Is senile dementia hereditary?

Written by Zhang Hui
Neurology
Updated on November 02, 2024
00:00
00:00

The disease referred to as dementia mainly refers to Alzheimer's disease. Only a very small number of cases are hereditary, where patients have a certain family history caused by genetic mutations, thus having some hereditary traits. However, the vast majority of Alzheimer's cases are sporadic, unrelated to genetic mutations, and these sporadic cases are not hereditary, so there is no need to worry about transmitting it to offspring. Nevertheless, it is important to note that, with the progression of population aging, the incidence of this disease remains relatively high, especially for those over the age of 65, who need to pay close attention to this disease. If a patient exhibits a decline in memory function, do not assume it is just forgetfulness; it is crucial to visit a hospital for diagnosis and timely treatment.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhang Hui
Neurology
57sec home-news-image

How is dementia diagnosed in the elderly?

Alzheimer's disease is a degenerative disease of the nervous system. The diagnosis of this disease mainly relies on the clinical manifestations of the patient, as well as some corresponding scales and some corresponding imaging examinations. In terms of examinations, it is necessary to check some neurofunctional scales, mainly cognitive function scales, common scales include some MMSE scales, and some MoCA scales. These scales are very important for diagnosing this disease. In addition, some imaging examinations need to be improved, mainly including cranial magnetic resonance imaging examinations. Cranial MRI can reveal atrophy in the patient's temporal lobe, hippocampus, and other areas, which also have an important reference value for the diagnosis of the disease. Moreover, an electroencephalogram can be performed to see some mild abnormalities, and lumbar puncture tests can also reveal some abnormally increased protein deposits.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhang Hui
Neurology
1min 29sec home-news-image

Symptoms of dementia in the elderly

Dementia in the elderly is medically known as Alzheimer's disease, which is categorized into mild, moderate, and severe stages. The clinical manifestations vary with the severity of the disease. Mild dementia primarily presents as memory impairment, starting with a decline in short-term memory, where patients often forget daily activities. For instance, they might forget the way home when they go out, forget to add salt when cooking, or forget to turn off the stove. Patients may also exhibit personality disorders, such as neglecting personal hygiene or not wanting to bathe. As the disease progresses to moderate dementia, besides worsening memory impairment, the patient's ability to work, learn new knowledge, and communicate with others significantly diminishes. There is a notable decline in previously acquired knowledge and skills, such as judgment and calculation abilities. They may also experience aphasia, apraxia, agnosia, and some patients may exhibit significant behavioral and psychological abnormalities. With further progression to severe dementia, patients may become emotionally detached, exhibit unpredictable crying or laughing, fail to recognize family members, lose verbal abilities, and even become unable to perform simple tasks such as dressing or eating. They may spend their days in bed, not speaking, and gradually lose contact with the outside world, ultimately leading to death.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhang Hui
Neurology
54sec home-news-image

Alzheimer's disease is also called dementia.

Alzheimer's disease, also known as dementia in the elderly, was first identified abroad and thus named after the discoverer, Alzheimer. It is one of the most common neurodegenerative diseases in neurology, with a very high incidence among people over 65 in China and worldwide. The disease mainly affects patients' cognitive functions. Initially, patients do not meet the criteria for dementia and primarily exhibit a decline in memory. As the disease progresses, the decline in memory worsens, and patients begin to forget both recent and past events. Additionally, they may experience impairments in visuospatial abilities, judgment, comprehension, and learning capabilities. In the later stages, psychiatric symptoms and personality changes may appear, such as visual hallucinations, shouting, and gesturing wildly, among various other clinical manifestations.

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

Causes of Alzheimer's Disease in the Elderly

The causes of dementia in the elderly are not currently completely clear. Dementia in the elderly is mainly divided into familial and sporadic types. Familial dementia shows autosomal dominant inheritance, which is caused by a gene mutation on chromosome 21 leading to the accumulation of some toxins, resulting in the death of neurons and causing dementia fundamentally due to genetic mutations. However, most cases of dementia are sporadic and do not have a clear family history. The mechanisms and reasons for disease onset are not particularly clear. Some believe that abnormalities in cerebral vascular function may lead to neuronal cell functional disorders, resulting in decreased ability to clear certain cell toxins, thus leading to neuronal apoptosis and death, and consequently impaired cognitive functions. In addition, factors such as oxidative stress, inflammatory mechanisms, excessive fatigue, and emergency stress may also cause cell death. Overall, the causes of dementia in the elderly are not particularly clear.

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.