PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF DEMENTIA 1
Pathophysiology of Dementia
Gregory Livesey
LPN-Program
Professor
... [Show More] Babb
Unitek College-Reno
01/07/2022
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PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF DEMENTIA 2
Pathophysiology
Dementia is not one type of disease, it is used as a general term in the same way heart
disease is a general term. Dementia covers a broad range of specific medical conditions. While
Alzheimer's disease is often associated with dementia, there are many causes. Abnormal changes
in the brain cause some of the disorders clustered under the term dementia. Those changes
trigger a decline in thinking skills, or reasoning ability, sufficient to impair independent function
and daily life (Kalaria, 2018). They similarly affect relationships, feelings, and behavior. There
are various ways of classifying dementias: potentially reversible or irreversible, subcortical or
cortical, non-Alzheimer or Alzheimer type.
Alzheimer's disease account for between 60-80% of dementia cases (Rabins et al., 2006).
Vascular Dementia takes place because of bleeding and obstruction of the blood vessels in the
brain, creating mini-strokes, and is the second most common cause of Dementia. Any individual
who experiences brain changes of numerous kinds of Dementia instantaneously has mixed
Dementia. Numerous conditions cause signs and symptoms of Dementia, some of which are
considered reversible, like vitamin deficiencies and thyroid problems (Kalaria, 2018). Dementia
is often mistakenly termed as senile Dementia or senility, which reflects the widespread but
wrong beliefs, that serious psychological decline is considered to be a normal part of aging.
Dementia similarly occurs in patients with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, Huntington disease,
Parkinson's disease, and other prion illnesses and neurosyphilis. Most structural brain illnesses,
such as subdural hematoma and normal pressure hydrocephalus, metabolic disorders, and toxins,
cause slow worsening of cognitive function, which might be alleviated (completely or to a
degree) with treatments (Aarsland, 2020). This impairment is at some point known as reversible
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PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF DEMENTIA 3
Dementia, however many specialists limit the term Dementia only to permanent cognitive
decline.
Memory loss and other signs and symptoms of Dementia include the following:
wandering out of the neighborhood, an inability to recall appointments, lack of planning and
preparing of meals, various problems with short-term memory, and an inability to keep track of
their wallet or purse. Most of these conditions are considered progressive, meaning that
symptoms of Dementia begin at a slow pace and get worse gradually. Any person who has a
problem with their memory or transformations in thinking skills is likely to be suffering from
Dementia (Kalaria, 2018).
Even if symptoms propose irreversible dementia, early detection enables the person to
begin treatments that can slow the progression of cognitive decline. It also offers an opportunity
to volunteer for medical trials. Lastly, early detection provides some time to strategize on how to
go about the changes that will be coming.
Dementia causes damage to the brain cells. The damages typically interfere with the
capability of brain cells to communicate with one another. If the brain cannot function normally,
feelings, behavior, and thinking are likely to be affected (Rabins et al., 2006). The brain has
various structures that control numerous and specific functions such as judgment, motion, and
memory. If cells in a certain section of the brain are destroyed or injured, that part can’t perform
its function in a usual way.
Different categories of Dementia are related to specific kinds of brain cells which damage
certain parts of the brain. In Alzheimer's disease, a higher level of protein outside and inside the
brain known as amyloid plaque interferes with neurons’ communication with one another. The
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PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF DEMENTIA 4
part of the brain known as the Hippocampus is core to memory and learning, and the cells of the
Hippocampus are usually the first ones to be damaged (Rabins et al., 2006). That is why
memory loss is usually one of the initial signs of Alzheimer's.
Diagnosis of Dementia
There is no specific test that can be used in determining if a person has Dementia.
Healthcare providers diagnose Alzheimer's and other kinds of Dementia based on laboratory
tests, physical examination, changes in thinking characteristics, examination of medical history,
behaviors related to each type, and daily functioning (Rabins et al., 2006). Healthcare providers
can determine that an individual has Dementia with a higher certainty level. However, that is
quite hard in determining the exact kind of Dementia since the brain fluctuates and signs of
varied Dementia are likely to overlap (Jack et al, 2016). In most cases, the healthcare provider
might diagnose Dementia and fail to specify the type. If that occurs, it might be essential to
consult with geriatricians, psychologists, psychiatrists, and neurologists.
Treatment and care of Dementia
Treatment for dementia depends on the cause. In some dementias that have highly
progressed, including Alzheimer’s disease, there often is no effective treatment though some
drugs can be tried. The typical treatment, when caught in a less advanced stage, is Aduhelm-TM
which is considered to be the first treatment. Aduhelm-TM helps in the removal of amyloid-beta
plaques from the brain, one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease. Removal of this plaque is
likely to reduce functional and cognitive decline in persons living with the initial stages [Show Less]