How do you recognize this disease and what are the treatment options?
One in five people develops dementia
Forgetful or demented
Everyone is forgetful sometimes, they can temporarily not remember something. Dementia is less harmless. People with dementia no longer have access to certain information in the brain.
Forgetting where the keys are, not being able to recall someone’s name, walking up the stairs, and not remembering why you had to go upstairs: everyone is forgetful sometimes. Forgetfulness is a normal memory complaint and little can be done about it. It can be annoying at times, but once the answer comes to mind, the problem is solved. In short, forgetfulness does not have a major impact on our daily life.
None vs. much influence on daily life
This is very different from dementia. The answer no longer comes to mind in people with dementia. Someone with advanced dementia can no longer name an acquaintance and no longer even recognize them. All this kind of information disappears from the memory or is no longer accessible to the patient. Dementia has a major impact on the patient’s daily life. The household, the finances, going for a walk independently; it is getting more and more difficult.
People with dementia not only forget knowledge but also skills they have learned before. From large, complicated matters, to everyday things such as making a sandwich. Such matters disappear or can no longer be recalled.
Are you concerned about your memory or someone else’s memory? Then take the memory test that Alzheimer Nederland developed. Obviously, the test does not diagnose, but it does give an indication of possible memory deterioration. You decide for yourself whether the results warrant a visit to the doctor. You can find the test on www.geheugentest.nl.
Join our research
Not only will the generations after you benefit from thorough drug research, but there are also advantages for you as a patient. During the research, you will receive optimal guidance, the medical signs and symptoms are properly monitored and you can benefit from the possible effect of the new medicine.
Interested? Register at Brain Research Center.
Causes of dementia
There are several causes of dementia. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause. Less known are vascular, frontotemporal dementia, and Dementia with Lewy-Bodies.
Alzheimer’s disease
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia, more than 70% of dementia cases are Alzheimer’s disease. Plenty of research is being done into this disease. For now, we know, among other things, that Alzheimer’s disease is most likely caused by an accumulation of harmful proteins (Amyloid-beta and Tau) between (Amyloid-beta) and in (Tau) the nerve cells of the brain. These proteins are not broken down properly and impede the function of the nerve cells. The brain can no longer function properly, causing the nerve cells to die. That process is irreversible, as dead nerve cells never become healthy, working nerve cells again. Memory problems are often at the forefront of patients with Alzheimer’s disease.
Vascular dementia
Another form of dementia is vascular dementia. Vascular means “relating to the blood vessels”. Vascular dementia is caused by damage to the brain from problems with the blood vessels of the brain. For example, people who have had a cerebral infarction or cerebral hemorrhage can develop thinking disorders as a result of damage to the brain. But the damage to the small blood vessels of the brain, visible as lacunar infarcts or white matter abnormalities, can also be associated with thinking problems. In vascular dementia, slowness of thinking, speaking, and acting is often at the forefront.
Frontotemporal dementia
Frontotemporal dementia is caused by damage to the frontal and/or temporal lobe of the brain. These areas of the brain are responsible for our decision-making and coordination, and for our emotional responses and language skills. People with frontotemporal dementia therefore mainly suffer from changes in behavior and personality and experience language disorders and problems with the regulation of emotions. There are several abnormal proteins that can be responsible for brain lobe damage.
Lewy-Body Dementia
In dementia with Lewy-Bodies, accumulations of the protein alpha-synuclein are found in the brain cells. These accumulations are called Lewy-Bodies. The degree of complaints experienced by people with dementia with Lewy-Bodies can vary from moment to moment. In addition to thinking disorders, visual hallucinations and Parkinson’s-like symptoms (tremors, slow movement, and stiffness) occur in this form.
Join our research
Not only will the generations after you benefit from thorough drug research, but there are also advantages for you as a patient. During the research, you will receive optimal guidance, the medical signs and symptoms are properly monitored and you can benefit from the possible effect of the new medicine.
Interested? Register at Brain Research Center.
Diagnosis
Dementia is diagnosed after a number of tests. The doctor asks the patient and the partner for complaints, carries out an examination in the doctor’s office, neuropsychological tests, an MRI scan of the brain and in some cases, the cerebrospinal fluid obtained via an epidural is also examined in the laboratory.
First, the GP
Diagnosing dementia is not easy, many tests are needed to make the diagnosis. Most patients first go to the doctor. This person asks the patient question and people in the immediate surroundings and performs blood and urine tests to rule out other things (for example, incorrect use of medication or depression). Through these conversations and examinations, the GP can get a good picture of the situation. The doctor can then refer the patient to a specialist or decide that it is better to wait a little longer.
Determining the cause of dementia
After referral, a specialist conducts a cognitive neurological and neuropsychological examination. After extensive examination, the specialist may or may not confirm the diagnosis of dementia. If it turns out to be dementia, the specialist can also determine the cause. It is important to make a specific diagnosis, as it can alleviate a lot of anxiety. In addition, after diagnosis, appropriate medication can be started to combat the symptoms. Early diagnosis allows patients to make arrangements for the future, something that becomes increasingly difficult at a later stage of the disease.
Join our research
Not only will the generations after you benefit from thorough drug research, but there are also advantages for you as a patient. During the research, you will receive optimal guidance, the medical signs and symptoms are properly monitored and you can benefit from the possible effect of the new medicine.
Interested? Register at Brain Research Center.
Treatment
Unfortunately, there is still no drug that prevents or can stop Alzheimer’s disease. There are drugs that fight the symptoms. The disease does progress, but the patient experiences fewer complaints. However, this medication does not have the desired effect for every patient and is therefore not always used.
Four drugs for Alzheimer’s disease
In the Netherlands, four types of medicine are available to reduce the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease: galantamine, donepezil, rivastigmine, and memantine. These drugs cannot reverse damage to the brain but can limit the effects and symptoms of the disease. This improves daily functioning in some cases. The positive effects and side effects of the drugs differ per person, what works well for one patient, hardly helps for another and can also cause unpleasant side effects.
Medicines for additional symptoms of dementia
In addition, medications can be prescribed to reduce additional symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. For example, painkillers can be used if a patient is in a lot of pain, or sleep medicine if a patient suffers from insomnia, or drugs against suspicion or aggression. A disadvantage of these drugs is in particular the chance of side effects. These also differ per patient.
Medicine research is much needed
Because Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia are common and no successful treatments are available yet, a lot of research is being done worldwide into drugs that can stop the various diseases that cause dementia. Brain Research Center also conducts research into new medicines that can help current and future generations. The Brain Research Center cannot do that without you. Would you like to participate in a study of medicines for dementia? Then sign up.
Join our research
Not only will the generations after you benefit from thorough drug research, but there are also advantages for you as a patient. During the research, you will receive optimal guidance, the medical signs and symptoms are properly monitored and you can benefit from the possible effect of the new medicine.
Interested? Register at Brain Research Center.
