Unit 101
Level 3 Certificate in Dementia Care
UNIT 101
Michelle Hoskins
Unit 101 - Understand the process and experience of dementia
Outcome 1 - Understand the neurology of dementia
Part 1
Dementia is a term that describes a serious deterioration in mental function. There are many different causes of dementia. The following are a range of causes of dementia:
Alzheimer's disease.
Alzheimer's is the most common cause of dementia. It is caused by certain nerve cells within the brain dying and deterioration of connections between nerve cells.
Vascular dementia
Vascular dementia is caused by damage to the brain due to deprivation of oxygen in the blood. The lack of oxygen to the brain causes part of the organ to die. Due to the stroke like symptoms, additional physical problems can be present in addition to dementia.
Dementia with Lewy Bodies
Lewy Bodies are a form of protein deposit found inside the nerve cells of the brain. The deposits alter the way the brain functions and can be found in both dementia and Parkinson's disease. It is characterised by motor skill difficulties.
Fronto-temporal dementia
This is a rare for of dementia that tends to affect younger people and more commonly men. It is caused by damage to the frontal lobe of temporal parts of the brain.
Creutzfeld-Jakob disease (CJD).
This is a form of dementia caused by prion disease. Prions are proteins which are found in mammals. When cluster together they cause brain cells to die. When the cells die they leave holes called spongiosis. There are four forms of CJD: sporadic, familial, iatrogenic and variant. Although extremely rare the prognosis with CJD is very poor. Death can be expected within 6 to 24 months from early diagnosis.
Biswanger's disease
This is a form of vascular dementia occurring in blood vessels within the deep white matter of the brain.
Part 2
Memory is the information stored in the brain, and refers to the retention and recalling of that information. There are three main
UNIT 101
Michelle Hoskins
Unit 101 - Understand the process and experience of dementia
Outcome 1 - Understand the neurology of dementia
Part 1
Dementia is a term that describes a serious deterioration in mental function. There are many different causes of dementia. The following are a range of causes of dementia:
Alzheimer's disease.
Alzheimer's is the most common cause of dementia. It is caused by certain nerve cells within the brain dying and deterioration of connections between nerve cells.
Vascular dementia
Vascular dementia is caused by damage to the brain due to deprivation of oxygen in the blood. The lack of oxygen to the brain causes part of the organ to die. Due to the stroke like symptoms, additional physical problems can be present in addition to dementia.
Dementia with Lewy Bodies
Lewy Bodies are a form of protein deposit found inside the nerve cells of the brain. The deposits alter the way the brain functions and can be found in both dementia and Parkinson's disease. It is characterised by motor skill difficulties.
Fronto-temporal dementia
This is a rare for of dementia that tends to affect younger people and more commonly men. It is caused by damage to the frontal lobe of temporal parts of the brain.
Creutzfeld-Jakob disease (CJD).
This is a form of dementia caused by prion disease. Prions are proteins which are found in mammals. When cluster together they cause brain cells to die. When the cells die they leave holes called spongiosis. There are four forms of CJD: sporadic, familial, iatrogenic and variant. Although extremely rare the prognosis with CJD is very poor. Death can be expected within 6 to 24 months from early diagnosis.
Biswanger's disease
This is a form of vascular dementia occurring in blood vessels within the deep white matter of the brain.
Part 2
Memory is the information stored in the brain, and refers to the retention and recalling of that information. There are three main