Dementia

Modified on Mon, Feb 27, 2023 at 1:12 PM

Type of Dementia	Symptoms	Testing Findings	Treatments	Ongoing Research
Alzheimer's disease	Memory loss, confusion, language difficulties, personality changes, difficulty with everyday tasks	Brain imaging (e.g., MRI, PET) may show shrinkage in specific brain regions and abnormal amyloid and tau proteins.	Cholinesterase inhibitors, memantine, and lifestyle interventions to manage symptoms	Developing drugs to target amyloid and tau proteins, gene therapy, and non-pharmacological interventions
Vascular dementia	Impaired judgment, difficulty with planning and organizing, mood changes, trouble walking or balancing	Brain imaging may show evidence of strokes or reduced blood flow in certain brain regions.	Treatment of underlying risk factors, such as hypertension, diabetes, and high cholesterol, and medications to improve blood flow	Developing treatments to prevent or reduce the occurrence of strokes and improving methods for diagnosing the condition
Lewy body dementia	Visual hallucinations, fluctuating cognition, tremors, stiffness, and problems with movement	Brain imaging may show reduced dopamine activity and the presence of Lewy bodies and abnormal proteins.	Medications to manage cognitive symptoms, movement problems, and sleep disorders	Developing new drugs to target Lewy body protein aggregates and better understand the underlying mechanisms
Frontotemporal dementia	Changes in behavior, personality, and language; difficulty with social interactions; problems with decision-making	Brain imaging may show atrophy in the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain.	Medications and lifestyle interventions to manage symptoms	Understanding the underlying mechanisms and developing new treatments
Mixed dementia	Symptoms of more than one type of dementia, often Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia,	Brain imaging may show evidence of both Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia.	combination of treatments for both types of dementia	Developing a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms of mixed dementia

It is important to note that, while the table above provides an overview of each type of dementia, each case can present uniquely and may require individualized treatment and management.

Type of Dementia	Symptoms	Testing Findings	Treatments	Ongoing Research
Parkinson's disease and dementia	Impaired memory, confusion, hallucinations, and difficulty with movement	Brain imaging may show a reduction in dopamine activity, and there may be evidence of Lewy bodies.	Medications to manage cognitive symptoms, movement problems, and sleep disorders	Developing new treatments that target the underlying mechanisms of Parkinson's disease and associated dementia
Huntington's disease, dementia	Cognitive changes, including memory loss and difficulty with decision-making, and movement problems such as chorea (involuntary movements),	Genetic testing can confirm the presence of the huntingtin gene mutation.	Medications and lifestyle interventions to manage symptoms	Developing gene therapies to target the underlying genetic mutation
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease	Rapidly progressing dementia, difficulty with coordination, muscle stiffness, and involuntary movements	Abnormal proteins may be detected in the brain and cerebrospinal fluid.	Symptomatic treatment only, with a focus on improving quality of life	Developing better diagnostic tools and treatments for this rare, degenerative brain disorder
Normal pressure hydrocephalus	Difficulty walking, incontinence, and cognitive changes such as memory loss and difficulty with problem-solving	Brain imaging may show enlargement of the brain ventricles due to excess cerebrospinal fluid.	Surgery to drain excess fluid and relieve pressure on the brain	Developing better diagnostic tools to distinguish this condition from other types of dementia and improving surgical outcomes
Mixed dementia	Symptoms of more than one type of dementia, often Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia,	Brain imaging may show evidence of both Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia.	combination of treatments for both types of dementia	Developing a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms of mixed dementia

It is important to note that some forms of dementia, such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and Huntington's disease, are uncommon, whereas Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia are more prevalent. In addition, research is ongoing to improve our understanding of how these conditions function and to develop better diagnostic tools and more effective treatments for symptom management.

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