Causes of Dementia

Written by Zhang Hui
Neurology
Updated on September 27, 2024
00:00
00:00

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.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhang Hui
Neurology
1min 9sec home-news-image

What is the greatest fear in Alzheimer's disease?

Dementia in the elderly is a common neurodegenerative disease worldwide. It is a clinical syndrome caused by the irreversible death of brain neurons due to various factors. Initially, the main symptom in patients is impaired memory function, which at this stage does not significantly affect work and life, and is not overly concerning. As the disease progresses, the cognitive functions of the elderly, including visuospatial skills, calculation abilities, and executive functions, are notably impaired. Changes in personality and behavior also occur. What is most feared in dementia? It is particularly concerning when elderly individuals go out on their own and then cannot find their way home, leading to situations where they may become lost. If the elderly are unable to find adequate food outdoors, or if the weather is too cold or too hot, their life safety can be severely threatened. Additionally, dementia patients might inadvertently turn on the gas at home and forget to turn it off, which can easily lead to accidents. These are the most feared incidents related to dementia in the elderly.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhang Hui
Neurology
1min 2sec home-news-image

symptoms of dementia in the elderly

The symptoms of dementia mainly include: First, impaired memory function, where the patient’s memory loss is very noticeable. Initially, they may not remember recent events, and as the disease progresses, they may not remember past events, such as forgetting how many children they have or their children’s names. Second, it mainly involves symptoms of impairment in other cognitive areas, such as visual spatial dysfunction, manifesting as not being able to find the bathroom at home, getting lost after going out, and not being able to find the way back home. Additionally, the patient's ability to understand, calculate, and judge will also be significantly impaired, and they cannot master previously learned knowledge and skills. Third, in the late stages, some psychiatric symptoms appear, including visual and auditory hallucinations, and agitated behaviors such as hitting and cursing. Additionally, the patient may also experience some physical weakness, muscle atrophy, and incontinence.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhang Hui
Neurology
1min 10sec home-news-image

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.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhang Hui
Neurology
1min 13sec home-news-image

Care measures for dementia in the elderly

Dementia in the elderly is the most common neurodegenerative disease in neurology, mainly referring to the irreversible death of neuronal cells caused by various reasons, which poses a significant clinical hazard and lacks effective treatment methods. Therefore, nursing measures become very important. The main nursing measures include, First, ensuring the patient's nutrition. In the later stages, elderly patients may have no regular diet and cannot take care of themselves. Therefore, ensuring sufficient energy intake and enough protein intake is very important. Malnutrition can easily lead to various complications, leading to the patient's death. Second, it's important to equip elderly people with commonly used contact numbers and addresses in their pockets to prevent them from getting lost and creating dangerous situations. Third, when elderly people are at home, it is crucial to keep the kitchen door closed to prevent them from turning on the gas and forgetting to turn it off. Fourth, patients with dementia are prone to lung infections after becoming bedridden. If bedridden, it is important to frequently turn them over and pat their back to prevent the onset of lung infections.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Tang Li Li
Neurology
58sec home-news-image

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.