Getting lost on familiar roads frequently... Dementia? Personalized treatment based on the cause

Getting lost on familiar roads frequently... Dementia? Personalized treatment based on the cause

 

 

Dementia, which was previously considered only a degenerative brain disease, has been identified as a biological disorder.

 

 

Dementia and Mild Cognitive Impairment

Dementia is a degenerative brain disease or vascular disorder that affects memory, language, spatial perception, and concentration.

Disorders in various cognitive functions, including judgment, and as a result,

It refers to a state where it is difficult to carry out daily life as before.

 

In the past, there were cases where it was thought to be a natural phenomenon due to aging, but...

Developments in medicine have led to various causes, including abnormalities in specific proteins.

It has been revealed that it is a biological disease.

 

 

 

Various causes that induce dementia 

 

Since Alzheimer's disease is the most well-known cause of dementia, when we say dementia,

It first brings to mind memory decline.

 

This is a misconception caused by the fact that Alzheimer's disease has the highest proportion among the underlying conditions that cause dementia symptoms.

 

In fact, Alzheimer's disease is not synonymous with dementia but is one of the causes of dementia symptoms.

Alzheimer's disease progresses, making it difficult to carry out daily activities as before.

They only say they have dementia when their condition becomes difficult.

 

A common condition is vascular dementia that can occur after a stroke.

In addition, Parkinson's disease dementia, Lewy body dementia, frontotemporal dementia,

Dementia caused by various internal medical conditions, as well as dementia resulting from alcohol or drugs.

There are various causes, and the symptoms also differ depending on the cause.

 

In the case of Alzheimer's disease dementia, short-term memory decline is prominent.

Forget about what just happened and ask multiple questions.

 

Shows symptoms such as wandering even on familiar paths. In the case of vascular dementia, it occurs early in the disease.

Memory decline may not be as severe as Alzheimer's disease, but noticeable personality changes can occur.

 

 

A quiet and gentle person easily gets angry or frequently argues with family and friends.

They also show behavior that uses violent language.

 

There are also dementia symptoms that occur in conjunction with Parkinson's disease.

Parkinson's disease is diagnosed first, and then dementia symptoms occur with an interval of more than a year, which is called Parkinson's disease dementia. Conversely, when dementia symptoms appear first and Parkinson's disease symptoms develop later, it is called Lewy body dementia.

 

In the case of Lewy body dementia, the symptoms are highly variable, so on some days

Sometimes I wonder if they are really dementia patients because they show very normal behavior, but on other days, they exhibit severe dementia symptoms.

 

 

 

Customized treatment based on the cause

 

Since the causes are diverse, the treatments are also very varied.

Cholinesterase inhibitors such as donepezil, commonly used for Alzheimer's disease dementia, are

When administering medication to patients with frontotemporal dementia, excessive agitation and increased aggressiveness may occur.

Since there may be side effects, medication is not recommended. Additionally

 

Among cholinesterase inhibitors, for patients with Lewy body dementia or Parkinson's disease dementia

It is known that a specific medication called rivastigmine may be more effective.

 

Hypothyroidism, syphilis, vitamin deficiencies, and chronic subdural hematoma can also be causes of dementia.

In such cases, appropriate medical or surgical treatment may be necessary.

 

Even when symptoms that cause concern appear and family members worry, they recommend testing.

Thinking that there's no point since complete recovery isn't possible and all treatments are the same, they delay visiting the hospital.

It's unfortunate that there are patients.

 

Dementia symptoms are diverse, and treatment approaches may vary depending on the underlying cause.

It is necessary to understand that comprehension is the key to delaying the progression of the disease and preventing complications.

 

 

Professor Im Jae-sung at Seoul Asan Medical Center