Dementia is a broad term describing symptoms that affect memory and thinking abilities, hindering daily activities. It damages nerve cells in the brain. Dementia can be caused by conditions like Alzheimer's disease or head injuries, and symptoms include memory loss, difficulty communicating, and behavioral changes. Doctors evaluate patients' thinking abilities, neurological functions, medical histories, and more to diagnose dementia and rule out other potential causes.
2. Introduction of Dementia
Dementia is a broad term which describes symptoms affecting memory, thinking ability that creates
hindrance in performing daily activities. Two important brain functions are badly hit namely-
memory and judgment. A person suffering from dementia is incapable to perform activities like
paying bills or becoming lost while driving.
Memory loss alone doesn’t mean a person has dementia because memory loss is an integral part of
ageing. Most aged people suffer from memory loss, but that doesn’t mean they have dementia. There
are many causes of dementia one of which is Alzheimer's disease. Some causes may be reversed.
3. Symptoms of Dementia
Most common signs of dementia include:
•Memory Loss
•Difficulty in communication or searching words
•Unable to complete tasks
•Inability to do planning and organizing
•Getting lost or issues with disorientation
•Behavioral changes
•Hallucinations
•Inability to reason
4. When an individual suffers from dementia, his/her nerve cells in the brain get damaged. Dementia
affects people differently depending upon the affected area in the brain. Dementia can be
grouped in two categories-
• Which cannot be reversed and deteriorate overtime and
• Which can be reversed when treated timely
Causes of Dementia
5. Treatment of Dementia
Alzheimer's disease
Vascular dementia
Lewy body dementia
Frontotemporal dementia
Conditions linked to dementia which can be overturned in time
Infections and immune disorders
Metabolic issues and endocrine deformity
Nutritional deficiencies
Reactions to medications
Poisoning
Brain tumors
Anoxia
Normal-pressure hydrocephalus
Examination and diagnoses for Dementia
Dementia and other related conditions have multiple causes and treating them can be a daunting task for
your medical practitioner. You may require several sitting with the doctor. Your doctor will go through
your medical history and conduct regular physical examination. He/she may perform a number of
tests in order to diagnose dementia and rule out other health conditions.
6. Thinking and neuropsychological tests
In these tests, doctor will assess your thinking function. These tests are necessary to measure
skills like memory, attention, judgment, reasoning and more. On the basis of these
tests, neurologists get to know the magnitude of dementia and which part of brain it has
affected.
Neurological assessment
In this test, neurologists will gauge your senses, movements, reflexes, flexibility etc. It helps
in knowing whether conditions, other than dementia, prevail or not.
• Lab Tests
General blood tests can rule out the possibility of any physical problem that can affect brain
functionality.
Psychiatric assessment
Your doctor may refer to a psychologist in order to determine whether depression or any
other psychological condition may be causing your symptoms.
Simple home remedies to deal with dementia
Enhance communication, encourage exercise, active participation in various games and
thinking activities Encourage keeping a calendar Planning for the future.
7. Thinking and neuropsychological tests
In these tests, doctor will assess your thinking function. These tests are necessary to measure
skills like memory, attention, judgment, reasoning and more. On the basis of these
tests, neurologists get to know the magnitude of dementia and which part of brain it has
affected.
Neurological assessment
In this test, neurologists will gauge your senses, movements, reflexes, flexibility etc. It helps
in knowing whether conditions, other than dementia, prevail or not.
• Lab Tests
General blood tests can rule out the possibility of any physical problem that can affect brain
functionality.
Psychiatric assessment
Your doctor may refer to a psychologist in order to determine whether depression or any
other psychological condition may be causing your symptoms.
Simple home remedies to deal with dementia
Enhance communication, encourage exercise, active participation in various games and
thinking activities Encourage keeping a calendar Planning for the future.