Dementia

Overview

Dementia can have many causes. Usually there is a growing decline in memory, and everyday skills such as language and concentration can also be affected. Quizzes and brain-teasers, social contact and activities such as going to the theatre help maintain mental performance

Symptoms

Main symptoms

• Memory disorders
  • Short-term memory is frequently affected first, and later also long-term memory

Other symptoms

• Problems with orientation
• Worsening of everyday skills: counting, language, concentration
• Personality changes (e.g. severe anxiety, aggression)
• Depression
• Using things for the wrong purpose, e.g. using the oven as a heater
• With time, patients often require care
  

Causes and treatment

Causes

• Alzheimer's disease (most common cause of dementia)
• Frontotemporal dementia
• Parkinson's disease
• Dementia with Lewy bodies
• Vascular dementia
• Stroke
• Accident with serious brain injury
• Borreliosis
• HIV
• Alcohol dependence

Further treatment by your doctor / in hospital

Possible tests

• Dementia tests (e.g. mini mental state exam, clock-drawing test, MoCA test, etc.)
• MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)
• CT scan (computed tomography)
• Neurological examination (testing of brain functions, walking along a line, etc.)
• Blood test (blood salts, haemoglobin, sugar, etc.)

Possible therapies

• Treatment of a possible trigger (e.g. antibiotics for borreliosis)
• If Alzheimer's is the cause, treatment with medication can be tried (antidementives)
• Treatment of the consequences of dementia (e.g. antidepressants for depression)

What can I do myself?

• “Brain training”: quizzes and brain-teasers, crossword puzzles, Sudoku, etc.
• Regular exercise
• Keep up social contacts
• Activities such as cinema, theatre, etc.
• As a close relative, show lots of patience
  • Long-term memory can be activated with photos, etc.
  • As few changes as possible to the patient's daily routine
  • Caring for a patient with dementia is demanding: make use of offers of help at an early stage

When to see a doctor?

• Growing forgetfulness
• Difficulties coping with everyday life
• Growing neglect (e.g. body hygiene is neglected)
  

Further information

Alzheimer Schweiz (Alzheimer Switzerland)
www.alzheimer-schweiz.ch