Meet the Dementia Family and the Imposters Mennonite Church of the Servant PRESENTED BY BARRICK WILSON APRIL 13, 2014

“Just Ask”  What is the difference between dementia and Alzheimer’s disease?

What is “dementia?”  Dementia is not a specific disease. It is a descriptive term for a collection of symptoms that can be caused by up to 100 different disorders that affect the brain.

Memory loss alone is not dementia  While memory loss is a common symptom of dementia, memory loss by itself does not mean that a person has dementia.

People with dementia  Have significantly impaired intellectual functioning that interferes with normal activities and relationships.  Have inability to solve problems and maintain emotional control,  Experience personality changes and behavioral problems such as agitation, delusions, and hallucinations

 only if two or more brain functions are significantly impaired without loss of consciousness including:  Memory  Language skills  Perception  Cognitive skills including reasoning and judgment Doctors diagnose dementia

Alzheimier’s disease just one form of dementia.  Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia in persons over the age of 65. It represents about 60 percent of all dementias.

Just forgetful? Don’t worry! Be Happy! It’s normal to become more forgetful with age. Our brains do change as we age. Just like the rest of our bodies.

When it’s not normal part of aging  Serious memory loss  Confusion  Major changes in way mind works

Dementia “disguises”  Doctors have identified many other conditions that can cause dementia or dementia-like symptoms. Many of these conditions are reversible with appropriate treatment

Possible causes of memory problems  Depression  Medication side effects  Excess alcohol use  Poor diet  Vitamin Deficiencies  Certain infections  Alzhiemer’s disease and related dementias

Reactions to medications  Lead to reactions or side effects that mimic dementia.  can occur in reaction to just one drug or result from drug interactions.  Rapid onset or develop slowly

Metabolic problems and endocrine abnormalities  Thyroid problems can lead to apathy, depression, or dementia  Hypoglycemia  Too little or too much sodium or calcium  Impaired ability to absorb vitamin B12

Nutritional deficiencies  Thiamine (vitamin B1)  Vitamin B6  Vitamin B12  Dehydration

Infections  Cause neurological symptoms, including confusion or delirium,  Meningitis and encephalitis  Advanced stages of AIDS  Compromised immune systems

Subdural hematomas  Subdural hematomas, or bleeding between the brain's surface and its outer covering (the dura)

Poisoning  Exposure to lead, other heavy metals, or other poisonous substances  Symptoms may or may not resolve after treatment, depending on how badly the brain is damaged.  People who have abused substances such as alcohol and recreational drugs

Brain tumors  In rare cases, people with brain tumors may develop dementia  Symptoms may include changes in personality, psychotic episodes, or problems with speech, language, thinking, and memory.

Anoxia/Hypoxia  Diminished supply of oxygen to an organ's tissues.  heart attack or heart surgery  severe asthma  smoke or carbon monoxide inhalation  high-altitude exposure  strangulation,  overdose of anesthesia.

Heart and lung problems  brain requires a high level of oxygen in order to carry out its normal functions.  problems such as chronic lung disease or heart problems  starve brain cells and lead to the symptoms of dementia.

What conditions are not dementia?  Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI)  Age-related cognitive decline  Depression  Delirium

Typical age-related changes  Making a bad decision once in a while  Missing a monthly payment  Forgetting which day it is and remembering later  Sometimes forgetting which word to use  Losing things from time to time

Signs of dementia  Poor judgment and decision making  Inability to manage a budget  Losing track of the date or seasons  Difficulty having conversations  Misplacing things and being unable to retrace steps to find them.

See a doctor asap!  Anyone experiencing significant memory problems should see a doctor as soon as possible.  Don’t suffer from “dementiaphobia”

“Denial” is not just a river in Egypt!

Dementia across the globe  44 million globally have dementia  135 million will have the disease in 2050  By then71% will be poor and middle income  $600billion global cost of dementia  Cancer research gets 8x as much funding as dementia  Source: Alzheimer's Society

The word “dementia” compares to the word “ocean”

World’s four largest oceans  Atlantic  Pacific  Indian  Arctic

The Dementia Family Patriarch

The Dementia Family Tree Alzheimer’s disease Parkinson's disease Lewy bodies Physical injury to brain - Dementia pugilistica Huntington's disease Vascular Dementia Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease Frontotemporal dementia Normal pressure hydrocephalus Mild cognitive impairment HIV-associated dementia

Vascular dementia  Often considered the second-most common type of dementia, refers to impairment caused by reduced blood flow to part of the brain.  Single major stroke blocks blood flow to a large are of brain tissue  Multi-infarct dementia: series of very small strokes

Dementia with Lewy Bodies  Often starts with wide variations in attention and alertness. Individuals affected by this illness often experience visual hallucinations as well as muscle rigidity and tremors similar to those associated with Parkinson’s disease.

Frontotemporal dementia  Term describing several conditions (such as Pick’s disease and primary progressive aphasia) in which front and side areas of the brain are especially affected.  Personality and behavior changes are often the first symptoms.

HIV-associated dementia  due to infection of the brain with HIV virus; symptoms include impaired memory, apathy, social withdrawal, and concentration problems

Huntington’s disease  An inherited, progressive disorder that causes irregular movements of the arms, legs and facial muscles, personality changes, and a decline in the ability to think clearly.

Physical injury to the brain  Caused by an automobile accident or other trauma can damage or destroy brain cells and cause symptoms of dementia such as behavioral changes, memory loss and other cognitive difficulties.

Football and soccer major cause  CTE stands for Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy. Doctors are finding CTE to be a main cause behind the high rate of dementia in professional football players. Now, it is also appearing in soccer players.

Headbanging Triggers CTE-Dementia in Soccer Pro's Brain Professional Soccer Star Patrick Grange donated his brain to research. He died with CTE, a disease that causes dementia and depression.

“Digital dementia”  From seniors down to teens, everyone increasingly depends on digital technologies.  Powerful research reveals a startling side-effect: the brain's left side gets a workout while the right stays underdeveloped. The result? Loss in cognitive function (thinking skills) and memory.  (as reported by Fox News March 12, 2014) 

Cruetzfeldt-Jakob disease  (CROYZ-felt YAH-kob)  A rare, rapidly fatal disorder that impairs memory and coordination and causes behavior changes.  Variant was identified as the human disorder believed to be caused by eating meat from cattle affected by mad cow disease.

Normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH)  Caused by a buildup of fluid in the brain.  The cause of most cases is unknown.  Symptoms include difficulty walking, memory loss and inability to control urine.  NPH can sometimes be corrected with surgery to drain the excess brain fluid.

 Dementia may occur in patients who have other disorders that primarily affect movement or other functions. These cases are often referred to as secondary dementias. The relationship between these disorders and the primary dementias is not always clear. Secondary dementias

Parkinson’s connection  People with advanced Parkinson's disease, which is primarily a movement disorder, sometimes develop symptoms of dementia.  Many Parkinson's patients also have amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles like those found in Alzheimer’s disease.

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI)  Term use to describe problems with memory serious enough to show up on tests, but not severe enough to interfere with daily life.  Research shows that MCI may progress to Alzheimer’s disease.  Diagnosis of MCI does not always mean the person will develop Alzheimer’s.

Mild follicle impairment

Take aways  Several treatable health conditions mimic dementia symptoms.  Don’t suffer needlessly from “dementiaphobia!”  See a doctor for early diagnosis

Who can you turn to?  Alzheimier’s Assocation  Central and Western Kansas  1820 East Douglas  Wichita KS  or

Questions?