Dementia Treatment

  • Dementia
    is a broad term for a range of conditions that involve loss of mental ability and so cause problems with memory, language, behaviour and emotions. Dementia is most common in the elderly. Around five percent of people over the age of 65 are affected to some extent.  According to Alzheimer’s Disease International with increasing life expectancy, this is expected to surge to 75.6 million in 2030. Disease awareness and understanding is a huge challenge  
Submitted by PatientsEngage on 19 September 2015

Dementia generally gets worse with age but the development of symptoms can often be slowed with drugs or other treatments. Treatment of dementia usually aims to improve memory and concentration, reduce psychiatric problems, and improve the quality of life for both the patient and their family.

Improving memory and concentration: The memory difficulties seen in Alzheimer's disease can be relieved for a short time in some people with drugs that prevent the breakdown of acetylcholine in the brain. These drugs are called 'cholinesterase inhibitors' and are thought to work by increasing the levels of acetylcholine in the synapses. Examples include Donepezil (Aricept), Rivastigmine (Exelon) and Galantamine (Reminyl). They can improve memory as well as slow down some of the changes in personality and mood. To treat vascular dementia, the risk factors that led to vascular dementia, such as high blood pressure or diabetes should be controlled followed by physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy. 

Medication for Lewy Body Dementia includes cholinesterase inhibitors, such as Donepezil and Rivastigmine to treat the cognitive symptoms. They can also be effective in treating visual hallucinations and other psychiatric symptoms. 

To treat Frontal Lobe Dementia, anti-psychotics like anti-depressants are used along with speech therapy.

Reducing psychiatric problems : The depression associated with dementia can be alleviated with anti-depressants.

Related reading: http://www.patientsengage.com/conditions/dementia/types-stages

Community
Alzheimer's and Dementia
Condition
Dementia

Stories

  • During my wedding ceremony (kanyadaan), my mother walked off
    "I feel angry at times that we did not receive good guidance from the doctors whom we first approached and sometimes I redirect the anger at myself for not doing enough of reading up when so much of information is available on the Internet."    A daughter talks about her mother's dementia and the challenges they faced due to lack of awareness to Swapna Kishore, who was herself a dementia caregiver for more than a decade.    http://dementiacarenotes.in/mala-interview
  • New techniques to help identify Dementia earlier
    The most common form of dementia is Alzheimer's, accounting for about two thirds of cases, but it's currently impossible to detect what form of dementia someone has while they're alive. While we are not anywhere near a cure, the ability to deal it earlier would still be useful.  http://www.theguardian.com/science/head-quarters/2014/jul/21/detecting-dementia-dignity-alzheimers
  • Stock pic with the text dementia
    Dementia
    is a broad term for a range of conditions that involve loss of mental ability and so cause problems with memory, language, behaviour and emotions. Dementia is most common in the elderly. Around five percent of people over the age of 65 are affected to some extent.  According to Alzheimer’s Disease International, in 2013, there were 44.4 million people with dementia. But with increasing life expectancy, this is expected to surge to 75.6 million in 2030. Some of the…
  • Stock pic of a daughter with her mother and the text what I learnt caring for my mother
    Mothering your mother with dementia
    Paro has been caring for her mother, 86, who has dementia, for the last six years. She is frequently found in doctor’s waiting rooms and has their numbers on speed dial. She tells us what she has learnt from the experience. • Above all else, patience • Flexibility: Every day is different and brings different challenges that require different responses. • When she hallucinates, I do not contradict her as that confuses and upsets her, leading to temper tantrums, even violence…