Senile dementia is characterized by a progressive and irreversible loss of intellectual functions, such as memory impairment, reasoning and language, and loss of ability to perform movements and recognize or identify objects.
Senile dementia occurs most often from age 65 and is a leading cause of disability in the elderly.Memory loss means that the person cannot orient himself in time and space, is easily lost and has difficulty recognizing the nearest people, leaving him less and less able to understand what is going on around him.
- There are several symptoms of senile dementia.
- Depending on the cause of the disease.
- And it may even take years to develop; the most common symptoms are:.
All of these symptoms lead to progressive dependence and can cause depression, anxiety, insomnia, irritability, mistrust, delusions and hallucinations in some people.
Causes that can lead to the development of senile dementia include
Alzheimer’s disease is a disease characterized by progressive degeneration of brain neurons and impaired cognitive functions, such as memory, attention, language, orientation, perception, reasoning and thinking.Know the warning signs of this disease.
The causes are not yet known, but studies suggest an inherited factor, especially when it begins in middle age.
It has a faster onset, and is associated with multiple strokes, usually accompanied by high blood pressure and stroke.Brain deterioration is most evident in complex attention, such as processing speed and frontal executive functions, such as movement and emotional response.stroke and how to avoid it.
There are medications that, if taken regularly, can increase the risk of developing dementia.Examples of medications that can increase this risk, if taken too often, are antihistamines, sleeping pills, antidepressants, medications used in heart or gastrointestinal problems, and muscle relaxants.
There are other diseases that can lead to the development of senile dementia, such as Lewy body dementia, Korsakoff syndrome, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, Pick’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and brain tumors.
Learn more about Lewy body dementia, which is one of the most common causes.
Diagnosis of senile disease is usually done by a full blood formula scan, renal, hepatic and thyroid function tests, serum levels of vitamin B12 and folic acid, serology of syphilis, fasting blood glucose, CT scan of the skull or MRI..
Your doctor should also perform a complete medical history, tests to assess memory and mental state, assess the level of care and concentration, as well as problem-solving ability and level of communication.
Diagnosis of senile dementia is made excluding other diseases with similar symptoms.
Treatment for early-stage senile dementia includes medications such as acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, antidepressants, mood stabilizers or neuroleptics, physical therapy and occupational therapy, as well as counseling.appropriate for family members and caregivers.
Currently, the most appropriate option is to keep the patient with senile dementia in a supportive and family environment, making it active, participating as much as possible in daily activities and communication, in order to preserve the individual’s abilities.