Newsletter
Article
June 2008
COGNITIVE HEALTH: DEMENTIA,
ALZHEIMER’S,
AND OTHER MEMORY DISRUPTERS
Words are powerful. They can bring us joy,
laughter, comfort, anger, pride, sorrow or fear. Two of the most frightening
medical words are dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Often the person
experiencing the disease cannot recognize the symptoms or comprehend what is
happening. For family members, recognizing that there is a problem and the
extent to which it will impact their loved one and the entire family can be
overwhelming. Then, there is the problem of getting appropriate treatment.
According to The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS),
dementia is “a descriptive term for a collection of symptoms that can be caused
by a number of disorders that affect the brain.” It is not one specific disease
with one specific set of symptoms. Several diseases commonly present symptoms
that can fall into the dementia category. A few of these are Alzheimer’s,
vascular dementia, and Huntington’s disease. Additionally, there are multiple
conditions that can also present dementia-like symptoms, such as medication
reactions, brain tumors, heart and lung problems, and nutritional deficiencies.
Dementia is associated most often with the elderly but it is neither a normal
part of aging nor restricted entirely to the elderly.
At this time there are no proven cures. Pharmaceutical companies,
neuroscientists, medical research centers and specialized organizations, such as
the NIND and National Institutes of Health, are researching the disease.
Currently available medications generally affect the patient’s quality of life,
rather than provide curative outcomes.
According to NIND, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is “a progressive, neurodegenerative
disease… characterized by clumps…and tangled bundles of fibers…composed of
misplaced proteins.” Scientists have identified at least 3 genes that may cause
early AD; more commonly, there are other genes that contribute to AD in those 65
and over. The number of AD diagnoses has been determined to double every 5 years
for those 65 or older. It is an increasing health concern for an aging
population, the health system, Medicare and the economy. The life span of AD
patient can be shortened by 5 to 20 years, depending on the rate of progression.
Currently, there are no known cures. A few drugs have received FDA approval for
Alzheimer patients but their effects are primarily limited to slowing the
progression temporarily or providing physical comfort or controlling behavioral
symptoms. Different medications have different effects on the cognitive
functions and behavioral symptoms. Additionally, AD patients can have other
conditions, such as stress or thyroid disease, which exacerbate the AD; if these
are properly diagnosed, the quality of the AD patient’s life can be
significantly improved.
As with dementia, NIND, the National Institutes for Aging and Mental Health, and
Alzheimer-focused foundations are actively involved in research or support for
medical center research on AD. Pharmaceutical companies, of course, are also
actively working to develop medications that will delay, slow down, or halt the
progression of these diseases. Research has indicated that high blood pressure
and high cholesterol may also increase the probable development of AD.
While it is easy to become overwhelmed by the coverage of dementia and AD, we
need to recognize that common symptoms, such as forgetfulness, misplacing items,
and inability to remember people or events, do not automatically indicate the
presence of these diseases. Depression is a common condition that can lead to
memory problems; lack of concentration can lead to the false conclusion that the
victim is developing AD and lead to failure to get early and proper diagnosis of
the real medical problem.
One reality that we need to face is that dementia and AD will place significant
strain on Medicare and the U.S. health system. Most patients will eventually
need 24-hour care, increasing the demand for nursing homes and trained
personnel. Our economic system will be affected by these factors as well as the
demand for continuing research to find new medications and, ultimately,
preventive treatments.
References:
AARP. http://www.aarp.org/health
American Psychological Association.
http://www.psychologymatters.org
Center for Disease Control.
http://www.cdc.gov/aging/healthybrain.htm
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
http://www.ninds.nih.gov
Senior Journal.
http://seniorjournal.com/NEWS/aging
