Dementia--Facts and Treatment Trivia Quiz

Answer: Alzheimer's dementia

Aloysius Alzheimer was a German psychiatrist and neuropathologist and director of an asylum for the mentally ill. After observing the behavior of one of his patients for several years, he was puzzled by the memory loss and other cognitive findings. In 1906 when the patient died, Alzheimer and other physicians examined his brain. Placing sections on slides for the microscope, he was able to divine patterns of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. The results were presented later that year.

Alzheimer's is the name of only one form of dementia but is the most common, therefore Alzheimer's has become, in popular parlance, the same as dementia. Fundraising for dementia is often under the cover of Alzheimer's.

There are seven stages of Alzheimer's that apply generally to other types of dementia: Alzheimer's symptoms vary. The stages below provide a general idea of how abilities change during the course of the disease.

Stage 1: No impairment
Stage 2: Very mild decline
Stage 3: Mild decline
Stage 4: Moderate decline
Stage 5: Moderately severe decline
Stage 6: Severe decline
Stage 7: Very severe decline

Answer: Frontal temporal dementia

Where Alzheimer's strikes the brain in its entirety, frontal temporal is an atrophy of the frontal temporal lobe of the brain. A large percentage of these cases are identified before age 65, sometimes in the 40s, and thus are devastating to individuals and their families in their prime years of productivity.

Frontal temporal dementia or 'mixed dementia' is a broad term for a diverse group of uncommon disorders that strike the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain associated with personality, behavior, and language.

Answer: Parkinson's Disease

Separate diagnoses may be made for these conditions whether the emphasis is on the physical or mental aspect of the individual.

Lewy bodies are abnormal microscopic protein deposits in the brain that cause behavior much akin to Alzheimer's. Parkinson is a lack of motor control of the body and tends toward deterioration. Lewy Body Disease (LBD) may make up 20% of cases known cases worldwide. It affects more men than women and is often rapidly progressive. Death may occur between five and seven years.

Lewy bodies are named after Frederick Lewy who first observed their affects.

Answer: 67 million

The World Health Organization predicts a growth of about 7 million a year. The projection for 2050 is 115 million.

Treating and caring for people with dementia costs the world more than 604 billion per year per year in American dollars. This includes not only the costs associated with the disease directly but also the economic impact on those affected and their caregivers.

Answer: That's wonderful! We all loved Uncle Ivan.

Long term memories persist more with dementia than short term memory. It is always best to not stress the person, provoke an argument, or place them in a position of denial. Generally speaking, it is better to be non-argumentative and non-judgmental about these incidents. It will be less stressful for both of you.

Answer: Taking care of yourself.

The number one rule for caregivers is that you must take care of yourself. Otherwise, it becomes more difficult to properly care for others. This means eating well, getting enough sleep, and maintaining family, social, and recreational activities. It also means delegating responsibilities to others to assist you. If you become run down and isolated, you will not be able to fulfill your role as caregiver.

The social worker might well ask the about the day-to-day care, but a sensitive social worker must appraise your ability to handle the task and advise you on how to relieve stress and time consuming responsibilities. Most important, of course, is keeping yourself fit.

Answer: True

According to Alzheimer's Association data, about 10% of those over 65 are affected. It is a startling statistic also that the number rises to nearly 50% for those 85 and older. One out of three affected will die of the disease. It is the sixth leading cause of death.

Answer: May help some individuals in slowing the progress of dementia

There is at present no cure for dementia. It remains progressive and debilitating. Dementia treatment drugs may have an effect on the progression of the disease in some instances but have no effect on other individuals. Measures of progression are anecdotal by observation but no statistical basis has been developed, except to compare the others untreated in the group.

Many experience side-effects of these drugs such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite/weight loss, dizziness, drowsiness, weakness, trouble sleeping, shakiness, and muscle cramps. This is particularly noticeable when moving from the 5mg or 10mg to the 23mg which is considered the therapeutic dosage. Many are not able to tolerate these drugs.

Answer: Family Doctor or Primary Care Physician

The Primary Care Physician is the best choice. One, the PCP can rule out any physical cause for the symptoms. Secondly, the PCP can make referral to qualified professionals for further evaluation and diagnosis and help in routing you through the myriad of services. In most cases the initial step is referral to a PCP who knows the patient best. The PCP may be able to rule out medication side effects, alcoholism, thyroid problems, depression, and vitamin deficiencies.

In preparation for the doctor's visit make a list of concerns, bring a list of medications, and ask questions until you understand.

Answer: Appearance of unexplained rashes and boils

In addition, other signs are:

1-Memory loss that disrupts daily life
2-Challenges in planning or solving problems
3-Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, at work or at leisure
4-Confusion on time and place
5-Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships
6-Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps
7-Decreased or poor judgement
8-Withdrawl from work or social activities
9-Change in mood or personality
10-New problems in speaking or writing

For more information on these signs check out Alzheimer's Association or Mayo Clinic websites.