DEMENTIA. DESCRIPTION: a progressive, degenerative disease of the brain, which causes impairment of thinking and memory

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1 DEMENTIA Dementia a syndrme cnsisting f a number f symptms including lss f memry, judgment and reasning, and changes in md and behavir the changes may affect a persn's ability t functin at wrk, in scial relatinships r in dayt-day activities symptms can be caused by cnditins that may be treatable, such as depressin, thyrid disease, infectins r drug interactins; if the symptms are nt treatable and prgress ver time, they may be due t damage t the cells in the brain The mre cmmn frms f dementia are: Alzheimer's disease a prgressive, degenerative disease f the brain, which causes impairment f thinking and memry the mst cmmn frm f dementia, representing 50-60% f all dementias each individual is affected differently and therefre it is difficult t predict the symptms each persn will have, the rder in which they will appear r the speed f the disease's prgressin The fllwing will be affected by the disease: Cgnitive abilities a persn's ability t understand, think, remember, make decisins and cmmunicate will be affected simple tasks that have been perfrmed fr years will becme mre difficult r be frgtten a persn will initially experience shrt term memry lss and eventually lng term memry lss will ccur Prvincial Office Dnald St. Westman Regin Brandn, MB R7A 1K2 Suth Central Regin Bx 119, 204 Main Street Nrth Central Regin 21 Ryal Rd. Suth Prtage la Prairie, MB R1N 1T8 Nrth Eastman Regin Bx 1786 Beausejur, MB R0E 0C0

2 Emtins and mds a persn may appear uninterested and apathetic, and may quickly lse interest in the hbbies they previusly enjyed the ability t cntrl md and emtin may be lst sme individuals becme less expressive and mre withdrawn. a persn wh has prgressed in the disease cntinues t feel a range f emtins including jy, anger, fear, lve and sadness Physical abilities the disease can affect a persn's physical c-rdinatin and mbility, leading t a gradual physical decline affecting the persn's ability t independently perfrm day-tday tasks, such as eating, bathing and getting dressed Vascular Dementia (VaD) ccurs when the cells in the brain are deprived f xygen resulting in cell death, leading t the symptms f dementia als called multi-infarct dementia the secnd mst cmmn frm f dementia, representing 20% f all dementias a strke is a cmmn cause f VaD usually has a sudden nset impairment may ccur in steps, where functining can deterirate, stabilize fr a time and then deterirate again the cgnitive symptms may vary, affecting sme areas f the brain mre r less than thers (e.g., language, visin r memry) Prvincial Office Dnald St. Westman Regin Brandn, MB R7A 1K2 Suth Central Regin Bx 119, 204 Main Street Nrth Central Regin 21 Ryal Rd. Suth Prtage la Prairie, MB R1N 1T8 Nrth Eastman Regin Bx 1786 Beausejur, MB R0E 0C0

3 OTHER INFORMATION: Binswanger's disease is a less cmmn frm f VaD that is caused by damage t bld vessels deep in the brain's "white matter". High bld pressure is a strng risk factr in Binswanger's disease. when Alzheimer's disease and VaD ccur at the same time, the cnditin is called mixed dementia Lewy Bdy Dementia characterized by depsits called "Lewy bdies" which are accumulatin f alphasynuclein prteins that frm inside the brain's nerve cells mstly affects the areas f the brain invlved in thinking and mvement can ccur by itself r tgether with Alzheimer's disease r Parkinsn's accunts fr 20% f all dementias usually has a rapid prgressin the persn may experience symptms similar t thse f bth Parkinsn's and Alzheimer's disease a prgressive lss f memry, language, reasning and ther higher mental functins such as calculatin f figures is cmmn the persn may have difficulty with shrt-term memry, finding the right wrd and sustaining a train f thught; an individual may als experience depressin and anxiety, and marked fluctuatins in alertness memry difficulties usually develp late in the prgressin f the disease visual hallucinatins (seeing things which are nt real) are cmmn and can be wrse during times f increased cnfusin ften recurrent and typically cnsist f peple, children r animals the persn may als make errrs in perceptin, fr example, seeing faces in a carpet pattern sme features can resemble Parkinsn's these include rigidity (stiffness f muscles), tremrs (shaking), stped psture and slw, shuffling mvements sensitivity t medicatin, especially sme sedatives, may exaggerate these symptms Prvincial Office Dnald St. Westman Regin Brandn, MB R7A 1K2 Suth Central Regin Bx 119, 204 Main Street Nrth Central Regin 21 Ryal Rd. Suth Prtage la Prairie, MB R1N 1T8 Nrth Eastman Regin Bx 1786 Beausejur, MB R0E 0C0

4 Frnttempral Dementia an umbrella term fr a grup f disrders that primarily affect the frntal and tempral lbes f the brain the areas generally assciated with persnality and behaviur apprximately 5-10% f all dementia cases in sme cases, brain cells in the frntal and tempral lbes can shrink r die; in ther cases, the cells get larger, cntaining rund, silver "Pick's bdies" since the frntal and tempral areas f the brain can be affected in different ways, early symptms ften affect either behaviur and/r speech changes in behaviur may include becming either withdrawn r disinhibited (i.e. lsing the ability t restrain ne's behaviur and actins) the persn may lse interest in persnal hygiene, becme easily distracted r repeat the same actin ver and ver again vereating r cmpulsively putting bjects in the muth may ccur smetimes incntinence is an early symptm f the disease prblems with speech can range frm reductin f speech t ttal lss, i.e. becming mute eching what has been said by thers and stuttering are cmmn symptms the persn may have difficulty sustaining a train f thught r maintaining a cnversatin fr any length f time writing and reading are als affected early n in the disease, behaviur changes r prblems with speech can appear separately; as the disease prgresses, these tw areas will verlap ften remains riented t time and has preserved memry in the early stages in the later stages, general symptms f dementia arise, i.e. cnfusin and frgetfulness; mtr skills are lst and swallwing difficulties ccur Prvincial Office Dnald St. Westman Regin Brandn, MB R7A 1K2 Suth Central Regin Bx 119, 204 Main Street Nrth Central Regin 21 Ryal Rd. Suth Prtage la Prairie, MB R1N 1T8 Nrth Eastman Regin Bx 1786 Beausejur, MB R0E 0C0

5 Creutzfeldt-Jakb Disease (CJD) rare, rapid and fatal frm f dementia the rate f CJD is apprximately ne per millin peple per year wrldwide caused by infectius agents called prins - which are nrmally harmless prteins that ccur naturally in the brain, hwever, when they are misshapen, they can cause devastating illness, attacking the brain, killing cells and creating gaps in tissue TYPES: There are tw types f CJD: classical and variant Classical CJD (als called spradic CJD) ccurs at randm Variant CJD (vcjd) is a disease linked t eating beef prducts frm cattle infected with bvine spngifrm encephalpathy (BSE) r "Mad Cw" disease; it attacks the central nervus system and is fatal if illness develps Bth types f CJD typically cause memry lss and behaviural changes Signs and symptms: lng incubatin perid - ften takes years r even decades after infectin befre smene with CJD develps signs and symptms persnality changes - anxiety, depressin, memry lss and impaired thinking prblems with balance and c-rdinatin - typically ccurs earlier in vcjd than in classical CJD. cma and death References: Defying Dementia: Understanding and preventing Alzheimer s and Related Disrders, Rbert Levine, M.D., Teaching Dementia Care: Skill and Understanding, Nancy L. Mace, The Alzheimer Sciety f Manitba s missin is t alleviate the individual, family and scial cnsequences f Alzheimer s disease and related disrders while supprting the search fr a cure. Updated May 2011 Prvincial Office Dnald St. Westman Regin Brandn, MB R7A 1K2 Suth Central Regin Bx 119, 204 Main Street Nrth Central Regin 21 Ryal Rd. Suth Prtage la Prairie, MB R1N 1T8 Nrth Eastman Regin Bx 1786 Beausejur, MB R0E 0C0