Many of us may from time to time, forget our neighbour's name or the items to purchase at the grocery store, and we wonder if this is part of normal aging. Your doctor is the best person to speak with regarding these concerns. There are many conditions that are treatable that may be contributing to periodic memory lapses. Cognitive dementia is the loss of mental ability. The loss of the ability to think, remember and reason. To earn the label of dementia, the mental loss must get in the way of carrying out day-to-day activities. The reduced ability to fulfill day-to-day events must last for more than six months.Cognitive dementia is not a disease. It is a group of symptoms. These symptoms would go along with certain diseases or conditions. Signs of dementia might also include changes in mood, personality, and behavior. Providing care for anyone with this diagnosis is stressful and at times frightening. This does not have to be the situation. Taking time to educate yourself about the basics of the specific type of dementia will give you knowledge or what to expect and take some of the mystery out of this disease. Having a better understanding will empower you to be a more confident and assured caregiver. Dementia types will share common themes but each one does have slightly different factors that effect the brain. Dementia types include AIDS related dementia Alcohol related dementia Vascular Dementia was previously known as multiinfarct dementia. Vascular Dementia is associated with problems in the circulation of blood to the brain causing a deterioration of mental abilities as a result of multiple strokes, or infarcts, in the brain. These strokes may cause damage to specific areas of the brain responsible for speech or language as well as producing generalized symptoms of dementia. Alzheimers Disease and Vascular Dementia can be hard to separate in many stages as they both contribute to dementia. The most common causes of dementia are diseases such as the following: 1.Alzheimer disease - A loss of nerve cells in the brain affects memory and other mental functions. This disease is progressive, and the exact cause is unknown. 2.Parkinson disease - This disorder affects physical movement, and symptoms include tremors, speech impairment, and a shuffling gait. In later stages, some people develop dementia. 3.Lewy body dementia - This form of dementia occurs when abnormal round structures, called Lewy bodies, develop in the cells of the midbrain. The symptoms of dementia are related to a decline in the victim's so-called cognitive functions. These functions include processes such as short and long term memory, reasoning ability, or the ability to understand new information. Although there are many different etiologies (causes) of dementia, the syndrome can be categorized based on the general area of the central nervous system that is being affected: the cerebral cortex or the subcortical structures. Memory loss is common in senior with dementia, but it does not define dementia. A person can receive a diagnosis of dementia only if two or more areas of functionality-for example, memory and language skills-have been adversely affected while the person retains consciousness.
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