Neurology Diagnostics

Posts Tagged ‘Dementia’

Dementia diseases are due to neuronal death and are the result of stroke or defects during the cell cycle. Causes and symptoms of dementia.

Neurology .- The “ON” or neurodegenerative diseases of the nervous system are brain damage caused by neuronal apoptosis (death of neurons) derived from a CVA (stroke) or defective process of protein during the cell cycle. The etiology or causes of dementia are unknown today and brain damage of these neurodegenerative disorders causes a series of symptoms that lead to brain damage.
What are neurodegenerative diseases?

These abnormalities lead to progressive deterioration of the CNS (central nervous system), ie, loss of brain function, more specifically the cerebral cortex, resulting in severe cognitive problems. Memory, thinking, language or behavior of a person is severely affected.

Like other nervous system diseases, diseases of dementia generate disability, dependency, physical and psychological pain (both the person suffering and their families).

Today, this type of neurological disease has no cure, is irreversible.
Causes of dementia, neurodegenerative disorders associated with aging

Today, the etiology of neurodegeneration is not known. Certain neurodegenerative diseases like Huntington’s or familial spastic paraparesis, show a genetic basis, but the majority of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease or Alzheimer’s , PD or Parkinson’s disease or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, are sporadic and genetic contribution is minimal.

Dementia is a progressive disease that is, that worsens over time and most of the causes of dementia are not preventable.

“The increase in life expectancy in our society, has brought an increase in these chronic diseases in the elderly population who have become the third largest health problem in our country”
When do symptoms of dementia?

Dementia symptoms begin to appear when the neurons are not affected and can not supplement the work of damaged neurons.

During the progression of the disease are emerging a series of complexities such as:

Self-injury. Where the person ends up assaulting patienter itself.
The delirium. A disorder where the person’s brain stops functioning as it should. Attention problems, disorders of consciousness, memory impairment , impaired thinking, emotions …
Trauma. Harm that is done the person as a result of motor incoordination or muscle degeneration in your body.
The disorientation of both time and space. Confusions like not knowing what time it is, on what day we are, where we are, how to get home or to a particular place.
Cortical disorders. As apraxia or aphasia .
Functional problems. They have difficulty performing everyday things such as washing, dressing, eating, cleaning … and show trouble walking .
Behavioral problems. Violence, paranoia, theft, apathy, hallucinations, akathisia or vagrancy.

All research points to the same effect. Fun activities such as completing puzzles, crossword puzzles, reading and listening to the radio may delay the first signs of dementia. A new study published in Neurology has discovered a surprising fact. It concluded that in those cases in which dementia occurs later, the progression seems to be faster.

As explained by the principal author of this work, Robert Wilson, “Our results suggest that the benefit of delaying the signs of cognitive decline could lead to more rapid evolution of dementia in later years, but the question is why this happens.” Read the rest of this entry »

A study by Dr. Martha Clare Morris of Rush University Medical Center, Chicago and published in the journal Neurology, showed that frequent consumption of vegetables reduces the risk of cognitive decline by up to 40%.

The study included 3718 patients over 65 years between 1993 and 2002 and the beneficial effects of vegetables, especially green vegetables, would be given by the high concentration of vitamin E, a potent antioxidant, provided by them.

On the other hand, did not show the same beneficial effect of fruit consumption. It follows that neither vitamin C nor beta-carotene allow a protective effect on cognition.

This study raises again the need for a healthy diet in everybody, not only because it reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease among others, but it reduces the risk of cognitive impairment that usually develops with age.

Intensify fight against diabetes, to reduce risk of dementia

The fight against depression and diabetes may help prevent or delay dementia praecox, according to a study published in the British Medical Journal, which estimates that risk factors such as obesity, hypertension and high cholesterol levels are the dark environment conducive for these patients. Read the rest of this entry »