Between fifty and seventy percent of all dementia cases are caused by Alzheimer’s disease. About four million people between the age of 60 and 80 have some symptoms of Alzheimer’s.
Memory loss may be seen as a natural sign of aging, however, a person may really be suffering from Alzheimer’s. As the disease gets worse more and more mental abilities are lost. Some of these may be the ability to speak what the mind is trying to convey (for example, a person may see an apple but cannot say the word “apple”). The ability to remember what happened moments ago can be lost, but a person can remember what they wore to their prom 50 years ago.
What causes Alzheimer’s is not known but studies have shown that there is a link to brain lesions. A brain lesion is an area in the brain that has been damaged due to injury or disease. Lesions can be seen on an MRI as white spots. Some physicians have even speculated that brain lesions can be caused by chemotherapy or radiation.
Depression and medication can cause a person to have symptoms of dementia. A physician will take into consideration medication and its side effects and will adjust or change them before diagnosing a person with dementia. If a person seems depressed, a physician may prescribe an anti-depressant and will monitor the patient closely. Hormone imbalance and vitamin deficiencies are known causes of dementia and blood work will be performed to rule out these problems.
An MRI and EEG may be performed to look for physical changes or changes in brain waves. Slower than normal brain waves can be an indicator of dementia or Alzheimer’s. If a person is having memory loss they should consult their physician. It is better to be overcautious than to miss the presence of key symptons.
Sun, Jun 13, 2010
Health