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 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 31 July 2014
Stock pic with the text 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 fastest growth in elderly population is taking place in China and India.

Dementia is caused by problems in the way the brain works. The brain is made of billions of brain cells or 'neurons’, through which electrical signals pass. Normally these cells signal to each other through narrow gaps (synapses) with the help of chemicals called 'neurotransmitters'.

Dementia is caused by neurons not working properly or dying. This often changes the levels of different neurotransmitters, which affect the functioning of the brain. Dementia is not a normal part of aging. It is different from the mild forgetfulness that can occur in the elderly.

Related reading:

Signs and Symptoms

Tests to assess Dementia

Types of Dementia and Complications 

Causes of Dementia and Risk Factors

Managing Dementia 

 

Community
Alzheimer's and Dementia
Condition
Dementia

Stories

  • Cooking s a good brain exercise to prevent dementia
    Teach the Brain New Activities to Delay the Onset of Dementia
    Brain exercises are among the most effective non-medical approaches to delay the onset of dementia and can be enjoyable for the patient and more likely to be complied, emphasises Sabah Thaver, senior physical therapist (neurorehabilitation) at Nanavati Hospital. Mark Twain once famously said, “Out of all the things I have lost, I miss my mind the most.” This line at first sounds humorous, but it turns out to be the bitter truth of the lives of those living with conditions like Dementia. People…
  • Stock pic of a brain affected by dementia - fronto temporal dementia
    Fronto-temporal Dementia is one of the most challenging types of dementia
    All dementia is not about memory loss. Neha Sinha, a clinical psychologist by training and dementia specialist, discusses the symptoms as well as ways of handling Fronto-temporal Dementia (FTD), a lesser known form of dementia. Fronto-temporal dementia (FTD) is one of the lesser-known types of dementia and equally or more challenging to handle than the others. It accounts for about 5-10% of cases of dementia (Source: ARDSI Dementia India report 2010) Named after the famous physician Arnold Pick…
  • A Blessing to have the Strength to face Caregiving Challenges
    Mala Sen had caregiving thrust upon her when her nonagenarian mother-in-law with full blown Alzheimer’s appeared in her life. She faced the challenges head on and says that she has emerged a stronger person in the process. A personal account: A caregiver, all of a sudden I became a care giver by default.... My husband's mother was developing Alzheimer’s which none of her 3 children were aware of .. A simple reason ..We have an insensitive approach to aging! When she would repeat anything…
  • Digital Story Telling Creates Moments of Happiness for People with Dementia
    Elly Park, Assistant Clinical Lecturer in Occupational Therapy, University of Alberta talks about the findings from a multi-site study into dementia and use of digital storytelling with memories I was sitting on the sofa across from Christine in her home. She offered me a cup of coffee. Each time I visited, she sat in the same spot — the place where she felt most comfortable and safe. She had shared stories from the past and decided to talk about the birth of her daughters, grandchildren…
  • The Importance of Early Diagnosis in Dementia
    Saadiya Hurzuk is a Centre Manager and Clinical Psychologist at ARDSI Hyderabad. She shares her views on why it is important to have an early diagnosis in dementia treatment. Over a period of time dementia has become one of the frightening epidemics in the global health scenario. With social stigma attached to the disorder, it is kept hidden. People find it difficult to accept and understand the problems they are facing with memory and cognition that is affecting them daily. Most of the time…
  • Will I become like my mother?
    Vimal Balachander talks about the difficult days of caring for her mother-in-law during the latter’s steady decline with Alzheimer’s Disease. ‘Will I become like my mother?’ my mother-in-law asked me five years ago, in a shaking voice, ‘I don’t want that, I know what that is, sitting in a corner quietly’. This was in 2012. My mother-in-law, then 74, hither-to-independent business woman, had recently moved into our apartment, just fifty feet away from her beautiful seaside house. Savithri…
  • Importance of Emotional Memory and Associations in Dementia
    Neha Sinha, a clinical psychologist by profession talks about how emotional connect is very important for people with dementia. Even if they have loss of actual memory, they remain receptive to emotions as well as to the body language of people around them. Each individual is unique and so are his or her experiences, memories and feelings. There is a general apathy towards dementia especially when it comes to remembering the person they are, the rich history they hold. People with dementia…
  • Late-stage Dementia Home Care: Challenges and Practical Suggestions for Families
    Swapna Kishore sheds light on the rarely talked about challenges of home care for late stage dementia, especially due to low and infrequent communication and multiple medical problems.  She brings together her interviews with Dr. Soumya Hegde, a Bangalore-based Consultant Geriatric Psychiatrist who provides practical solutions. Most discussions around dementia are about memory problems, confusion, wandering, withdrawal, aggression, etc. We rarely talk about later stages, when the loved one…
  • How to Prevent Caregiver Burnout in Dementia Care
    Neha Sinha, a clinical psychologist by training shares her views on caregiving in Dementia, the effects of longtime caregiving on a person, how to keep his balance in tact and also avoid an early burnout.  ‘Caregiving often calls us to lean into love we didn’t know possible’ ~ Tia Walker Caregiving in Dementia Caring for people with dementia is in many ways more challenging than looking after somebody with a physical condition. This is because when you look after someone with dementia…
  • Handling Agitation in Dementia
    Neha Sinha, a clinical psychologist by training and dementia specialist, is the co-founder and CEO of Epoch Eldercare.  She shares her knowledge on agitiation in Dementia, the triggers of agitation and how best to handle it. What is Dementia in everyday life? Visualise a situation where you suddenly open your eyes and can’t make any sense of where you are or what you are doing there? Your surroundings seem unfamiliar to you...and there is a person in your room, giving you all sorts of…