DEMENTIA

DEFINITION
• A group of thinking and social symptoms that interferes with daily
functioning. Not a specific disease, dementia is a group of conditions
characterized by impairment of at least two brain functions, such as memory
loss and judgement.
• Treatment can help but this condition can not be cured. Dementia can last for
years or lifelong.
 SYMPTOMS
The early symptoms of dementia include;
Memory loss
Difficulty concentrating
Difficulty in carrying out familiar tasks due to impaired thinking abilities
Losing focus in conversation or difficulty in finding the right word
Confused with place and time
Mood changes
• People with dementia often experience changes in their emotional responses.
They may have less control over their feelings and how to express them. For
instance; someone may overreact to things, have rapid mood changes or feel
irritable. They may also appear unusually distant or uninterested in things.
 TYPES OF DEMENTIA
• Alzheimer’s ( It accounts for 60 – 80% of dementia cases)
• Vascular dementia ( Occurs because of microscopic bleeding and blood vessel blockage in
the brain. It is the second most common cause of dementia)
• Lewy body
• Frontotemporal ( Relatively rare form which affect brain where language and behavior are
controlled)
• Mixed dementia ( Dementia from more than cause. Most commonly Alzheimer’s disease
with vascular disease)
 CAUSES
• Dementia is caused by damage to brain cells. This damage interferes with the
ability of brain cells to communicate with each other. When brain cells
cannot communicate normally, thinking , behavior and feelings can be
affected.
• The brain has many distinct regions, each of which is responsible for
different functions ( for example, memory, judgement and movement). When
cells in a particular region are damaged, that region cannot carry out its
functions normally.
• While most changes in the brain that cause dementia are permanent and worsen over time,
thinking and memory problems caused by the following conditions may improve when the
condition is treated or addressed.
• Depression
• Medication of side effects
• Excess use of alcohols
• Thyroid problems
• Vitamin deficiencies
 DIAGNOSIS OF DEMENTIA
• There is no one test to determine if someone has dementia. Doctors diagnose
Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia based on a careful medical history,
a physical examination , laboratory tests and the characteristic changes in
thinking, day-to-day function and behavior associated with each type. It is
harder to determine the exact type of dementia because the symptoms and
brain changes of different dementias overlap.
 DEMENTIA RISK AND PREVENTION

• Some risk factors for dementia such as age and genetics cannot be changed.
But researchers continue to explore the impact of other risk factors on brain
health and prevention of dementia.
• Research reported at the 2019 Alzheimer’s Association International
Conference suggests that adopting multiple healthy lifestyle choices
including healthy diet, not smoking, regular exercise and cognitive
stimulation may decrease the risk of cognitive decline and dementia.
ROLE OF OT IN TREATING PEOPLE WITH
DEMENTIA

• Occupational therapy can improv daily functioning, social

participation and wellbeing in people with dementia. It also has
been shown to improve the sense of competence and wellbeing of
primary caregivers.
• People with dementia often experience forgetfulness, wandering,
problems with planning, personal care and mobility. An OT will
work with someone with dementia to identify where there are
difficulties in independent function and day-to-day activities.