Every year, around 200,000 people in Germany fall ill with dementia. The greatest risk factor for suffering from dementia is age; of those over 90, almost a third are affected by dementia. There are various causes for dementia, most forms are not curable. However, since there are also forms of dementia which can be completely cured by removing the cause and since the natural course of the disease can often be slowed down by therapy, dementia should always be diagnosed. For this purpose it is important to recognise the warning symptoms.
Causes
There are many causes for the development of dementia. The most common form of dementia is Alzheimer’s dementia. The deposition of protein plaques leads to the destruction of the brain‘s nerve cells.
The second most common form of dementia is vascular dementia, which is caused by a circulatory disorder of the brain tissue. The main risk factor for this type of dementia is increased pressure in the arterial vessels (arterial hypertension), which damages them and can ultimately lead to an undersupply of tissue. Little is yet known about the cause of frontotemporal dementia.
Possible risk factors are the occurrence of frontotemporal dementia in a family member and a previous craniocerebral trauma. Like Alzheimer’s dementia, Lewy body dementia is characterized by increased protein deposition, the so-called Lewy bodies. In addition to the classic dementias, there are also other diseases which are often associated with dementia. Since these are treated differently, it is of great importance to recognise them or to exclude them as causes of dementia. Diseases that can be associated with dementia symptoms are, for example, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, normal pressure hydrocephalus, but also depression or hormonal dysfunctions such as hypothyroidism.
How do I recognise Alzheimer’s dementia?
Alzheimer’s dementia is a cortical dementia, i.e. it primarily affects the cortex of the brain. Typical are creeping progressive limitations of the affected person. Classical early symptoms that can contribute to the recognition of dementia are a disturbance of memory and spatial thinking.
The ability to think and judge is also often impaired. This can lead to concentration and attention problems. Characteristic is the so-called good facade, the fact that the affected persons are able to cover up their difficulties. The long-term memory of Alzheimer’s dementia is usually intact at the beginning, but then also deteriorates. Often the language is also affected in the course of the disease.
How do I recognize vascular dementia?
Vascular dementia is a subcortical dementia. It is more likely to affect areas of the brain that lie below the cerebral cortex. These changes lead to a general slowing down and a disturbance of alertness and attention as well as to a change in mood, motivation and motor skills.
Memory disorders are usually not the main focus. Typical early symptom is a slowdown. In contrast to the Alzheimer form, the façade is bad from the beginning, the affected persons appear sick and impaired.
