Individuals with chronic kidney disease (CKD), especially older adults, are at more risk of experiencing cognitive impairment, possibly leading to mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and/or dementia.
Data from a 10-year follow-up study showed declining kidney function is significantly associated with dementia risk among older adults.
A common symptom of kidney failure is delirium . This is a mental state that's marked by confusion and restlessness. It develops because the toxins that are accumulating are affecting the brain.
The brain and its sub-structures, such as the hippocampus, are vulnerable organs that can be adversely affected. Acute kidney injury may be associated with numerous brain and hippocampal complications, as it may alter the permeability of the blood-brain barrier.
Individuals with chronic kidney disease (CKD), especially older adults, are at more risk of experiencing cognitive impairment, possibly leading to mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and/or dementia.
Decreased kidney function is associated with decreased cognitive functioning in areas such as global cognitive ability, abstract reasoning and verbal memory, according to new research.
Kidney disease, especially acute kidney disease, was associated with increased risks of dementia, early-onset dementia in particular. Kidney disease was associated with increased risks of vascular dementia but not of Alzheimer's disease.
Brain and Kidney
Researchers found a powerful link between poor kidney function and a decreased blood flow to the brain. In addition, those who have kidney problems are at a higher risk of dementia, stroke and memory problems. The takeaway? Protecting the kidneys will benefit the brain.
Regular heavy drinking – more than four drinks a day – has been found to double the risk chronic kidney disease. Heavy drinkers who also smoke have an even higher risk of kidney problems.
Chronic kidney disease is frequently associated with neurological disorders affecting both peripheral and central nervous system resulting in behavioral abnormalities, including mental and cognitive dysfunctions (28–30).
When individual organ systems were examined, dementia was associated with a 30% higher risk of respiratory dysfunction, a 37% higher risk of cardiovascular dysfunction, and a 102% higher risk of neurological dysfunction (Table 2). Renal, hepatic, hematologic and metabolic risk increases were not significant.
Decreased urine output, although occasionally urine output remains normal. Fluid retention, causing swelling in your legs, ankles or feet.
Seizures or Coma: Impairments such as anxiety, trouble concentrating, and brain fog may occur due to a lack of oxygen in the brain, that result from a build up of toxins in the body that the damaged kidneys are unable to filter out.
This study identifies CKD as a possible risk factor for dementia. In a large register-based cohort of older adults, both lower kidney function and steeper kidney function decline were consistently associated with the risk of dementia diagnosis, particularly vascular dementia.
The Mini-Cog test.
A third test, known as the Mini-Cog, takes 2 to 4 minutes to administer and involves asking patients to recall three words after drawing a picture of a clock. If a patient shows no difficulties recalling the words, it is inferred that he or she does not have dementia.
Introduction: The five-word test (5WT) is a serial verbal memory test with semantic cuing. It is proposed to rapidly evaluate memory of aging people and has previously shown its sensitivity and its specificity in identifying patients with AD.
Memory loss that disrupts daily life: forgetting events, repeating yourself or relying on more aids to help you remember (like sticky notes or reminders). 2. Challenges in planning or solving problems: having trouble paying bills or cooking recipes you have used for years.
Symptoms of vascular dementia can begin gradually or can occur suddenly, and then progress over time, with possible short periods of improvement. Vascular dementia can occur alone or be a part of a different diagnosis such as Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia.
Signs of the final stages of dementia include some of the following: Being unable to move around on one's own. Being unable to speak or make oneself understood. Eating problems such as difficulty swallowing.
Terminal lucidity is not an official medical term, but it refers to people with dementia unexpectedly returning to a clear mental state shortly before death. Experts do not know exactly why a person may experience this lucidity, and more research on the neurological mechanisms involved is necessary.