What is dementia?

Posted: October 28, 2016, 1:37PM

Caregivers often contact me about dementia. They tell me that their care receiver has been diagnosed with dementia, and they are confused about the difference between dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's disease, other diseases, and brain injuries are causes of dementia.

Dementia is an 'umbrella term' describing a group of brain disorders that cause memory loss. Dementia may be caused by Alzheimer's disease (the most common form of dementia), vascular incidents (mini-strokes or major strokes), Parkinson's disease (most often causing movement disorders initially but can lead to dementia), brain damage (car accidents, head trauma), Lewy Body disease and others.

Sometimes memory loss and confusion are caused by medical problems other than dementia that can be treated. Examples of this are low B-12, low blood sugar with diabetics, infections, and medication interactions to name but a few.

Alzheimer's disease cannot be cured but there are medications that might help. Vascular dementia treatments focus on controlling blood pressure and cholesterol as much as possible. Parkinson's disease cannot be cured but medications may control symptoms. Although medications for dementia are limited, doctors can sometimes treat the symptoms and behavioral issues that come with dementia.

Diagnosing dementia can be challenging. Two core mental functions (such as memory, language skills, ability to focus and pay attention, ability to reason and problem solve, and visual perception) must be impaired enough to interfere with daily living. Your physician will probably do a physical, take your history, order lab work, do a neurological exam and test mental function to come to a probable diagnosis. They may also order brain scans. No single test can diagnose dementia.

Decline of memory function is normal with aging but does it interfere with daily living? If you or your care receiver is showing signs of dementia (forgetfulness, confusion, trouble with language such as not being able to find the right words, trouble with concentration and reasoning, problems with paying bills or balancing a checkbook, and getting lost in familiar places), it's important to consult your physician to see what the causal factors may be.

[Sources: www.uptodate.com, www.alz.org, www.webmd.com, www.mayoclinic.org]