Definition

Dementia is a loss in mental skills, such as the ability to think, reason, learn, and understand. It causes problems with day-to-day tasks and self care.

Some Areas of the Brain Affected by Dementia Copyright © Nucleus Medical Media, Inc.

Causes

Many health problems can be a cause. Some common ones are:

• Alzheimer dementia
• Brain damage after many small strokes
• Lewy body disease
• Front-temporal dementia, such as Pick disease
• Huntington disease
• Brain injury
• Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and other prion disorders
• Parkinson disease

Risk Factors

It is more common in older adults. Other things that may raise the risk are:

• Having other people in your family who have it
• Down syndrome
• Having head trauma
• Having health problems that damage the heart and blood vessels, such as:
  • High cholesterol
  • High blood pressure
  • Diabetes
  • Multiple strokes

Symptoms

Symptoms start slowly and get worse with time. They may be:

• Memory loss
• Lack of focus
• Problems making choices or plans
• Problems naming things
• Getting lost in familiar places
• Mood swings
• Slowness when moving
• Being withdrawn

Diagnosis

The doctor will ask about your symptoms and health past. A physical exam will be done. Tests on memory, thought processes, and nervous system will also be done. Images of the brain may be taken with:

• MRI scan
• CT scan
• PET/CT scan

Treatment

There is no cure. The goal is to manage it. This can be done with medicines, such as:

• Cholinesterase inhibitors to treat changes in thinking
• Memantine to decrease abnormal activity in the brain

Prevention

The exact cause of dementia is not known. General tips for brain health include:

• Exercise regularly. Aim for 150 minutes or more of activity each week.
• Eat a healthful diet that is rich in fruits, vegetables, grains, beans, seeds, olive oil, and fish.
• If you drink, drink in moderation. This means no more than 1 drink per day for women and 2 drinks per day for men.
• Stop smoking.
• Reach or stay at a healthy weight.
• Manage high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes.
• Look for ways to challenge and grow mental abilities throughout life. This could mean learning new skills or mental games and puzzles.