Is senile dementia hereditary?

Written by Zhang Hui
Neurology
Updated on September 14, 2024
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Dementia primarily refers to Alzheimer's disease, which mainly has two types: The first type is sporadic Alzheimer's disease, which does not have a clear familial history. It is caused by the degeneration and death of neurons due to various reasons, leading to certain clinical symptoms. This type of sporadic dementia does not have a genetic predisposition. The other type of dementia has a clear family history, where patients typically exhibit mutations in the APP gene, leading to increased secretion, which in turn causes the death of neurons and results in the symptoms of dementia. This familial type of dementia has a genetic predisposition. Dementia is a common condition in neurology and is the most common neurodegenerative disease. Currently, there are no effective treatments available. Family members must pay attention to caregiving, and patients can take cholinesterase inhibitors, which can improve symptoms to a certain extent.

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Written by Zhang Hui
Neurology
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Determination of Senile Dementia

The assessment of dementia primarily encompasses three aspects: The first aspect mainly involves relevant neurological scales, which can scientifically and effectively measure the cognitive functions of elderly patients. These scales include the MSE (Mini-Mental State Examination) and the MoCA (Montreal Cognitive Assessment). The second aspect of the assessment involves some imaging tests, mainly cranial MRI scans. Cranial MRI can determine if there is brain atrophy in the elderly and examine for any related lesions in the temporal lobes and hippocampi. The third major aspect involves the analysis of cerebrospinal fluid, assessing the levels of amyloid proteins, which also play an important role in the assessment of dementia. In summary, the assessment of dementia primarily involves evaluations using neurological scales, cranial MRI, and cerebrospinal fluid analysis.

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Written by Zhang Hui
Neurology
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Late-stage symptoms of dementia

In the later stages of dementia, symptoms become very severe. Patients experience significant impairment in memory function, forgetting not only recent events but also events from the past. Additionally, patients show obvious impairments in visuospatial abilities, having trouble locating the bathroom in their own home, and often getting lost when they go out. There is also a noticeable change in behavior, with patients exhibiting aggression, cursing, and inappropriate actions like urinating or defecating in random places. Some patients may experience recurrent visual and auditory hallucinations. As the disease progresses, elderly patients may eventually become bedridden for life, not interacting with anyone, remaining silent, and refusing to eat. They ultimately may die from complications such as lung infections, urinary tract infections, malnutrition, and bedsores. Therefore, the symptoms of dementia in its later stages are quite severe, with cognitive impairments, abnormal mental and behavioral symptoms, and various infections all posing serious threats to the health of the elderly.

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Written by Tang Li Li
Neurology
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Methods for Examining Dementia in the Elderly

The examination of dementia mainly includes the following aspects. First, it is to determine whether the patient has cognitive impairment, because in the early stages of dementia this impairment is often mild, primarily in recent memory, with other aspects not yet obvious. Early screening can use some cognitive evaluation scales, such as the Mini-Mental State Examination or the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, chosen according to the patient's cultural level. Second, imaging examination, commonly using brain MRI, can reveal significant signs of dementia such as deepened brain sulci, narrowed gyri, and widened lateral fissures, indicating brain atrophy. Third, genetic testing for the APOE gene, which may be related to dementia. Possession of this gene may increase the likelihood of developing dementia in the future, serving as an auxiliary diagnostic measure.

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Written by Zhang Hui
Neurology
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Causes of Dementia

At present, the specific causes and mechanisms of Alzheimer's disease are not very clear, but they are mainly divided into two categories. The first category is hereditary, where some Alzheimer's disease cases have a clear family history and involve some genetic mutations. These genetic mutations lead to the deposition of abnormal proteins within neurons, causing irreversible neuronal death, which is the main reason for familial Alzheimer’s disease. The second category is sporadic Alzheimer’s disease, for which no clear pathogenesis has been identified. Research suggests that factors such as oxidative stress, trauma, cerebrovascular disease, cerebral ischemia, and other factors, including metabolic conditions leading to dementia, are related to the occurrence of sporadic Alzheimer's disease. Therefore, the causes of Alzheimer’s disease include two main categories: the first is caused by genetic mutations, and the second is caused by various adverse factors leading to neuronal death.

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Written by Zhang Hui
Neurology
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How is Alzheimer's disease treated?

Senile dementia, also known as Alzheimer's disease, is the most common neurodegenerative disease worldwide. The pathogenesis of this disease is not particularly clear so far and may be related to genetic and environmental factors. Multiple factors act on neurons causing irreversible and progressive death of neuronal cells. Currently, the treatment of this disease mainly includes two aspects. The first aspect is general treatment, mainly including family care. Family members must pay attention to the care of the patient, prevent the patient from accidentally wandering off, prevent the patient from falling, and prevent some accidents that cause injuries. In addition, it is important for the patient to listen to music, interact with others, and exercise more, all of which can delay the progression of senile dementia. The second aspect is pharmacological treatment, mainly using drugs that inhibit the reduction of acetylcholine. These drugs can increase the content of acetylcholine and improve the cognitive functions of patients to a certain extent, but so far, these treatments cannot reverse senile dementia.