| I'm surprised when some patients and
| |
| | placed in his or her hands without
|
| caregivers confuse dementia and
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| | looking at it.
|
| Alzheimer's as one and the same. Each
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| | Impairment in executive functioning is
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| time a family member is suffering from
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| | characterized by difficulty in abstract
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| memory loss, the conclusion is always
| |
| | reasoning and in organizing things,
|
| Alzheimer's. Is it reasonable to label
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| | schedule, and activities. Patients with
|
| all dementias as Alzheimer's?
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| | this problem give concrete meaning to
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| As a clinician, my answer to queries is
| |
| | proverbs. For example, when a patient is
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| that Alzheimer's dementia is only one
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| | asked what "don't cry over spilled milk"
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| type of dementia and that not all
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| | means, the patient responds, "It's easy.
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| dementias are Alzheimer's. Aside from
| |
| | Just wipe it!" Moreover, knowing the
|
| Alzheimer's disease, other dementias
| |
| | specific similarities and differences of
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| exist such as Dementia with lewy body,
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| | certain things (e.g. apple versus orange)
|
| Vascular dementia, Parkinson's disease
| |
| | is a struggle for some patients.
|
| with dementia, and dementias due to
| |
| | What are the possible causes of
|
| various neurologic and medical
| |
| | Alzheimer's?
|
| conditions.
| |
| | The cause of Alzheimer is still unknown.
|
| How will you know if a person is
| |
| | However, several risk factors have been
|
| suffering from Alzheimer's dementia? What
| |
| | identified. One major risk factor is age.
|
| is Alzheimer's dementia?
| |
| | The risk of developing dementia increases
|
| Alzheimer's dementia is a neurologic
| |
| | as our age advances. Older individuals
|
| disorder characterized by a progressive
| |
| | therefore are more at risk. Having said
|
| and irreversible cognitive decline
| |
| | this, Alzheimer's can also happen to
|
| associated with impairment in
| |
| | young individuals.
|
| functioning. The cognitive deterioration
| |
| | Other important risk factors include the
|
| consists of memory impairment. Initially
| |
| | presence of apolipoprotein E4 allele, the
|
| there is recent memory impairment but as
| |
| | predominance of plaques and tangles in
|
| the disease progresses, even the long
| |
| | the brain, and the brain's impaired
|
| term memory is affected.
| |
| | cholinergic system.
|
| In addition to memory impairment, a
| |
| | Is there any successful treatment for
|
| patient with dementia has impairment in
| |
| | Alzheimer's?
|
| one of four cognitive areas: aphasia,
| |
| | Alzheimer's disease is irreversible so
|
| apraxia, agnosia, and impairment in
| |
| | current medications are only geared to
|
| executive functioning. Aphasia is a
| |
| | slow down the deterioration. These
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| problem in language characterized by
| |
| | acetylcholisterase inhibitors, namely
|
| inability to express oneself, repeat
| |
| | galantamine, rivastigmine, and donepezil,
|
| words or phrases, or understand what is
| |
| | are aimed at improving the cholinergic
|
| being said. Apraxia is inability to
| |
| | functioning in the brain by inhibiting
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| adequately perform a usual motor activity
| |
| | the cholinesterase enzyme. Although
|
| such as combing the hair or brushing the
| |
| | initially indicated for mild to moderate
|
| teeth despite no paralysis or
| |
| | dementia, some recent evidence shows that
|
| musculoskeletal abnormality.
| |
| | some of these drugs may also benefit
|
| Agnosia is inability to recognize objects
| |
| | patients with moderate to severe
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| or things despite intact sensory
| |
| | dementia. Further studies are warranted
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| functions. For instance, a demented
| |
| | to determine its efficacy in this group.
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| patient cannot recognize a key or a pen
| |
| |
|
