Thyroid gland | Causes of dementia

Thyroid gland

The thyroid gland can be called the accelerator of the body, it determines the speed at which the human metabolism works. A malfunction of the thyroid gland can therefore be felt almost anywhere in the body. If the thyroid gland is underfunctioning, dementia can result from the nerve cells not being supplied with sufficient energy. In this case it is essential to identify the cause and treat the hypothyroidism, as there is a chance that the dementia will be cured.

Risk factors

There are some risk factors that can promote the development of dementia. The strongest risk factor is age; depending on the form of dementia, genetics may also play a role. Also of relevance is the so-called metabolic syndrome, consisting of overweight, high blood pressure, a disorder of fat metabolism and diabetes.

Another risk factor is low mental activity, whereas a high level of education is a more protective factor. Increased alcohol consumption and head injuries also appear to be risk factors. Nutrition: Presumably, brain function can be influenced by the intake of nutrients.

Some risk factors for the development of dementia are directly or indirectly related to diet. Obesity, diabetes and elevated blood lipids favour the development of dementia. A balanced diet rich in fruit, vegetables, fish and preferably unsaturated fatty acids seems to have a protective effect.

Alcohol: Many years of alcohol abuse can lead to dementia. On the one hand, alcohol addicts are often deficient in certain nutrients. On the other hand, high alcohol consumption also leads to changes in brain tissue and thus to dementia.

Whether moderate alcohol consumption is also a risk factor for the development of dementia is still being researched. Drugs: The carrier substance acetylcholine plays an important role in the development of dementia, especially Alzheimer’s dementia. As this substance is involved in numerous processes in the body, many drugs influence this substance.

These include drugs used to treat Parkinson’s disease, allergies and mental illnesses such as depression. When memory disorders occur, it should therefore always be checked whether medication is being taken. It is important to know that these drugs do not lead to dementia, but that it is a side effect.

This means that stopping taking the medication also ends the dementia symptoms. Other diseases: Other diseases can also cause dementia. In Parkinson’s disease, the lack of the transmitter substance dopamine leads to movement disorders.

The metabolism of acetylcholine is also often affected, resulting in so-called Parkinson’s dementia. Another disease associated with dementia is normal pressure hydrocephalus. This leads to a congestion of cerebral fluid and thus to an expansion of the inner cerebral ventricles.

In addition to dementia, typical symptoms include gait disorder and urinary incontinence. Brain tumours can also be the cause of dementia. The hereditary disease Chorea Huntington, which usually begins with movement disorders, also leads to dementia. Infectious diseases such as AIDS or Creutzfeld-Jakob disease often lead to dementia.