Dementias

Dementia is an umbrella term for a range of neurological conditions that affect brain function. This includes learning, memory, problem solving, behaviors, and language.

Signs & Symptoms

Symptoms of most forms of dementia usually appear slowly over time. However, with a certain form, vascular dementia, the onset of symptoms can be sudden. Symptoms of dementia include:

• Memory loss
• Problems recognizing family and friends
• Getting lost in familiar settings
• Not being able to finish tasks
• Repeating questions
• Social withdrawal or depression
• General confusion
• Impulsive behavior
• No interest in personal hygiene
• Unclear speech

Causes

• Alzheimer’s disease. The most common type of dementia.
• Vascular dementia. This is often due to a series of small strokes.
• Parkinson’s disease.
• Pick’s disease. This is like Alzheimer’s disease, but has different changes in the brain.
• Huntington’s disease. This is an inherited disease. Facial tics and other uncontrolled movements also occur.
• Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease. This is caused by a virus that lies dormant in the body for years. When the virus is activated, the dementia progresses quickly.
• Multiple sclerosis. Dementia with multiple sclerosis is rare, though, and may occur with the end stage of this disease.

Secondary dementias results from other conditions, such as:

• Depression
• Alcohol problems
• Reactions to certain medicines
• Poor nutrition. Lack of vitamin B12.
• Hypothyroidism
• Dehydration
• Head injuries
• Infections such as HIV, which causes AIDS, or syphilis
• Brain tumors

{Note: Research found that older Veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are at increased risk for dementia compared to their peers who do not have PTSD.}

Delirium

Delirium is mental confusion, behavior changes, etc. that develop in a matter of hours to a day or so. Delirium can be caused by dementia but may also be a symptom of another condition, such as: