Remember Me? What We Know about Dementia
By Katie Hudson, Marine Biology, 2017
I could tell you exactly where I was when I learned about the 9/11 attacks, when Michael Jackson died, or when the bombs went off on Marathon Monday. But sometimes, I couldn’t tell you what I had for breakfast. We all tend to experience some form of short-term memory loss. Now, imagine waking up every morning not knowing where you were or who was sleeping next to you. Imagine not recognizing your closest friends or family members or being able to communicate these issues.
Dementia is a very general term for a severe decline in mental ability, resulting in a significant impact on daily life. Memory loss is a common example of this decline in mental ability but dementia can also impact a person’s ability to focus, communicate, or make judgments. It can even affect someone’s visual perceptions. In many cases, for a diagnosis to be made by a healthcare professional, two of these symptoms need to be present. It can be extremely difficult for these diagnoses to be made, however, as symptoms are usually ambiguous.
There are several different types of dementia but the Alzheimer’s Association, based out of Chicago, IL, lists Alzheimer’s Disease and Vascular Dementia as the two major types of dementia. Alzheimer’s Disease is often associated with a significant decline in memory. Recent studies have shown that Alzheimer’s is caused in part by the build up of protein in the brain, affecting the abilities of neurons to communicate. However, it is still relatively unknown why this build up of protein begins.
Vascular dementia is considered by the Alzheimer’s Association to be a “decline in thinking skills” as a result of a stroke or any similar restriction of blood flow to certain areas of the brain. These two types of dementia often coexist with each other or with other mental diseases.
All forms of dementia have one thing in common — they interfere with neuron communications in the brain. Specific symptoms depend on the region of the brain where communication is limited or damaged. In Alzheimer’s, the hippocampus is typically the first region affected, and thus memory loss is one of the first symptoms.
The risk of developing dementia is partially genetic. Research has shown that a wide variety of mutations across a range of chromosomes can determine if and when a person will develop Alzheimer’s. Another type of dementia, known as fronto-temporal dementia (FTD) has shown to be driven by genetics. The Alzheimer’s Society, based out of Great Britain, suggests that about half of the children of people with FTD will inherit and develop FTD. Conversely, Vascular dementia, because it is usually associated with a previous stroke, is usually not influenced by genetics.
Dementia does not only affect those diagnosed — it also significantly affects their family and friends. As the disease progresses, patients must rely on those around them more and more. The spouse of the patient often becomes the primary caregiver, which can be especially problematic in elderly couples who may already be dealing with existing health conditions. However, whether the caregiver is a spouse or other family member, the act of caregiving adds significant mental and financial stressors to the caregiver, who may also need to balance a job and family.
Unfortunately, there are no cures for any of the aforementioned types of dementia. There are some medications, as well as non-drug therapies that have been shown to alleviate or improve symptoms. Doctors also suggest that lifestyle choices made early in life can help reduce the risk of dementia. The Alzheimer’s Association suggests regular exercise and a healthy diet that promotes cardiovascular health. However, these treatments do not slow or stop the progression of the disease nor are the preventative measures proven to completely eliminate one’s risk of developing dementia.
Dementia is an extremely active field of research as the search for a cure continues. The Alzheimer’s Association lists over 150 active clinical trials for dementia treatments and researchers are always searching for volunteers for these trials. Annually, the Alzheimer’s Association holds The Walk to End Alzheimer’s in over 600 neighborhoods across the country raising money to help further research and to provide better care for Alzheimer’s patients. The Boston-area Walk to End Alzheimer’s will be held on September 25, 2016. For more information, to sign up or donate, go to www.act.alz.org.