Neurology

Neurology

                               Dementia

In 1901 Auguste Deter, a woman in her early 50s, became the first person diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, a form of dementia. The disease is named after the doctor who first described it, Alois Alzheimer.

The disease is characterized by odd behavior, memory problems, paranoia, disorientation, agitation, and hallucinations.

Dementia refers to a group of symptoms that can be caused by several different brain disorders. In general, dementia is characterized by impaired intellectual functioning that interferes with daily activities or personal relationships. This impairment can include memory loss, language difficulty, decreased perception, and impaired reasoning. 

There are several different classifications of dementia. Dementia can be classified by either the area of the brain that is affected, whether it is progressive, or whether it results from another disorder (primary or secondary). The following slides discuss some causes and types of dementia.

Lewy body dementia (LBD), also called dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). The "Lewy body" is an abnormal protein found microscopically in the brain of patients with this type of dementia.

Symptoms of Lewy body dementia are similar to Alzheimer's, including impaired memory, confusion, and poor judgment. LBD also includes symptoms such as hallucinations and parkinsonian symptoms (shuffling gait, inability to stand straight, and shaking).

Frontotemporal dementia, also called frontal lobe dementia and previously known as Pick's disease, is caused by degeneration of nerve cells in the frontal and temporal regions of the brain. The frontal and temporal regions of the brain control behavior, judgment, emotions, speech, and some movement. Damage to these areas accounts for the symptoms that separate frontotemporal dementia from other types of dementia.

Symptoms of frontotemporal dementia generally occur in younger patients in their 50s and 60s, and it is believed to account for 10% to 15% of all cases of dementia. Behavioral changes appear early on in the disease with frontotemporal dementia, differing from the late onset in Alzheimer's disease.

Boxer's syndrome, or dementia pugilistica, is a form of chronic brain injury caused by repetitive head trauma. It's name comes from symptoms experienced by boxers who have had years of being punched in the head. Primary symptoms – which may not develop for years after the trauma - include slurred speech, poor motor coordination, and difficulty walking. Patients may also experience memory problems.

In my opinion speak of the brain it is amazing and interesting so this blog will be of great help to learn more about this topic

"Demential" Recovered from 

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey= 

4TH, October 2015 20:0816305513