the type of dementia – for example, Alzheimer's disease tends to progress more slowly than the other types.
Alzheimer's disease typically progresses slowly in three stages: early, middle and late (sometimes referred to as mild, moderate and severe in a medical context).
Dementia is progressive. This means signs and symptoms may be relatively mild at first but they get worse with time. Dementia affects everyone differently, however it can be helpful to think of dementia progressing in 'three stages'.
Signs and symptoms of mild dementia include memory loss, confusion about the location of familiar places, taking longer than usual to accomplish normal daily tasks, trouble handling money and paying bills, poor judgment leading to bad decisions, loss of spontaneity and sense of initiative, mood and personality changes, ...
There is currently no "cure" for dementia. In fact, because dementia is caused by different diseases it is unlikely that there will be a single cure for dementia. Research is aimed at finding cures for dementia-causing diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal dementia and dementia with Lewy bodies.
In the early stages of dementia you may be able to live at home, continuing to enjoy doing the things you have always done and having an active social life. As the illness progresses, it's likely that you'll need extra help with daily activities, such as housework, shopping and cooking.
For most people with Alzheimer's — those who have the late-onset variety — symptoms first appear in their mid-60s or later. When the disease develops before age 65, it's considered early-onset Alzheimer's, which can begin as early as a person's 30s, although this is rare.
First, it's important to understand the terms “treatable,” “reversible” and “curable.” All or almost all forms of dementia are treatable, in that medication and other measures can help manage your symptoms. However, most types of dementia can't be cured or reversed, and treatments provide only modest benefits.
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease causes a type of dementia that gets worse unusually fast. More common causes of dementia, such as Alzheimer's, dementia with Lewy bodies and frontotemporal dementia, typically progress more slowly. Through a process scientists don't yet understand, misfolded prion protein destroys brain cells.
other long-term health problems – dementia tends to progress more quickly if the person is living with other conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes or high blood pressure, particularly if these are not well-managed.
As a very rough guide, the early stage of dementia lasts on average about two years. This stage is when the following common symptoms start to affect the person's daily life: ∎The most well-known early symptoms are memory problems.
A person with dementia's abilities may change from day to day, or even within the same day. What is certain though is that the person's abilities will deteriorate; this may happen rapidly in a period of a few months or slowly over a number of years.
A number of case reports refer to an unexpected return of mental clarity in individuals with longstanding dementia or other neuropsychiatric conditions. It's been called “paradoxical lucidity” due to its puzzling nature, or “terminal lucidity” because it seems to occur at the end of life.
The following are used to temporarily improve dementia symptoms. Cholinesterase inhibitors. These medicines work by boosting levels of a chemical messenger involved in memory and judgment. They include donepezil (Aricept, Adlarity), rivastigmine (Exelon) and galantamine (Razadyne ER).
It is not reversible, but there are many options for managing dementia. Approximately 1 in 3 people aged 85 or older will develop some type of dementia. However, dementia is not a typical side effect of the aging process. Individuals with dementia experience damage to cells in the brain.
Dementia is an umbrella term describing the loss of various cognitive functions, such as memory, thinking, and reasoning. Dementia occurs in stages, with the later stages lasting for around 1–2 years. Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia and can last more than 10 years, including the final stages.
While most changes in the brain that cause dementia are permanent and worsen over time, thinking and memory problems caused by the following conditions may improve when the condition is treated or addressed: Depression. Medication side effects. Excess use of alcohol.
One of the most common causes of death for people with dementia is pneumonia caused by an infection. A person in the later stages of dementia may have symptoms that suggest that they are close to death, but can sometimes live with these symptoms for many months.
Dementia stage 4: Moderate cognitive decline
A person is not typically diagnosed with dementia until they're at stage 4 or beyond.
Many people affected by dementia are concerned that they may inherit or pass on dementia. The majority of dementia is not inherited by children and grandchildren. In rarer types of dementia there may be a strong genetic link, but these are only a tiny proportion of overall cases of dementia.