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There are a wide variety of diseases that negatively affect brain function. Such violations should not be ignored, because timely assistance can be life-saving. Dementia is one of the most common problems.

What is dementia syndrome?

Dementia is a chronic and progressive syndrome in which the ability to think is degraded. Gradually, memory, speech, thinking, and understanding of what is happening around deteriorate. Dementia itself is not capable of affecting a person’s consciousness.

When cognitive function is impaired, a person’s emotional state worsens. The disease progresses, and the patient becomes more aggressive. Often this disease is accompanied by severe dementia, especially if brain dementia develops.

The rapid development of the disease is caused by injuries, consequences after a stroke, and various diseases that affect the brain. Dementia appears to be one of the main causes of addiction in older people, as well as disability. Once a person has been diagnosed with dementia, their family should prepare for behavioral changes.

Often people simply do not understand how to care for a patient, how to cope with an illness. This affects the proper level of diagnosis of the disease, as well as timely assistance. Dementia affects the physical, psychological, economic and social spheres of those caring for the patient. They definitely need to know everything that will help them understand how to avoid illness.

Causes of dementia

The basis of this disease is severe damage to the brain, resulting in degeneration or cell death. There are diseases that affect the central nervous system. In such cases, brain cell degeneration develops independently.

The most common causes of dementia include:

• chronic vascular pathologies, atherosclerosis;
• infections;
• traumatic brain injuries and serious bruises;
• hypertonic disease;
• tumor of the central nervous system;
• alcohol addiction;
• chronic meningitis;
• AIDS.

Dementia can develop in young and old people as a complication after a certain disease. Most often, the cause of this syndrome is a complication after:

• hemodialysis;
• severe renal failure;
• thyroid diseases;
• Cushing's syndrome;
• lupus erythematosus;
• multiple sclerosis.

Experts say that in some cases, dementia syndrome begins to develop as a result of several reasons. Then we can assume that this is total dementia, which is a little more difficult to cope with, because not everyone knows how to prevent it.

Types of dementia

All leading experts identify the most common types of this disease, which include:

• age;
• schizophrenic;
• vascular;
• epileptic;
• mental;
• nursery;
• digital.

The classification of the disease depends on many factors, areas of spread and treatment methods.

Functional and anatomical types of dementia

Having considered the foci of localization of the disease, several types of dementia can be distinguished. Experts say that there are only four such types:

• Cortical dementia. In this case, the focus of the lesion is the cerebral cortex. This type is characterized by the presence of Pick's disease, as well as alcoholic dementia.
• Subcortical dementia. All subcortical structures that influence neurological consequences are affected. An example of this type is Parkinson's disease, which affects neurons in the midbrain. A person develops tremors, stiffness in facial expressions and muscles.
• Vascular dementia. This type is mixed because it is characterized by pathologies associated with the vascular systems. Many people wonder whether it is possible to die with this type of disease. If you do not provide the necessary help, then the consequences may be as follows.
• Multifocal dementia. This type is considered the last stage before death, because the foci of the disease affect all parts of the central nervous system. The disease progresses at an incredible rate, accompanied by neurological disorders.

Forms of dementia

Doctors distinguish two forms of this dementia syndrome, which have certain symptoms and characteristics.

• Lacunarnaya. With this form of the disease, the structure that is responsible for a person’s intellectual activity may be affected. In this case, short-term memory suffers first. Patients begin to make small notes in a notebook so as not to forget about something important. The emotional sphere suffers quite a bit, but still the patient becomes more tearful and sensitive. An example of this form is the early stage of Alzheimer's disease.
• Total. With this form, personal awareness completely disintegrates. Severe intellectual impairments appear. It is more difficult for a person to read and write, as well as to communicate normally with others. The patient loses interest in life, the sense of duty and shame is completely absent. If medical care is not provided, the person will be completely maladapted to society. With total dementia, vascular disorders occur, tumors and hematomas appear.

Basic classification of presenile and senile dementias

If the percentage of the disease in mature people is 1%, then by old age it increases by 20%.

IMPORTANT! As you age, your likelihood of developing dementia increases.

It is very important to familiarize yourself with the full classification of the syndrome, which occurs in old age. Experts distinguish several types of dementia, which are characteristic of presenile and senile age. Another name for senile dementia is senile dementia.

• Alzheimer's. It is based on the degeneration of brain cells.
• Vascular. Secondary cell degeneration begins, as a result of which blood circulation in the vessels is disrupted.
• Mixed. The disease develops according to two types, which act simultaneously.

If we consider all the causes of dementia, we can come to the conclusion that there are several stages of the disease. This pathology occurs in different variations, namely:

• Mild degree. This condition can occur without any particular complications. A person does not always even notice any changes in himself. Still, there are problems, because the patient is faced with a violation of professional activity. The social activity of a person with dementia decreases. He makes less contact with others and tries to spend more time completely alone. At this stage of the disease, the patient can care for himself independently.
• Moderate degree. In this case, the patient is not able to remain alone for too long, because he needs the presence of one of his relatives or friends. He loses all skills in basic use of instruments and technology. Close people should constantly monitor the patient and help him. It is worth noting that a person suffering from a moderate stage of dementia can care for himself.
• Severe dementia. At this stage of the disease, the patient needs constant assistance from medical personnel or relatives. A person may experience hallucinations, panic attacks and aggression. In cases of severe dementia, the patient needs help to dress, eat and relieve themselves.

Clinical variants of dementia

Diseases that could not be identified in a timely manner already lead to completely different variations of dementia.

The disease is named after the great doctor who initially identified the pathology in the patient. The specialist was a little alarmed by the woman’s too early dementia, so he began to study everything that could be related to the disease. Today, this type is the most common and accounts for almost 60% of dementia cases. Risk factors include:

• age characteristics;
• having relatives who suffer from Alzheimer's disease;
• development of hypertension;
• atherosclerosis;
• diabetes and obesity;
• traumatic brain injuries.

It is worth noting that women are more likely to develop dementia than men. If you understand the question of what dementia is in women, then there are no differences from other types. The fact is that women simply have a much more difficult time coping with emotional and mental disorders.

The first signs of Alzheimer's type dementia include a condition where the patient often loses memory, becomes anxious and absent-minded. Initially, short-term memory loss may be noticed, but then the person forgets certain moments, days and years. Childhood memories last the longest.

Vascular dementia ranks second among brain diseases. Doctors consider exactly the syndrome that develops after disorders in the vascular system. Most often, this type of disease occurs as a result of hemorrhagic and ischemic stroke. The focus of symptoms comes to the fore because the death of brain cells begins.

ATTENTION! Dementia of this type occurs predominantly in older people, demonstrating a homogeneous picture of the disease.

The causes of such dementia can be diseases such as hypertension and atherosclerosis. It is worth noting that the risk group includes people who have severe diabetes mellitus, heart pathologies, vascular diseases, and excess weight. Those who smoke and lead a sedentary lifestyle also suffer from vascular dementia.

The first signs of the development of the disease include fatigue and difficulty concentrating. It is very difficult for patients to switch from one activity to another. Also, people with dementia complain about difficulties in making basic plans.

Alcoholic dementia

If a person has regularly consumed alcoholic beverages for several years, he will begin to develop a disease of this type. Alcohol affects brain cells, but also affects the liver and blood vessels. Those people who have alcohol addiction can be sure that the first consequences of the disease will appear. Patients' memory, attention, and ability to think sensibly decrease. Also, all social connections are gradually destroyed, and value guidelines are lost.

It is very difficult for doctors to convince a person to start treatment. The patient simply does not see incentives for his own healthy future. If a person manages to last a year without drinking alcohol, the disease will gradually begin to recede.

Frontotemporal dementia (Pick's disease)

A person suffering from this type of disease is not able to think harmoniously and correctly or speak with others. Over time, a person develops depressive tendencies and aggressiveness. As the syndrome spreads, all symptoms disappear completely because mental activity is depleted. Patients complain that they cannot concentrate on one task and cease to recognize people, places and objects.

A little later, hallucinations appear, illusions that are perceived as real things. As soon as the patient tries to interact with the hallucinogens, they disappear. A characteristic feature of this type is sleep behavior disorder. A person can injure others or himself without realizing it.

Diagnosis of dementia

Doctors have developed precise and clear criteria by which to determine the presence of the disease and its degree. Initially, you need to determine whether a person has a memory impairment. He may forget certain details or entire events. In this case, we can assume that the disease is progressing. Specialists interview the patient and observe his behavior. It is necessary to carefully observe his ability for abstract thinking, and also understand if he has plans for the future.

IMPORTANT! A patient with dementia has impaired speech, perception of reality and performance.

With dementia, a person becomes rude, irritable, and aggressive. Interpersonal and family relationships also deteriorate. The patient is poorly oriented in space, experiences a feeling of discomfort, and has hallucinations. If at least one of these symptoms does not disappear within six months, then we can talk about the development of dementia. Otherwise, you can only assume a possible diagnosis.

Dementia treatment

If dementia syndrome is identified early, quality help can be provided. The fight against the disease must be quick and effective. It is necessary to do a test for dementia in order to choose the right treatment path based on it. The main methods of getting rid of dementia include:

• Drug treatment. Experts assure that patients suffering from dementia need to take a course of piracetam, Cerebrolysin, Actovegin, and donepezil. Such drugs improve the functioning of blood vessels and many organs.
• Traditional methods. It is worth noting that treatment at home is possible, but for this you need to know about all the traditional methods. If everything is done correctly, the disease will be stopped. It is necessary to adhere to a diet and lead a healthy lifestyle. Eliminate some foods from your diet, eat more nuts and fruits.
• Stem cell treatment. This method is the most common, because this surgical intervention helps to get rid of many diseases. Stem cells are constantly dividing, so large numbers of them can be placed in the affected areas. Scientists claim that stem cells can be used to treat diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease.

Caring for a person with dementia

People who suffer from different types of dementia need proper care. This is especially necessary for those who are in the final stages of the disease. Relatives do not always care for the patient because it takes a lot of time and effort. In this case, you just need to provide the patient with a good room, a nurse and a place in a boarding house.

If you have the opportunity to independently care for the patient, then you need to do special exercises to develop motor skills and motor function. Read and write more so that a person does not forget speech and develops memory. It is worth noting that if a person suffering from dementia is excessively aggressive or cannot sleep, then sleeping pills can be used only under the supervision of a doctor.

Disease prevention

Doctors recommend that patients follow certain rules to prevent the development of dementia syndrome. Prevention is carried out in young and middle age without any complications. Experts say that it is imperative:

• adhere to a diet to prevent the development of arterial disorders;
• get rid of alcohol addiction and smoking;
• play sports, do exercises, and spend time outdoors as often as possible;
• communicate with people of different ages;
• read books, learn languages, which will help prevent the death of brain cells.

IMPORTANT! Experts say that teachers and scientists are much less likely to develop dementia than other people in different professions.

The disease can affect a child's brain. Parents notice that their baby is a little absent-minded, inattentive, does not read or write well. It is necessary to seek help from a doctor as soon as possible. If you provide timely assistance, you can prevent the development of the disease to a greater extent.

The main reasons include genetic predisposition, infections, trauma and concussion, and drug poisoning. Treatment is carried out only on the recommendation of a doctor and under his full supervision. The reaction to medications is checked in advance, after which a specific course is prescribed.

Symptoms of dementia are a set of specific signs by which a specialist can judge the occurrence or development of this disease. If several symptoms of this pathology occur simultaneously, a set of diagnostic measures should be carried out in order to make a timely and accurate diagnosis and determine the reason why the disease develops in order to eliminate it as quickly as possible.

Main manifestations

The main symptoms and manifestations of dementia or dementia include problems that arise with a person’s memory, thinking, speech and behavioral reactions. Each of these symptoms may in its own way indicate one or another form and severity of the disease, so it is important to consider each of them in detail.

Changes in memory

When a person develops one of the main ones, memory suffers first. With other causes of dementia, memory may be affected later and less obviously.

At first, a person forgets everything: he does not remember where he is going, where something is, what he just talked about or wanted to say. However, he reproduces the events of many years ago with encyclopedic accuracy, and this may concern both his personal life and political events of the past, for example. When forgetting small details of his story, a person freely turns on his imagination and supplements the picture with non-existent facts.

Gradually, memory loss becomes more and more obvious, the time frame of failures expands, and the proportion of fiction increases. Next, confabulation occurs, that is, the replacement of real forgotten events with fictions that are probable in everyday life or even incredible. A person may say that he went to the store, although this did not happen (probable actions), or that he flew to the moon (improbable actions). Confabulation is most common in cases of alcoholic or senile dementia.

Pseudo-reminiscences also occur, that is, substitution of time periods of some specific events. Thus, an older person may begin to feel like he is young again. Gradually, forgetting dates, names of loved ones, and the names of various well-known objects occurs. Later, the patient begins to feel that close people who have long since passed away are alive again; he actively communicates with them and tells everyone around them about them. Sometimes a person talks about leaving somewhere, maybe packing things and leaving the house in an unknown direction. All human life is completely divorced from reality.

When memory is impaired, a person’s practical skills are also impaired. He doesn’t know what to do with household items, how to unlock the door, and confuses hygiene items. By the way, as a result of these processes, many personal hygiene skills are completely forgotten, and a person stops simply washing his face. Untidyness is a prominent symptom of any type of dementia, untidiness begins to occur in moderate severity of the disease, and the ability to control urination and bowel movements is lost in the final stages.

Slowing down your thinking

Another clear symptom of dementia is slowed thinking and lack of attention. The patient loses the ability to abstract certain actions or events, begins to think very primitively, and loses all logical and analytical functions.

The content of the patient’s thought processes becomes very scarce, they slow down greatly. In particular, thinking becomes inflexible, very concrete, and perseveration develops. The logic of constructing judgments is disrupted, false ideas arise (the idea of ​​persecution, betrayal, for example). In severe forms of dementia, thinking becomes fragmented and incoherent.

Features of speech

The disorder of thought processes ultimately affects the quality of the patient’s speech. Such speech acquires many syntactic errors and is characterized by nominal dysphasia. The deep stage of dementia is characterized by a lack of coherent speech and meaningless sounds.

At first, it is very difficult for the patient to choose the words he needs, then a syntactic jam occurs when the person constantly repeats the same words, regardless of what he is talking about. Further, speech is interrupted, sentences do not have endings, and the patient cannot perceive and understand someone else’s speech, despite excellent hearing.

With dementia after a stroke, nasal and slurred speech occurs, and the person begins to speak inarticulately. So gradually all speech is reduced to individual indistinct sounds.

Behavioral reactions

The behavior at first is characterized by complacency and euphoria. Sometimes depressive states already occur in the early stages. The patient becomes self-centered, ceases to sympathize with others, and anger and suspicion arise. The main features are apathy, gluttony, emotional lability, etc. Sometimes a person can completely refuse food.

The behavior itself can be described as disorganized. The patient ceases to be interested in anything, becomes asocial, and may start stealing, for example. Any changes in a person’s character, especially in old age, must be promptly noticed and their causes diagnosed. Cognitive impairments can influence the behavior of a patient with dementia in such a way that he becomes a pedant, stops learning new things (even reading the news, for example), and when he is burdened with some actions that are not part of his regular duties, he shows strong aggression.

As dementia progresses, patients gradually stop taking care of themselves, not paying attention to social conventions, and acquire mannerisms.

Initial manifestations

The initial signs of dementia are very often missed by loved ones and the patient himself, since they are in no way distinguishable from ordinary depression, which today periodically affects 95% of all living people of any age. Such symptoms are characterized by changes in memory, isolation of the personality, and some disorientation in space. Only timely diagnosis will help determine the true causes of this condition and stop irreversible processes.

As already mentioned, memory loss is the first and main signal of emerging dementia.

You need to pay attention to this factor if a person asks you to repeat the same thing several times, but if he accidentally forgot his car keys at home, this is not a sign of dementia.

Avoidance of familiar things and activities, apathy are also symptoms of dementia at the initial stage. If a person abruptly gives up his life’s work and does not want to see friends and relatives, it is worth considering a diagnosis. However, if you want to temporarily take a break from an overly busy schedule, we are not talking about dementia.

The feeling of disorientation can be characterized by the feeling you experience if you sometimes wake up from a deep sleep and cannot immediately understand that you are awake and where you are. If this is a one-time and rare occurrence, there is no reason to worry, but if it is repeated systematically and gets worse each time, it makes sense to think about the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. Late disorientation leads to the inability to determine the season and one's own location. The progression of Alzheimer's disease leads to the fact that the patient falls into childhood or, at a minimum, considers himself much younger than his real age.

Visual-spatial difficulties can also be an alarming symptom in the early stages of the disease. When they occur, a person is not able to perceive distance, depth, and does not recognize loved ones. It is difficult for him to climb stairs, get into the bath, or read. However, you should not worry about developing dementia if visual impairment is associated with eye pathologies, for example, cataracts.

Decreased ability for written or oral communication and irritability of a person may also indicate the onset of dementia. There is no need to sound the alarm if the pathological changes are short-term in nature - everyone experiences mood swings or their eyes become so tired that the person begins to write very crookedly. However, if such symptoms steadily worsen, it is necessary to seek medical help.

Executive functioning is also suppressed during the development of dementia. This is expressed in the fact that a person ceases to perform those functions for which it is necessary to clearly remember the timing and sequence of actions. For example, it has become difficult for a person to pay his monthly bills on time, although previously he always did it on time.

The constant illogical shifting of all household items “into their place” becomes a sign of the development of dementia. Glasses in the refrigerator, shoes in the oven are symptoms of progressive dementia. The patient allegedly does this “consciously” because it becomes difficult for him to look for the desired object, and he finds a “suitable” place for it. Judgment is also impaired when dementia occurs. This can be dangerous because it can cause a person who appears to be normal and does not require outside help to become the target of fraud.

The inability to perform familiar activities is a clear symptom of Alzheimer's disease. You cannot in your right mind get lost on the way from the store, forget how to solve a problem that you could solve for 20 years of teaching, so when such situations arise, you urgently need to undergo appropriate diagnostics.

Symptoms of the last stage

In the final stages of dementia, short- and long-term memory is completely lost. In parallel with this, the person neglects personal hygiene, may not eat anything, does not walk and does not control his bowel movements. The swallowing function is also impaired, and complete disorientation occurs in space and in one’s own personality. There is no speech, there may be inarticulate sounds. All this indicates an imminent fatal outcome, which can be provoked by associated vascular pathologies, infectious processes, and pneumonia.

Symptoms of the last stage of dementia can vary depending on the type of disease:

• frontal dementia;
• senility;
• alcoholic dementia;
• vascular dementia;
• dementia in Parkinson's disease;
• dementia in children.

In the final stages of frontal dementia, the ability to form complex plans and carry them out is completely impaired. In severe stages of senile dementia, people lose all practical skills, memory, and cease to navigate in space. Speech ability and the ability to control physiological needs are often completely lost. The patient in the final stages is in complete physical and mental insanity. In the later stages of alcoholic dementia, people experience severe speech impairments, tremors of the limbs occur, the gait changes (becomes mincing), and the person’s physical strength is greatly weakened.

With vascular dementia in the last stages, all of the above signs of other types of disease may be present, since vascular dementia is considered mixed. A characteristic and obligatory feature of the late stage of vascular dementia is impaired motor activity. Dementia and its manifestations themselves are an indicator of a late stage of the disease, since dementia occurs already at the end of the development of this pathology.

Childhood dementia is not only congenital (oligophrenia), but also quite acquired, if oligophrenia is complicated by injuries, infections and other concomitant pathologies, as well as without a congenital factor in the occurrence of childhood oncology, as well as due to some hereditary diseases. All acquired life skills may be lost, and the child will constantly need close care and observation.

External signs

Dementia can manifest itself at the earliest stages with external signs that, at first glance, no one would classify as such a pathology:

• long sleep;
• strange changes in behavior;
• lack of sensitivity to pain;
• the occurrence of rosacea.

Boston scientists, after many years of observation, have identified a relationship between the onset of dementia and lengthening night sleep. If an adult begins to sleep more than 9 hours a day, then his risk of memory problems increases by 20%.

Prolonged sleep does not provoke the onset of dementia, but is an external sign of such processes. Changes in the structure of the brain lead to increased fatigue, so much more sleep is required.

Sudden changes in behavior, mood and personality reactions can also be considered an early indicator of the onset of Alzheimer's disease. Scientists have found that changes in behavioral reactions occur long before the first memory impairments, so it should be considered the first bell for diagnostic examinations.

Patients with Alzheimer's pathology cease to feel pain and cannot adequately respond to diseases that arise in the body. In this case, the ability to react to thermal stimuli, shocks, etc. is lost. The reasons for this relationship have not yet been clarified by scientists, but the relationship itself cannot be doubted today.

A study by Danish scientists suggests that people with rosacea (a chronic skin condition) have a 25% increased risk of developing dementia. Therefore, when symptoms of rosacea occur, specialists take into account the likelihood of developing dementia and do their best to diagnose or prevent it in a timely manner.

Features of manifestation in young people

Young people generally experience the same symptoms of dementia as older people. Memory problems in young people have a greater impact on their quality of life, since they lose the ability to fully perform work functions, and numerous problems arise on this basis. Forgetfulness leads not only to mistakes in immediate professional responsibilities, but also to loss of orientation, being late for work, and ignoring important matters.

Concentration drops significantly, a person becomes unable to properly plan his own schedule, which is why problems constantly arise with employees and management, which can lead to stress and depression, which will aggravate the symptoms of dementia.

Awareness of their own problem leads to the fact that young patients with dementia drop out of society, they are ashamed of themselves and thereby aggravate their own illness. Loss of interest in life is the main symptom of dementia in young people, which distinguishes it from senile manifestations of the disease.

Personal changes can also be characterized by the emergence of new habits - a passion for order and cleanliness, collecting non-standard items, and so on. Often dementia in youth is accompanied by aggressive behavior, since a person periodically realizes his inferiority, but cannot do anything about it. This gives rise to aggression.

It is important to understand that early-onset dementia can in most cases be treated if diagnosed in a timely manner, so you should not be afraid to go to the doctor to determine the reasons for your own strange feeling.

2. In 2017, by the decision of the examination commission at the private institution of additional professional education “Institute for Advanced Training of Medical Personnel”, she was admitted to carry out medical or pharmaceutical activities in the specialty of radiology.

Experience: general practitioner – 18 years, radiologist – 2 years.

In common words, dementia means memory loss. However, symptoms and signs of this disease do not appear immediately. Dementia usually develops in old age. The reasons for this may be Alzheimer's disease and other diseases. There are stages of dementia, each of which requires appropriate treatment. Timely diagnosis will help prevent the disease.

A person may not realize that they have a predisposition to dementia. This may be evidenced by relatives who have developed it, or diseases that can cause dementia.

What is dementia?

The concept of dementia becomes clearer if we call it in other words “memory loss”. What is dementia? This is a decrease in cognitive activity, which is also accompanied by the loss of previously acquired knowledge and skills. A person cannot learn new information or renew existing knowledge, which makes the disease especially terrible.

Dementia is classified as insanity when mental functions gradually decay due to brain damage. This disease should be distinguished from oligophrenia, which is a congenital disease manifested in mental underdevelopment.

Statistics show that every year the number of people suffering from dementia is increasing. By 2030, the number of patients will be more than 70 million people, and by 2050 - more than 140 million.

Causes of dementia

Dementia is predominantly a disease of older people. However, there are cases of the development of this disease in young representatives. Causes of dementia at a young age may include:

• Strokes.
• Toxic effects.
• Inflammatory diseases of the brain.

The disease manifests itself as a result of a person’s desire to escape reality through an artificial change in consciousness.

Dementia can appear as an independent disease or as a result of the presence of other diseases:

1. Alzheimer's disease.
2. Pick's disease.
3. Parkinson's disease.

During dementia, changes are observed in the blood vessels in the brain. From the moment the first symptoms appear, the entire way of life gradually begins to change. This also affects loved ones who are forced to change their lifestyle in order to care for a sick relative.

It is quite difficult to identify the causes of dementia. In some cases, we may be talking about a hereditary predisposition to suffer from dementia at a certain age. At the same time, it is divided into the following types:

• Vascular dementia.
• Post-traumatic.
• Degenerative.
• Senile, etc.

Symptoms of dementia

The first symptoms of dementia are the gradual loss of former skills and knowledge that the person possessed. Before the onset of the disease, he was able to solve logical problems, respond adequately to situations, and take care of himself. With the onset of illness, these skills are gradually lost, partially or completely.

Early dementia can be recognized by the following symptoms:

1. Bad mood.
2. Grumpiness.
3. Narrowing interests.
4. Pickiness.
5. Lethargy.
6. Apathy.
7. Aggressiveness.
8. Lack of self-criticism.
9. Impulsiveness.
10. Lack of initiative.
11. Anger.
12. Irritability.

Symptoms vary. Depressive states, impaired logic, memory and speech are inherent here. Professional skills are also lost. A person needs a nurse or care from loved ones. Cognitive skills are lost. Sometimes short-term memory impairment becomes the only symptom.

• Personality and behavioral changes occur at any stage of the disease.
• Motor or deficit syndromes also appear at different stages, depending on the type of dementia.
• Paranoia, hallucinations, psychosis, and manic states occur in 10% of patients.
• Seizures are common at any stage of dementia.

Signs of dementia

The first signs of dementia are memory disorders and, as a result, irritability, depression, and impulsivity. Behavior becomes regressive: rigidity (rigidity), sloppiness, frequent preparations for travel, stereotyping. Subsequently, the progressive state is no longer recognized by the person. He stops worrying about this and even loses the skills to take care of himself. Professional skills are the last to be lost.

During the conversation, the following signs of dementia appear:

• Headache.
• Nausea.
• Dizziness.
• Attention disturbance.
• Unstable gaze fixation.
• Inability to predict the consequences of actions.
• Stereotypical movements.
• Forgetting your name, place of residence, year of birth.

With further progression of the disease in subsequent stages, the following signs are revealed:

• Alexia.
• Agraphia.
• Apraxia.
• Aphasia.
• Inability to name body parts and sides (left/right).
• Autoagnosia – failure to recognize oneself in the mirror.
• Changes in handwriting and character.
• Stiffness.
• Muscle rigidity.
• Parkinsonian manifestations.
• Epileptic seizures and psychoses in rare cases.

The third stage of dementia is accompanied by muscle tone and vegetative coma.

Stages of dementia

Dementia is divided into 3 stages:

1. Easy. Minor impairments in cognitive activity and maintaining a critical attitude towards one’s own condition. A person can live independently and do household work.
2. Moderate. Impaired cognitive activity and decreased critical attitude towards oneself. A person has difficulty doing household chores and using household appliances, door locks, telephones, and latches.
3. Heavy. There is a complete collapse of personality. Lack of hygiene, inability to eat independently. A person needs constant care.

Dementia due to Alzheimer's disease

When dementia is detected, it is still noted in 50% of cases. Most often, this disorder affects women. It usually appears after age 65. However, there are cases of Alzheimer's disease occurring after reaching 50 years of age and even 28 years of age.

Alzheimer's disease is not curable. Treatment can only slow down the process of its development. Usually the duration of the disease is 2-10 years, after which the person dies.

Dementia in Alzheimer's disease begins with changes in facial expressions, which is called “Alzheimer's amazement”:

1. Open eyes.
2. Surprised facial expression.
3. Rare blinking.
4. Poor orientation in unfamiliar areas.

Difficulties in speech and writing are also noted. A person gradually becomes unadapted to society, losing all skills and knowledge.

Mental retardation and dementia

Dementia is in many ways similar to mental retardation. However, these diseases have their differences. Oligophrenia is a congenital disorder of mental activity, which manifests itself already 1.5-2 years after a person’s birth. With dementia, there is an intellectual defect that develops after 60-65 years.

Oligophrenia is a consequence of underdevelopment of parts of the brain. Intellectual and mental disorders appear as soon as a personality begins to form. Main signs of the disease:

• Damage to the central nervous system.
• Total insufficiency of abstract forms of thinking.
• Intellectual defect and disturbance of speech, perception, motor skills, memory, attention, emotional sphere, voluntary forms of behavior.
• Lack of cognitive activity, which is expressed in the absence of logical thinking, impaired mobility of mental processes, inertia of generalization, lack of comparisons of phenomena and things, inability to understand the meaning of metaphors and phrases.

Diagnosis of dementia

Dementia is diagnosed in a state of awareness (confusion excluded) and in the absence of delirium. The diagnosis is made if social maladaptation persists for up to 6 months and disorders of thinking, attention, and memory appear. In the presence of memory loss, decreased cognitive function, control of emotions and impulses, confirmation of atrophy on EEG, computed tomography and neurological examination, a diagnosis of dementia is made.

Intellectual-mnestic impairments and disorders of skills necessary at work and at home are noted to determine dementia. In clinical practice, the following types of dementia are noted:

1. Partial dementia (dysmnestic).
2. Total dementia (diffuse).
3. Partial changes (pacunar).
4. Pseudo-organic.
5. Organic.
6. Postapoplectic.
7. Post-traumatic, etc.

The cause of dementia should be diagnosed, where the following pathologies may be identified:

• Alzheimer's disease.
• Chronic exogenous and endogenous intoxication.
• Pick's disease.
• Cerebrovascular pathology.
• Degenerative or traumatic brain injury.

Dementia treatment

During periods of acute psychosis, dementia is treated in minimal doses by taking tranquilizers and antipsychotics.

• Nootropics, cholinesterase inhibitors (Tacrine, Physostigmine, Rivastigmine, Galantamine, Donepezil), megavitamin therapy are used to eliminate cognitive dysfunction.
• Yumex is used against parkinsonian seizures.
• Angiovasin and Cavinton (Sermion) are used for vascular diseases.
• Somatotropin, Prefisone, Oxytocin are prescribed to influence the processes of short-term and long-term memory.
• Suprex (Olanzapine) and Risperidone (Risperdal) are used to correct behavior and...

Treatment of elderly patients is carried out exclusively by specialists. Self-medication will not help. What remains important is the patient’s communication with relatives and their care for him. Mental disorders are eliminated with antidepressants, and disorders of memory, speech, and thought processes are eliminated with Aricept, Reminyl, Akatinol, Exenol, Neuromidin.

It becomes impossible to prevent the development of the disease, but doctors are taking every action to improve the quality of life and reduce the symptoms of dementia.

Psychological assistance is provided not only to the patient, but also to relatives who are forced to care for him. Here are recommendations on how to behave with a patient:

• Communicate politely and calmly, while being clear and precise.
• Keep your questions short and simple and repeat as necessary.
• Speak slowly and encouragingly.
• Do not react to reproaches and reproaches.
• Start the conversation with the patient's name.
• Break work down into simple steps.
• Remember the old days.
• Show respect and patience.

Prevention of dementia

Dementia cannot be avoided whether it is programmed genetically or congenitally. However, if you have illnesses or injuries, all this can be avoided. Preventing dementia will help many people avoid developing the disease. It consists of the following actions:

1. Replenishing the body with B vitamins and folic acid.
2. Increasing physical and intellectual activity.
3. Elimination of irritability, impulsivity, depression through sea therapy.
4. Replenishing the body with bromine, for example, sea air.
5. Maintaining an active and mobile lifestyle.

Prevention of dementia can begin at a young age and certainly in middle age. It is during this period that processes begin to start that destroy the body. If a person has a predisposition to dementia, it gradually develops.

Forecast

The prognosis for dementia is disappointing, since it is an incurable disease. If, in its presence, other diseases are noted, for example, Alzheimer's disease, then we are talking about the short life of the patient. At best, a person will live up to 10 years. If the patient does not receive support and help, then he will die much faster.

A person with dementia cannot learn, nor can they restore lost skills and knowledge. The patient needs care because he often loses even the most basic skills.

If we are talking about alcoholic dementia, then the patient’s condition improves as soon as he stops drinking alcohol. However, in some cases, the cause of the disease cannot be eliminated, making it a permanent illness until death.

Senile dementia is a common disease.

It is characterized by the collapse of personality and leads to complete maladjustment of the patient.

Changes in the brain are organic in nature and therefore irreversible. Doctors have adopted various classifications of the disease.

Dementia is an organic lesion of the brain (organic dementia), leading to the loss of all previously acquired skills, knowledge, abilities and the inability to acquire new ones.

According to ICD 10, the disease is coded F00-F03.

The classification of pathology is based on the following characteristics:

• cause of occurrence;
• localization of the lesion;
• nature of manifestations.

Functional and anatomical forms

Depending on which part of the brain the changes occur, there are several types of dementia. Dementia is divided into:

According to the degree of intellectual impairment, the following types of senile insanity are distinguished:

1. Lacunar dementia. Changes occur in memory and attention. A patient with lacunar dementia often gets tired and cannot concentrate on anything. But criticism of one’s actions remains.

   The disease is a consequence of atherosclerosis (atherosclerotic dementia), cerebellar tumors, and the initial stage of Alzheimer's disease.

2. Partial dementia. Shallow changes occur due to contusion, encephalitis, meningitis. A person is aware of his condition and tries to compensate for shortcomings.
3. Total dementia (diffuse, global). Total dementia develops in the late stages of Alzheimer's disease, Pick's disease, and brain tumors.

The patient experiences a complete breakdown of personality, loss of all skills, and lacks a critical attitude towards himself.

Etiopathogenetic varieties

Dementia occurs for many reasons. Depending on the condition that caused the collapse of the personality, dementia is divided into the following types:

1. Vascular. (F01). It develops secondarily as a complication of cerebrovascular accident. The main provoking factors are atherosclerosis and hypertension, which cause minor cerebral hemorrhage.

   The first symptoms are nervous and mental disorders (depression), then memory and thinking deteriorate.



2. Alzheimer's type dementia. (G30-39). With this disease, the death of brain neurons occurs, and the cerebral cortex atrophies.

   The first sign of the disease is memory impairment. As it progresses, complete maladjustment of the patient develops.

3. Idiopathic dementia (dementia of an unspecified type). (G30.9). The causes have not been established. The symptoms are no different from the Alzheimer's type: memory impairment, movement, loss of all cognitive functions.
4. Presenile dementia. It is a variant of Alzheimer's dementia. Develops in the 5th year of illness. The main symptom is speech impairment. The patient confuses the names of objects, his speech is meaningless.
5. Pick's disease. (G31.0). With this disease, the frontotemporal cerebral lobes, which are responsible for human behavior and self-control, atrophy. At the initial stage, memory remains unchanged, but behavioral skills are lost, speech and thinking are impaired.
6. Consequence of Parkinson's disease. (G20). Characterized by impaired movement and loss of coordination. In later stages, the ability to walk and perform simple physical activities is lost.
7. . Occurs due to the destructive effects of large doses of alcohol. Violations occur in the departments responsible for memory, thinking, perception, and coordination of movement. At a later stage, the personality completely degrades.
8. Traumatic dementia. Development depends on repeated trauma. With a single injury it does not progress.

   Another type of traumatic dementia is boxer's dementia. It occurs as a result of repeated traumatic brain injuries, leading to atrophy of brain cells.
   

   Symptoms depend on the location of the lesion. Speech disturbances, decreased intelligence, and mental disorders are observed.

9. Toxic (drug-induced) dementia. Occurs due to long-term use of medications in large doses. Drugs such as blood pressure lowerers, antidepressants, antipsychotics, and heart medications can provoke disorders in the brain. This species has a reversible course.
10. (a consequence of epilepsy). However, the cause is not the disease itself, but injuries from falls, brain hypoxia, and treatment with phenobarbital. The emotional-volitional sphere is affected. The patient becomes aggressive, vindictive, perception and thinking are disrupted.



11. Dementia resulting from multiple sclerosis. In multiple sclerosis, the myelin sheath of the nerves is destroyed.

    If the disease is not treated, at a later stage the changes will affect the brain. Memory, thinking, and self-criticism suffer.

12. Dementia due to mixed diseases. It is a consequence of a combination of diseases that provoke the destruction of neurons.

    For example, a patient may have epilepsy and schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease and multiple sclerosis. In this case, all the signs inherent in existing diseases are present.

13. . Develops against the background of schizophrenia. Characterized by a psychopathic course. Depression and manic pursuit begin, then orientation in space and coordination of movement are lost.

    The peculiarity of this type is that the symptoms can weaken, sometimes disappear completely, then return with renewed vigor.

14. Hypothermic. Some doctors classify this type of dementia as a separate group. It is considered a consequence of metabolic disorders in the blood vessels of the brain that occur under the influence of high or low temperatures (prolonged exposure to frost).
15. Senile(). It is the result of natural aging of the body. The death of neurons occurs due to hormonal imbalance, and the volume and weight of the brain decreases. Diagnosed at a late age.

Other types of disease and their brief characteristics

In medicine, there are types of dementia that are not so widespread. According to the ICD, this type of disease is designated by code F02.8.

Each type of senile insanity is characterized by its own cognitive impairment. Only in some cases is there a combination of multiple symptoms. The doctor's task is to determine the source of progressive dementia.

Therapy is prescribed in accordance with the disease that triggered the process of brain cell degradation. The classification of the disease is adopted to identify the root cause of the pathology and prescribe adequate treatment.

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Dementia is a dysfunction of the intellect, its defeat, as a result of which there is a decrease in the ability to comprehend the connections between surrounding realities, phenomena, and events. With dementia, cognitive processes deteriorate, and there is a depletion of emotional reactions and character traits, often to the point of their complete disappearance. In addition, the ability to separate the important (primary) from the insignificant (secondary) is lost, and criticality of one’s own behavior and speech is lost.

Dementia can be acquired or congenital. The second is called mental retardation. Acquired dementia is called dementia and manifests itself in weakening of memory, a decrease in the stock of ideas and knowledge.

Causes of dementia

Since dementia is based on severe organic pathology of the nervous system, any disease that can cause degeneration and destruction of brain cells can become a factor provoking the development of dementia.

Most often, people of the age category are susceptible to this dysfunction, but today it often occurs in young people.

Dementia at a young age can give rise to:

Traumatic brain injuries;

Past illnesses;

Intoxication leading to the death of brain cells;

Abuse of alcohol-containing liquids;

Fanaticism.

In the first turn, in the elderly period, specific forms of dementia can be distinguished, in which damage to the cerebral cortex is an independent and dominant pathogenetic mechanism of the disease. These specific forms of dementia include:

The level of development corresponds to that of a child;

The ability to be critical disappears;

Disorientation in space.

Dementia in children– first of all, this is a violation of intellectual function caused by brain damage, which leads to social maladjustment. It manifests itself, as a rule, as a disorder of the emotional-volitional sphere of children, speech disorders, and motor disorder.

Below are the symptoms depending on the form of dementia.

The main classification of the disease of late age in question consists of three types: vascular dementia, which includes cerebral atherosclerosis, atrophic (Pick's disease, Alzheimer's disease) and mixed dementia.

The classic and most common form of vascular dementia is cerebral atherosclerosis. The clinical picture of this disease varies depending on the stage of development of the pathology.

At the initial stage, neurosis-like disorders predominate, such as lethargy, weakness, increased fatigue and irritability, sleep disorders, and headaches. In addition, defects in attention are noted, personality traits become sharpened, absent-mindedness and affective disorders appear, manifested by depressive feelings, incontinence, “weakness of character,” and emotional lability.

At subsequent stages, memory disorders for names, dates, and current events become more pronounced. In the future, memory impairments become deeper and manifest themselves in the form of paramnesia, progressive, fixation amnesia, disorientation (). The mental function loses flexibility, becomes rigid, and the motivational component of intellectual activity decreases.

Thus, the formation of partial atherosclerotic dementia of the dysmnestic type occurs. In other words, atherosclerotic dementia occurs with a predominance of memory impairment.

With cerebral atherosclerosis, acute or subacute psychoses are quite rarely observed, manifesting more often at night, in the form of a disorder, delusional ideas, etc. Sometimes chronic delusional psychoses may appear in conjunction with paranoid delusions.

Alzheimer's disease is a primary degenerative dementia, which is accompanied by a steady progression of memory dysfunction and intellectual activity. This disease usually begins after overcoming the sixty-five-year mark. The described disease has several stages of progression.

The initial stage is characterized by cognitive dysfunction and mnestic-intellectual decline, which is manifested by forgetfulness, deterioration in social interaction and professional activity, difficulty in time orientation, increasing symptoms of fixation amnesia, and disorientation in space. In addition, this stage is accompanied by neuropsychological symptoms, including apraxia, aphasia and agnosia. Emotional and personal disorders are also observed, such as subdepressive reactions to one’s own inadequacy, egocentrism, and delusional ideas. At this stage of the disease, patients are able to critically assess their own condition and try to correct the growing incompetence.

The moderate stage is characterized by temporo-parietal neuropsychological syndrome, an increase in the phenomena of amnesia, and a quantitative progression of disturbances in spatio-temporal orientation. Dysfunction of the intellectual sphere is especially pronounced: a pronounced decrease in the level of judgment, difficulties with analytical and synthetic activity, and speech disorders, disorders of optical-spatial activity, praxis, and gnosis are also observed. The interests of patients at this stage are quite limited. They need constant support and care. Such patients are unable to cope with professional responsibilities. However, they retain their basic personality traits. Patients feel inferior and react adequately emotionally to the illness.

Severe dementia is characterized by complete loss of memory, and ideas about one’s own personality are fragmented. At this stage, patients cannot do without help and total support. They are unable to do the most basic things, such as personal hygiene. Agnosia reaches its peak manifestation. The breakdown of speech function most often occurs as a type of complete sensory aphasia.

Pick's disease is less common than Alzheimer's disease. In addition, among the number of sick individuals there are more women. The main manifestations are transformations in the emotional and personal sphere: deep personality disorders are observed, there is a complete lack of criticality, behavior is passive, aspontaneous, and impulsive. The patient behaves rudely, uses foul language, and is hypersexual. He is unable to adequately assess the situation.

If the initial stages of vascular dementia are characterized by a sharpening of certain character traits, then Pick's disease is characterized by a sharp modification of the behavioral response, up to the completely opposite, previously not inherent. So, for example, a polite person turns into a rude person, a responsible person turns into an irresponsible one.

The following transformations in the cognitive sphere are observed in the form of profound disturbances in mental activity. At the same time, automated skills (such as counting, writing) are retained for a long time. Memory impairments occur much later than personality transformations and are not as pronounced as in Alzheimer's or vascular dementia. From the very beginning of the development of the pathology in question, the patient’s speech becomes paradoxical: difficulties in selecting the right words are combined with verbosity.

Pick's disease is a special type of dementia of the frontal type. This also includes: degeneration of the frontal region, motor neurons and frontotemporal dementia with symptoms of parkinsonism.

Depending on the predominant damage to certain areas of the brain, four forms of dementia are distinguished: cortical, subcortical, cortical-subcortical and multifocal dementia.

In cortical dementia, the cerebral cortex is predominantly affected. More often it occurs due to alcoholism, Pick's disease and Alzheimer's disease.

In the subcortical form of the disease, first of all, the subcortical structures are affected. This form of pathology is accompanied by neurological disorders, such as muscle stiffness, tremors of the limbs, and gait disorders. More often it is caused by Parkinson's or Huntington's diseases, and also occurs as a result of hemorrhages into the white matter.

The cerebral cortex and subcortical structures are affected in cortical-subcortical dementia, which is more often observed in vascular pathologies.

Multifocal dementia occurs due to the formation of multiple areas of degeneration and necrosis in different parts of the nervous system. Neurological disorders are quite diverse and are determined by the localization of pathological foci.

It is also possible to systematize dementia depending on the size of the lesions into total dementia and lacunar (structures responsible for certain types of mental activity suffer).

Typically, short-term memory impairment plays a leading role in the symptoms of lacunar dementia. Patients may forget what they planned to do, where they are, etc. Criticism towards one's own condition is preserved, disturbances in the emotional-volitional sphere are weakly expressed. Asthenic symptoms may be observed, in particular, emotional instability and tearfulness. The lacunar form of dementia is observed in many diseases, including the initial stages of Alzheimer's disease.

In the total form of dementia, a gradual disintegration of personality is noted, intellectual function decreases, learning abilities are lost, the emotional-volitional sphere is disrupted, shame disappears, and the range of interests is narrowed.

Total dementia develops as a result of massive circulatory disorders in the frontal areas.

Signs of dementia

There are ten typical signs of dementia.

The first and earliest sign of the development of dementia is considered to be changes in memory, and above all, short-term memory. The initial transformations are almost invisible. For example, a patient may remember events from his past youth, but not remember the foods he ate for breakfast.

The next early sign of developing dementia is speech disorders. It is difficult for patients to find the right words; it is difficult for them to explain basic things. They may try in vain to find the right words. A conversation with a sick person suffering from the early stages of dementia becomes difficult and takes more time than it previously did.

The fifth sign is the appearance of difficulties in performing ordinary tasks. For example, a person is unable to check his credit card balance.

Often in the early stages of dementia, a person feels confused. Due to a decrease in memory function, mental activity and judgment, confusion arises, which is the sixth sign of the described disorder. The patient forgets faces, adequate interaction with society is disrupted.

The seventh sign is difficulty remembering plot lines, difficulty reproducing a television program or conversation.

Spatial disorientation is considered the eighth sign of dementia. Sense of direction and spatial orientation are common mental functions that are among the first to be impaired in dementia. The patient ceases to recognize familiar landmarks or is unable to remember previously constantly used directions. Moreover, it becomes quite difficult for them to follow step-by-step instructions.

Repetition is a common sign of dementia. People with dementia may repeat daily tasks or obsessively collect unwanted items. They often repeat questions that have already been answered before.

The last sign can be considered disadaptation to change. People suffering from the described illness are characterized by a fear of change. Because they forget familiar faces, are unable to follow the speaker’s thoughts, forget why they came to the store, they strive for a routine existence and are afraid to try new things.

Dementia treatment

First, treatment for dementia is selected depending on the etiological factor. The main therapeutic measures in the early stages of the development of the disease come down to the prescription of nootropics and general strengthening agents.

Common methods of treating dementia can be distinguished: prescribing antipsychotics, drugs that promote normal cerebral circulation, adding foods rich in antioxidants to the daily diet, systematic control of blood pressure.

Other methods should be used to treat vascular dementia. In this case, treatment measures are aimed at the main cause of neuronal destruction. In addition to prescribing pharmacopoeial drugs, it is necessary to adjust nutrition, normalize routine, eliminate smoking, and develop a set of simple physical exercises. Solving simple mental exercises is also practiced to train mental activity. Daily walks are recommended as therapeutic and preventive measures for dementia.

Prescription of medications is carried out based on the patient's condition. Today, the following pharmacopoeial drugs are most often prescribed: antidementia drugs, antipsychotics and antidepressants.

The first group of drugs is aimed at protecting neurons from destruction and improving their transmission. These drugs will not cure the disease, but can significantly slow down the rate of its development.

Antipsychotics are used to relieve anxiety and eliminate aggressive manifestations.

Antidepressants are prescribed to eliminate manifestations of anxiety and eliminate apathy.

Dementia in children involves the following treatment: systematic use of psychostimulants (sydnocarb or caffeine-sodium benzoate). The use of herbal tonics is often recommended. For example, preparations based on eleutherococcus, lemongrass, and ginseng. These drugs are characterized by low toxicity, have a beneficial effect on the nervous system and increase resistance to various types of stress. Also, when treating childhood dementia, one cannot do without taking nootropics that affect memory, mental activity and learning. Most often prescribed are Piracetam, Lucetam, Noocetam.

Doctor of the Medical and Psychological Center "PsychoMed"

The information presented in this article is intended for informational purposes only and cannot replace professional advice and qualified medical care. If you have the slightest suspicion that you have dementia, be sure to consult your doctor!