia.

Individuals who already have heart disease should see their doctors regularly to keep blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and diabetes in check because this is vital for heart and brain health.

Lyme Disease and Dementia/Alzheimer’s

Rok Krivec Blog January 27, 2021October 18, 2021dementia, lyme disease

There has been a lot of interest in the topic of Lyme disease and dementia in the medical world.

This is after several high-profile cases in the media pointed out to experts that there is a need to consider Lyme disease as one of the possible causes of dementia.

We can describe Lyme disease as a bacterial infection that comes about when an infected black-legged tick bites a person.

This tick is also referred to as a deer tick.

Early detection of the disease is vital because taking antibiotics cures the illness.

Regrettably, when it is not detected early enough, the infection grows worse, weakening the immune system and resulting in an array of inflammatory responses.

Can Lyme disease cause dementia?

After staying in the body for more than three months, Lyme becomes very challenging to treat with only antibiotics.

Have a look at examples of cases that suggest that Lyme disease can cause dementia.

Kris Kristofferson’s Illness

A popular case study that crops up when looking at Lyme disease and dementia is the one involving Kris Kristofferson, a legendary singer and songwriter.

Doctors misdiagnosed him, believing that he was either suffering from dementia or Alzheimer’s.

However, after years, it was discovered that the iconic musician was experiencing memory problems because of untreated Lyme disease.

Doctors thought that Kristofferson had dementia or Alzheimer’s because of the blows he received on his head during his younger years playing football, rugby, and boxing.

He stopped taking Alzheimer’s and depression medication and began treatment for Lyme disease.

His wife reported that there was a significant change in mood and memory.

She continued to state that even though there were some bad days, most of the days Kris acted normal to a point where it was even hard to notice that he was battling an illness.

The Case of a Retired Defence Intelligence Agency

The Washington Post also reported a case from an officer who has worked at the Defense Intelligence Agency.

After surviving Leukaemia, the 81-year man was told that he had dementia. Sandra Boodman, the reporter, wrote that doctors were convinced that the retired agent was battling a fatal type of dementia that was rapidly progressive.

This led him to become delusional, moody, childish, and confused, something that he was not when he was a competent man.

This was a wrong diagnosis.

Later on, doctors discovered that he had Lyme meningoencephalitis when he started having challenges with walking, had tremors in his arms, and was also suffering from incontinence.

After a positive diagnosis for Lyme disease, he immediately started antibiotics for treatment and went on to make a full recovery.

Why Doctors Confuse Lyme Disease and Dementia

Looking at the case studies above, it is clear to see that there are times where doctors will misdiagnose a person who has Lyme disease telling them that they have dementia.

The reason for this is that Lyme can cause or mimic any neurological, psychiatric or medical condition.

It even has a nickname the “great imitator.”

The disease interferes with biochemical processes in the human body, which leads to inflammation, damaged cells, toxicity, and other issues.

It is the primary reason Lyme disease is hugely misdiagnosed and goes untreated.

When you compare Lyme and dementia, you will see that the two conditions share similar symptoms. These include but are not limited to:

Impaired focus/attention/judgement/concentration
Slower mental processing speed
Impaired speech functions
Loss of memory
Getting lost
Disorganization
Insomnia
Panic attacks
Fatigue
Aggression/violence
Movement disorders

In most cases, symptoms of Lyme disease are neurological.

This is because they mostly affect the nervous system and brain even though they still affect other body systems.

Research shows that people who have Lyme disease are at a higher risk of ending up with dementia.

Conflicting Evidence

While most experts believe that there is a sure connection between Lyme disease and dementia, there was a study that disapproves of the relationship between the two.

The research from the University of Toronto Mississauga states that Lyme disease does not cause dementia. A professor by the name of Emeritus Danton O’Day spent time investigating the link between the two.

He collected data about deaths related to Alzheimer’s and Lyme disease from the U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

Together with his research partner, the professor compared the information to find out if the states with high Lyme disease incidents also had a high number of Alzheimer’s related diseases.

They found out that the states that had the highest number of Lyme disease death reported the lowest numbers of Alzheimer’s related deaths.

Through his research, O’Day concluded that there is no co-relation between Lyme disease and dementia.

Closing Remarks

There is a lot of conflicting information about Lyme disease and dementia. Some experts say that there is a link between the two while others refute this relationship.

This only goes to show that there is a need for more research on the subject to come up with conclusive results on how dementia and Lyme disease co-relate.

Parkinson’s Disease Dementia (PDD)

Rok Krivec Blog, Types January 27, 2021October 18, 2021dementia, parkinson's disease, pdd

A majority of people living with Parkinson’s disease (PD) end up with Parkinson’s disease dementia a year or so after diagnosis.

The Alzheimer’s Association reports that about 50-80% of people with Parkinson’s disease end up developing dementia.

It is primarily a result of the changes that happen to the brain because of PD affecting both the structure and chemistry of the organ.

Initially, Parkinson’s disease starts by affecting the region in the brain responsible for movement. It leads to a variety of symptoms like shakiness, shuffling, tremors, muscle stiffness, challenges with initiating movement, stooped posture and lack of facial expressions.

After some time, the changes in the brain may also start to affect other parts of the brain. Specifically, the ones that handle various mental functions, which can include memory as well as the ability to reason or pay attention.

Parkinson’s Dementia: Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment, and more

Essentially, persons with PD start to experience a decline in good sense and thinking.

The primary changes that happen to the brain because of Parkinson’s’ disease dementia are linked to abnormal microscopic deposits mainly composed of a protein known as alpha-synuclein.

These deposits also go by the name Lewy bodies.

Researchers are still looking into how the brain exactly becomes damaged, leading to dementia. Find out more crucial details about the disease below.

Symptoms

Scientists have identified several symptoms that might be an indication that a person has Parkinson’s’ disease dementia, such as:

Changes in judgement, memory & concentration
Anxiety
Problems interpreting visual information
Depression
Sleep disturbances
Muffled speech
Delusions/hallucinations
Changes in appetite and energy levels
Mood swings
Loss of interest

Any person who has PD and experiences the symptoms above needs to notify their doctor.

This enables the professional to observe the individual for both cognitive and movement changes.

When talking about the symptoms, it is also important to note that the appearance of one cognitive sign does not automatically mean that dementia will develop.

Risk Factors

Some risk factors have been identified concerning what can make a person with PD develop dementia-like symptoms.

Advanced age (70+) when a person develops PD
Sleeping too much during the day
More severe movement impairment symptoms when compared to other people with Parkinson’s
Cardiovascular disease
Experiencing hallucinations before the other dementia symptoms set in
History of mild thought impairment
Having specific symptoms that result in a person having trouble when they want to take a step or a person who suddenly stops as they are walking

Diagnosis

To date, there is still no specific test that doctors can use to determine whether a person has Parkinson’s’ disease dementia.

However, there are some guidelines that medics use for the diagnosis process that include:

1. The fact that a person already has Parkinson’s disease and has lived with the illness for a year or more before dementia symptoms showed up.

2. A positive diagnosis of Lewy body dementia when the symptoms that relate to the disease either develop first or are accompanied by symptoms that affect movement. Diagnosis may also occur if the movement symptoms affect a person who has been living with Lewy body dementia for a year.

Outcome

Many changes occur when a person develops Parkinson’s’ disease dementia. A decline in problem-solving, reasoning and thinking are some of the hallmarks of the disease.

The illness can make a person less independent. Progression to advanced stages can also affect concentration, memory, communication, and ability to understand when other people speak.

Treatment

Sadly, there is still no cure for Parkinson’s disease dementia. Worth noting is that the illness often goes unrecognized, perhaps because diagnosis is not a simple task.

The condition is progressive, where it becomes worse as the illness continues to destroy the cells in the brain.

The rate of progression also varies.

Nonetheless, experts continue to offer recommendations that persons with PD dementia can use to manage the illness mainly aiming at relieving symptoms like:

Use of medication

A physician may prescribe drugs like cholinesterase inhibitors that can help with symptoms like sleep disturbances, visual hallucinations, and changes in behavior and thinking.

Individuals with the illness can also take antidepressants to deal with depression.

If you have the illness, you should never take any drug without consulting your doctor to be on the safe side. You should also be careful to avoid taking medications that can escalate cognitive impairment.

Diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol should also be treated quickly as these are known to affect the brain.

Deep brain stimulation

This is one of the treatment options that is highly contradictory.

A clinical trial by scientists from University College London reported that deep brain stimulation is safe and can be tolerated by persons with Parkinson’s disease dementia.

Different therapies

Persons who have PD dementia may also benefit from therapies such as speech, occupational, and physical which can help to improve communication and movement.

Staying physically active and eating right

Research shows that eating a balanced diet, physical exercise, taking limited alcohol and getting enough sleep are some measures that persons can take to promote brain health.

Closing Thoughts

Even though Parkinson’s’ disease dementia is an illness that has been around for years there is still a lot of information we need to know about it.

Researchers continue to try and figure out its exact causes through numerous studies and clinical trials. This may help to figure out appropriate prevention and treatment measures.

Dementia and Football – Is There A Link?

Rok Krivec Blog January 26, 2021October 18, 2021dementia, football

The media has been awash with different headlines about the risk of dementia and football.

This is after new landmark research reported that former professional football players were more likely to die from dementia than their age mates in the general population.

Major head injuries have been known to increase the risk of developing dementia later in life.

A blow to the head that results in loss of consciousness may cause some changes in the brain. These may cause dementia development later on.

Scientists have calculated that a football which weighs about half a kilo can strike a player on the head at a speed of 128km/h.

When the ball hits the head, there is a possibility that the brain that floats in the skull cavity will be injured as it bounces against the back wall of the skull.

While a single header may not cause significant damage, repeatedly doing this for an extended period may cause problems.

Football and dementia risk

Researchers from Glasgow University spearheaded investigations on the claims that brain injuries were linked to heading a ball.

This was after Jeff Astle, former West Brom striker, lost his life because of repeated head trauma. Look into the details of this study below.

Participants of the Study

The study is an attempt to explain the link between dementia and football. It compared the deaths of ex-football players and those from the general population.

The participants involved 23,000 people from the general population and 7, 676 former players who were born between 1900 and 1976 and had played professional football in Scotland. The study began in 2018 and went on for 22 months.

It was commissioned by the Professional Footballer’s Association and the Football Association.

Results of the Study

Data from the study were published in The New England Journal of Medicine.

The findings revealed that former footballers had higher dementia rates. According to this study, the former players were 3 1/2 times more likely to develop dementia than the general population.

The analysis also concluded that there was a 5-fold risk increase in Alzheimer’s risk, a 4-fold increase in risk relating to Motor Neurone Disease, and a 2-fold increase in Parkinson’s disease risk.

Additionally, the study also found that ex-footballers were almost 5 times more likely to be on prescribed dementia drugs.

Dr. Willie Stewart, a consultant neuropathologist and one of the leaders of the study, also stated that while ex-football players had higher rates of dementia, they had lower death rates caused by other major diseases like heart diseases or some cancers.

The research confirmed that being active and playing football helped to reduce the risk of these serious illnesses.

This implies that former football stars lived for about three more years on average than a matched group from the general population.

Consequences of the Study

After the results of the study focusing on dementia and football, there were some ramifications. Among these include the fact that the UK and the USA banned kids from heading ball while playing football.

In the UK, the decision mostly affects children in primary school up to the age of 12. Football associations altered guidance on the skill to recommend a graduated approach to head for those ages between 12 and 16 years during training sessions.

The US, on the other hand, banned heading for children aged ten years and younger.

The country also placed limits for kids between the ages of 11-13. Currently, there is no ban on heading for football matches because the number of headers is limited.

While researchers did not state that heading a football was the cause of increased dementia risk, the guidelines were updated to mitigate against potential risk, according to the FA.

The family of Jeff Astle who lost his life in 2002 and over 400 families of players with dementia have come together to demand urgent action. Supported by medical experts, they are calling for:

1. A government inquiry on why warnings about dementia and football were not acted upon swiftly.
2. Practical help and care funds to be made available to the families of suffering players.
3. New concussion protocols that will put football in line with the other sports and the facilitation of temporary substitutes.
4. A review of other ways football can be made safer both in matches and in training.

New Research

The results of the study trying to identify the link between dementia and football have led to the launch of new research. Two studies have already been launched to look at the changes that happen to the brains of professional footballers as they grow older.

The results of this can help people to get a better understanding of the long-term effects of heading the ball and playing football.

One of the studies is being conducted by The University of East Anglia. The study that began early 2020 will see researchers use technology to test former professional footballers for early dementia signs.

It will explore when players may start showing these signs. Participants of the study will involve both men and women.

The other study is looking at about 300 ex-professional footballers.

The researchers are seeking to gather detailed information about the players, including mental and physical function, various lifestyle factors, and history of heading into football in addition to assessing changes in their brain. The study is receiving funding from The Drake Foundation.

Shortcomings of the Study

The findings of the study did not present enough evidence that could cause changes in how football is played.

In a statement, the FA stated that the study does not explain whether it is concussions, concussion management, style of play, heading of the football, the composition or design of football or even lifestyle or other factors that lead to the increase in dementia risk.

Further research still needs to be conducted on the link between football and dementia risk.

This will answer many questions concerning dementia and football and perhaps help to identify and reduce risk factors.

Aromatherapy and Dementia Patients

Rok Krivec Blog January 25, 2021September 9, 2023aromatherapy, dementia

Researchers for some time now have been conducting studies on aromatherapy and dementia.

This has led to the discovery that people with dementia can benefit from aromatherapy.

Aromatherapy has been used for medicinal purposes for centuries, and now persons with dementia can enjoy some of its benefits.

Read on to find out how.

What is Aromatherapy?

Aromatherapy is the use of essential oils or aromatic plants to enhance wellbeing through scents.

The National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy states that it is a science and an art that uses extracts from plants and essential oils that chemically balance the spirit, mind, and body.

There are different ways to release these scents, such as:

Using oil burners to warm oils
Dripping scents into tissues or pillows
Adding the oils to baths
Massaging oil infusions into the skin, etc.

How Does Aromatherapy Help Persons With Dementia?

For centuries, people have used aromatherapy to promote better sleep and relieve stress.

Many people can attest that they sleep better after sprinkling lavender oil on their pillows before bedtime.

Sleep issues are common for persons with dementia because the illness often affects an individual’s sleep patterns.

This can be very stressful not only for the person with dementia but their caregivers as well. Aromatherapy can help to deal with sleep disturbances effectively.

Research has shown encouraging results concerning aromatherapy and dementia. One of the core areas of study was on the effects of lavender oil.

Experts record that applying lavender oil through massage or dripping it on a pillow can help to lengthen the time a person with dementia sleeps.

Lavender is also said to be an antidepressant that can improve mood and balance strong emotions.

Another oil that has been under scrutiny was Lemon balm. Researchers found that rubbing this into the skin also helps people with dementia to sleep for longer.

Additionally, it allows users to relax and stay calm. Both oils were also found to decrease agitation signs like excessive movement and wandering.

Aromatherapy stimulates olfactory receptors

Essentially, aromatherapy stimulates olfactory receptors which in turn stimulate the section of the brain responsible for regulating emotions.

An example of a study that was done concerning aromatherapy and dementia is one from Jimbo D and his team. The study had 28 elderly participants, 17 of whom were living with Alzheimer’s disease.

They went through a 28 day control period and aromatherapy sessions during the following 28 days. The researchers also subjected the participants to a 28 day washout period.

Lemon and rosemary essential oils were used during the morning sessions and orange and lavender during the evenings.

After the study, all the elderly persons recorded improvements in personal orientation regarding cognitive function.

Lab tests also showed that there were no side effects of using aromatherapy.

The researchers then concluded that aromatherapy is beneficial for dementia as it has the potential to enhance cognitive function.

Oils to use for Aromatherapy and Dementia

In addition to the ones mentioned above, there are other essential oils that people with dementia can try out during aromatherapy such as:

Peppermint

This is an essential oil that you can use to calm nerves and stimulate the mind. Some studies also state that it can stimulate appetite, energize a person and enhance memory.

Bergamot

It helps to relieve stress, mild depression, and anxiety. Additionally, the oil is a mood elevator and can be used to treat insomnia.

Ginger oil

This oil assists persons who have digestion issues. The help can help to promote healthy eating habits because it treats constipation and loss of appetite.

Rosemary

This stimulates the mind and body. A recent study by Lorraine Oliver and Mark Moss uncovered that rosemary oil can boost cognitive performance in both accuracy and speed measures.

Ylang Ylang

It offers a relaxing effect.

Many other oils are beneficial to persons with dementia. Above are just a few that have the most clinical support.

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Considerations

When it comes to aromatherapy and dementia, there are a few considerations you must have in mind, such as:

1. Aromatherapy, just like any other alternative therapy, is not a replacement for medical treatment.

2. Individuals with dementia should only use aromatherapy if it brings calm or pleasure. You should also prepare a person well before embarking on this type of therapy.

If they are happy with the process, consider doing this every day because consistency brings out the best results.

3. Some undiluted essential oils can cause skin irritation; thus, it is important to carefully read labels to ensure the oil is ideal for the person it is being used on.

4. Always practice aromatherapy in a place that is good ventilation because the scents are quite powerful.

5. Do not mix or experiment with all types of oils. Pick the one that is the best fitting for the outcome you want and stick to it.

6. Stop aromatherapy if a rash appears. The practice may not be necessary if a person has bruises, cuts, allergies, eczema or psoriasis.

7. Some aromatherapy oils are potent and might lead to headaches or trigger memories that may be distressing or confusing.

Look out for such signs during the practice, especially in cases where the person with dementia may not be in a position to communicate effectively about what is going on.

Closing Thoughts – Aromatherapy and Dementia

There is evidence that aromatherapy helps ease some dementia symptoms.

Even though research on aromatherapy and dementia has shown promising results, more studies still need to be done on this subject.

History of Dementia – A Brief Overview

Rok Krivec Blog January 25, 2021September 4, 2022dementia, history of dementia

While studying dementia, it is important to look into the history of dementia to get some background information about the illness.

The concept of dementia is probably as old as mankind.

The term dementia comes from “demens” which is a Latin word that means being out of a person’s mind.

Philosophers in ancient civilizations like Greece and Rome viewed this as a normal part of growing old.

A Brief History Of Dementia

Before the 19th century, dementia was a broad clinical concept. It included all types of mental illnesses and psychosocial incapacity whether reversible or not.

During this time, if a person had lost their ability to reason, it would be said that they have dementia. It was also categorized as an organic disease such as syphilis responsible for destroying the brain.

Old people who got dementia were thought to have developed the illness because of the hardening of arteries.

However, as the lifespan of humans extended, advancements in the field of medicine also occurred and experts were able to study the brain in the 1800s.

This led to the realization that various diseases can result in this form of cognitive deterioration. Check out the evolution of dementia over the years, specifically before and after the 19th century.

Dementia before the 19th Century

Not much is recorded about the history of dementia during this period primarily because science and research during the medieval age were virtually non-existent.

In fact, before the 1700s, terms like stupidity, amentia, foolishness, senility, and idiocy were common when referring to various degrees of behavioral and cognitive deterioration resulting in psychosocial incompetence.

Plato and Aristotle spoke of mental decay in advanced age as an inevitable process affecting all old people without any preventive measures.

Cicero, a Roman statesman, had another view stating that loss of mental function was inevitable as it only affected weak-willed older men.

He explained that wanting to learn new things and staying mentally active could stave off the development of dementia.

A majority of people with mental illnesses were treated, sadly some nations locking them up in asylums. This started to change in the 19th century when Philippe Pinel, a French physician, advocated for a more humanitarian way of caring and treating persons who were mentally ill.

This offered better settings for clinical observations.

Dementia after the 19th Century

In 1910, the most common dementia (Alzheimer’s disease) was named after a German psychiatrist Alois Alzheimer.

This was after Alois studied the post-mortem brains of younger individuals who were affected by the illness. He published his first case in 1906. This was a case of a 50-year-old woman who was showcasing dementia symptoms.

After the lady passed on, Alois observed the microscopic tangles and plaques that are known to be hallmarks of the illness. He was, however, not convinced that the plaques were behind the development of dementia.

Alzheimer reported that they were just one of the features of the illness. Oskar Fischer, another Czech psychiatrist at the same time, was also researching the brains of older individuals.

He, too, saw the tangles and plaques.

Contributions from these two professionals shed more light on the condition making significant contributions to the history of dementia.

With the advancement of technology, there has been a better understanding of dementia and what causes it.

Later on in the 1960s, an electron microscope was introduced. This allowed medics to further study the plaques and tangles because they could use this equipment to zoom in while exploring the brain.

Alzheimer’s disease soon became the most common

In the 1970s, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) was officially recognized as the most common dementia form.

At this time, experts also revealed information that Alzheimer’s was different from the mild cognitive decline that is associated with growing old.

CT scans at this point confirmed shrinkage of brains in the persons affected by the neurodegenerative illness.

A decade later, in the 1980s, biochemical and molecular advances led to the identification of amyloid-b and tau as components of plaques and tangles.

When talking about the history of dementia, it is also important to mention that it was in the 1990s when experts were able to identify genetic mutations and the risk factors of AD.

At this stage, the stages of dementia were also categorized.

Additionally, there was a better understanding of the processes that result in dementia, particularly brain imaging, genetics, and molecular biology.

All through the 19h century, dementia was still considered a rare disease, perhaps because not many individuals lived past the age of 80.

Closing Thoughts

There have been a lot of changes in the history of dementia over the years.

People are now aware of a lot more information about the disease from when the Romans and Greeks first described dementia.

Even so, experts continue to do more research to discover more details about the disease, especially in regards to causes and treatment options.

There may be loads of fresh information and discoveries about dementia in the new future.

The Link Between Dementia And Epilepsy

Rok Krivec Blog, Signs January 25, 2021October 18, 2021dementia, epilepsy

While studying the symptoms of dementia, you will come across dementia and epilepsy.

Epilepsy is one of the lesser-known symptoms that people with dementia may experience along the course of the illness.

To date, it is still not clear how epileptic seizures occur because, most of the time, they are usually subtle.

Many individuals with dementia will experience a type of epileptic seizure that is known as focal onset seizure.

This is different from the generalized tonic-clonic seizures that you see on TV where a person falls to the ground, becomes stiff and unresponsive as their whole body shakes in a convulsion.

Focal onset seizures are quite the opposite because they generally involve short periods of increased unresponsiveness or amnesia. The weak person may showcase involuntary repeating movements of the arms, hands or face like swallowing, chewing, or lip-smacking.

In most cases, this is a symptom that might go unnoticed, especially if the person with dementia goes back to normal after a short period.

Seizure incidents typically vary depending on an individual. Records, however, state that about 20% of persons with dementia will experience an unprovoked seizure.

What is the Link Between Epilepsy and Dementia?

For many people, the seizures occur in the late stages of the illness, say after six years of diagnosis.

Worth noting is that time matters when it comes to seizures.

Many seizures will last for about 30 seconds to 2 minutes. If one lasts for over five minutes, it is considered a medical emergency.

With this in mind check out more vital information about dementia and epilepsy below.

Do Seizures Increase the Risk of Dementia?

In the past, experts believed that only people who had lived with dementia for long could experience seizures.

They thought that this was a result of the changes that occurred in the brain because of the neurodegenerative disease.

More research was conducted on this, and researchers uncovered that seizures could also happen at the onset of dementia.

In fact, for some people, seizures may occur even before the loss of memory becomes apparent.

This raises the possibility that epileptic episodes may be tied up intimately with the progression of dementia.

Numerous studies have been done looking into the relationship between dementia and epilepsy.

An example is a study with 55 participants between the ages of 50-69. All the participants had experienced a seizure before getting admitted to an Israeli medical center.

A quarter of the population developed dementia after about an average of 81/2 years. Another study followed 300,000 U.S. veterans who were all above 55 years.

Researchers, in this case, found that seizures were associated with double the risk of dementia development between 1-9 years.

Other studies also indicate that persons who have dementia are at higher risk of seizures when compared with individuals who do not have the illness.

One of the studies was presented by Ruby Castilla MD, DrPH, and MBA. It has participants who were over the age of 60. Among the participants, 2.8% had dementia and the rest did not have the illness.

Results stated that individuals with dementia had 61/2 times the risk of partial seizures and 5.2 higher risks for generalized epilepsy.

What Causes Epileptic Episodes in People with Dementia

Naturally, anything that contributes to changing the brain structure can result in seizures. Mostly, people suffer from epilepsy after a head injury, stroke or brain infection.

In line with this, it is safe to say that something similar happens in the brain of those with dementia. The brain shrinks in size as some of its cells die off, leading to epilepsy.

Tau and amyloid are two proteins that can build up in the brain of individuals with dementia. This affects how the nerve cells in the brain communicate with each other.

At times, the cells can behave uncontrollably resulting in epileptic seizures.

Diagnosis and Treatment of Seizures in Persons with Dementia

Keep in mind that it is not everyone who has dementia will get seizures. Proper diagnosis is crucial.

The seizures can be challenging to diagnose because some of the behaviors may mimic those of dementia. The input of an epileptologist may be necessary because these are experts who can help with the diagnosis process.

Thankfully, there is an effective way to deal with dementia and epilepsy. Doctors can recommend medication that can reduce or even stop epileptic seizures. These can include anticonvulsants like Neurontin, Depakote, and Lamictal.

There is also evidence that administering drugs like Keppra can help to reverse some loss of memory in persons with dementia.

Other than the drugs, an individual with dementia may also go through deep brain stimulation. This is a more invasive option for treating epilepsy.

This is only recommended when other pharmaceutical options have failed and the epilepsy symptoms are severe because it requires surgery.

Dementia and Epilepsy Closing Remarks

Scientists are now doing more research concerning dementia and epilepsy in the hope of offering deeper insight into the progression of the illness which may lead to uncovering new treatments.