What is dementia?
Dementia syndrome, commonly known as dementia, consists of a set of symptoms that correspond to a continuous and usually progressive decline in higher nervous functions, which include:
- Memory loss
- decreased mental agility
- decreased executive functions
- Difficulties in expression
- comprehension problems
- Decision-making problems
- among others
What are the most common forms of dementia?
The most common forms of dementia are Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementias.
What are the main symptoms of dementia?
There are common symptoms associated with dementia, namely:
- Memory loss
- difficulty in making new learning
- frequent loss of valuables such as wallets and keys or forgetting food on the fire
In the most severe cases, people may also:
- forgetting information already learned, such as the names of your loved ones
- become apathetic or disinterested in their usual activities
- having trouble controlling your emotions
- losing empathy (the feelings of understanding and compassion)hallucinating
- Making false claims
In addition, one of the characteristics of people with dementia is the loss of autonomy, as they have difficulty performing simple tasks, such as feeding, dressing or taking care of personal hygiene.
What is the treatment for dementia?
Treatment for dementia can vary depending on its cause and the state of the disease.
At an early stage, cognitive training and the practice of tasks aimed at improving performance in specific aspects of cognitive functioning are beneficial. For example, people can be taught how to use memory aids such as mnemonics or note-taking.
For a more advanced stage, there are medications to specifically treat the symptoms associated with Alzheimer's dementia and other forms of progressive dementia. Although medication won't stop the disease or reverse the brain damage it causes, it can improve quality of life and ease the burden on your caregivers.
Source: Portuguese Society of Psychiatry and Mental Health (SPPSM)