Occasional misplaced keys or forgotten names don't mark the beginning of dementia. All dementia isn't Alzheimer's disease. Some dementia symptoms can be reversed. Those facts and many more are covered in Deciphering Dementia, a supplemental Special Report to the July issue of Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource.
The report provides in-depth coverage of the causes, risk factors, diagnoses and treatment options for dementia. Some highlights from the report include:
Types and causes of dementia: While Alzheimer's is the most common cause of dementia in people 65 and older, there are many other causes. For example, vascular dementia results from stroke. Lewy body dementia occurs when abnormal round structures called Lewy bodies develop in regions of the brain involved with thinking, movement and sleep. Visual hallucinations can be the first sign of this type of dementia.
Infections such as meningitis and encephalitis can cause dementia symptoms, and so can leukemia and multiple sclerosis. Depression can cause people to appear slow, confused or forgetful. In these situations, symptoms of dementia may improve with treatment for the underlying disease.
Ways to protect the brain: Lowering cholesterol or blood pressure levels can help thwart the buildup of plaques in arteries and can help prevent stroke, one of the major causes of vascular dementia. Some research has indicated that statin drugs, which help lower cholesterol, may help lower dementia risk.
Other protective strategies include keeping the mind active, being physically and socially active and eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and omega-3 fatty acids found in certain fish and nuts.
What's normal memory loss and what isn't: Occasional lapses in memory are different from the type of memory loss associated with dementia. Needing directions when driving to a place visited only occasionally is normal. Losing one's way driving home from a familiar location, such as the grocery store, is not.
When dementia-like symptoms start to become a concern, it's time to see a physician. Memory loss and other dementia symptoms have many causes, so diagnosis can be a challenge. Nevertheless, early and accurate diagnosis allows for treatment that might help reverse, lessen or delay the progression of symptoms.
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