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Dementia

Dementia is a neurological disorder related to the working of your memory and thought processes but not every issue related to memory comes under Dementia. It is a disease of forgetfulness, crippling you through your life without your realization.  

What are some key features of Dementia?

  • In pure cases of dementia, for example, one would even forget if they had breakfast or not and would resort to eating food again and again.
  • When family members try to rationalize with the patient, suggesting that he had eaten breakfast or has already prayed, the patient in return may get aggressive, restless, irritable, or agitated as he thoroughly believes otherwise.
  • In prolonged cases of dementia, patients forget the names of people, and how their friends and family members look like. They become incapacitated to recognize their faces.
  • In severe cases, for instance, the patient moved to a new house – with progressive dementia they will be unable to recognize their house and would request to go back to their previous home or if their children have grown up, the patient would not recognize them as adults and would seek his children in the childhood stage only.
  • Patients with this disease also have problems remembering things about themselves. For example, they would likely forget what is the way to their house or where they generally keep their car keys. 
  • Cognitive capacities also reduce in patients with dementia, meaning, they are unable to formulate words and communicate properly, face issues in motor functioning, inability to solve problems or reason, and much more. 

Types of Dementia

It is not a stand-alone disorder and has a few subtypes that occur due to various underlying causes. Some of these types are;

  1. Alzheimer’s Disease; occurs because of changes in brain cells due to age.
  2. Korsakoff Syndrome; because of alcohol consumption and deficiency of vitamin B12.
  3. Creuzfeldt Jakob Disease; occurrence due to infectious proteins.
  4. Vascular Dementia; problem in the blood vessels of the brain.
  5. Parkinson’s Disease Dementia is caused by the onset of Parkinson’s disease.
  6. Lewy body Dementia may occur because of clumps of protein in the brain and may also initiate hallucinations and concentration difficulties. 
dementia

What are the causes that can lead to Dementia?

There may be many causes for the succession of symptoms like this disease and if these underlying causes are dealt with, there are great chances for the signs of this disorder to subside. Some of these causes are;

Genetics

Respiratory Issues

Head Injury or Stroke

AIDS

Vascular Diseases

Down Syndrome

Heart Problems

Depression or Anxiety

Alcohol Consumption

Drugs or Smoking

Treatment for Dementia

Patients with this disorder usually lack insight as to how the disease progressed and it is the family who starts noticing the changes in the patient and can identify the signs and symptoms get best treatment by contact us. During this time, if the family seeks out help immediately, with early intervention and diagnosis, maximum harm reduction can take place, and the progression of the disease can be slowed down. 

Dr. JPS Bhatia, a renowned psychiatrist in Amritsar, Punjab, and his team of Psychiatrists, Psychologists, and Nursing staff with salient certifications have been helping patients and families suffering from this disease for a long. We offer pharmacological interventions and psychotherapies to work on insight-building in a patient with this disorder. Cognitive Rehabilitation, Reminiscence Therapy, Cognitive Stimulation Therapy, Reality Orientation Training, rTMS, and much more are used in a calm and supportive environment for maximum results. 

With appropriate management techniques, patients with this disorder can undergo marked improvement in their symptoms and can lead their lives with dignity and self-respect.