Alzheimer's Disease and Individual
Understand the process and experience of dementia
Describe a range of causes of dementia syndrome.
Dementia is a term used for over 130 diseases that effect memory, behaviour and motor skills. Causes of these diseases may vary but are largely caused by the presence of 'plaques' and 'tangles' on the neurons in the brain. Plaques are proteins that the body can no longer break down which causes a build up, they get between the neurons and confuses message transmissions. The tangles are the proteins inside neurons that become abnormal. In Korsakoff's disease long term abuse of alcohol is usually to blame. In vascular dementia, strokes and blood clots cause neurons to function abnormally to the effected area of the brain, which is usually at the front of the skull above the eyes, this effects inhibition and judgement. Causes of Lewy dementia is usually caused by abnormal clusters of proteins on parts of the brain that cause Parkinson like symptoms. Whereas Pick's disease will usually occur after heavy trauma to the front section of the brain, the disease starts out with personality and behavioural changes shortly followed by memory loss. Although dementia is not nessisarily hereditary if a parent has a form of dementia a child is more likely to develope it in their lifetime.
Describe the types of memory impairment commonly experienced by individuals with dementia.
Every type of dementia has different types of memory impairments aswell as oher impairments effecting commuication and bodily functions. Plaques and tangles tend to form in the areas of the brain that are responsible for memory, but as the dementia progresses the formations start to spread to other parts of the brain leading to additional problems such as thinking and language. The most common first sign of most dementia diseases is a memory disfunction for example: individuals may find it difficult to remember a converstation they just had by having a pause for a few minutes to process the
Describe a range of causes of dementia syndrome.
Dementia is a term used for over 130 diseases that effect memory, behaviour and motor skills. Causes of these diseases may vary but are largely caused by the presence of 'plaques' and 'tangles' on the neurons in the brain. Plaques are proteins that the body can no longer break down which causes a build up, they get between the neurons and confuses message transmissions. The tangles are the proteins inside neurons that become abnormal. In Korsakoff's disease long term abuse of alcohol is usually to blame. In vascular dementia, strokes and blood clots cause neurons to function abnormally to the effected area of the brain, which is usually at the front of the skull above the eyes, this effects inhibition and judgement. Causes of Lewy dementia is usually caused by abnormal clusters of proteins on parts of the brain that cause Parkinson like symptoms. Whereas Pick's disease will usually occur after heavy trauma to the front section of the brain, the disease starts out with personality and behavioural changes shortly followed by memory loss. Although dementia is not nessisarily hereditary if a parent has a form of dementia a child is more likely to develope it in their lifetime.
Describe the types of memory impairment commonly experienced by individuals with dementia.
Every type of dementia has different types of memory impairments aswell as oher impairments effecting commuication and bodily functions. Plaques and tangles tend to form in the areas of the brain that are responsible for memory, but as the dementia progresses the formations start to spread to other parts of the brain leading to additional problems such as thinking and language. The most common first sign of most dementia diseases is a memory disfunction for example: individuals may find it difficult to remember a converstation they just had by having a pause for a few minutes to process the