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Dementia
See Also:
Dementia:
Introduction
Dementia: Types
Dementia:
Causes & Risk Factors
Dementia: Signs &
Symptoms
Dementia: Stages
Dementia: Medical Tests
& Diagnosis Methods
Dementia:
Treatment & Prevention Options
Causes & Risk Factors
There are many causes of dementia, many of which are as a result of
damage or changes in the brain. These include:
Certain disease such as
Alzheimers disease, Parkinsons
disease, Lewy body disease etc.,
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Certain diseases that affect the blood vessels due
to stroke which can cause multi-infarct dementia.
Excessive consumption of alcohol
and drugs.
Deficiency in nutrition such as
vitamin B12 and folate deficiency.
Infections such as AIDS, dementia
complex and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.
Accumulation of fluid
(hydrocephalus) in the brain can lead to
developmental abnormalities, injuries, infections
and/or brain tumors.
Head injuries may be a
single severe injury or several injuries as in
the case of boxers.
Illness of the kidney, liver and
lung infections (6).
In addition, the following conditions also can cause
dementia:
Metabolic problems and endocrine
abnormalities: Thyroid problems, hypoglycemia and
inadequate or excess sodium/calcium levels in the
body may trigger mental changes.
-
Chronic alcoholism could result in a thiamine (vitamin
B1) deficiency seriously impairing mental abilities. Similarly,
Severe deficiency of vitamin B6 can cause a neurological illness
called pellagra that may include dementia (4).
People with AIDS and leukemia can
develop an infection called progressive
multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) due to
common human polyomavirus and JC virus that
damages the myelin sheath covering nerve cells.
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One more cause for dementia could be Subdural
hematomas or bleeding between the brain's surface and its outer
covering (the dura) (4).
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Poisoning or exposure to lead and heavy metals could
lead to an onset of dementia.
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Diminished supply of oxygen (Anoxia or Hypoxia) to
brain and/or nerve cells in the brain leads to coma or stupor in
patients from a few hours to weeks, depending on the severity
of the oxygen deprivation (4). During recovery, various
psychological and neurological abnormalities may develop leading
to dementia or psychosis.
Inadequate oxygen supply to brain
cells due to chronic heart or lung problems may
also lead to dementia (4).
Alzheimers disease causes 60% of the dementias,
30% of dementias are caused due to vascular dementia and
10% being other causes (7).
Risk factors for dementia have been identified
and include:
Age: As a person
advances in age, the risk of Alzheimers
disease goes up and so does the likelihood of
dementia.
Genetics/Family history:
As already explained, genetic mutations play a
vital role in passing on the disorders to the
offspring. Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, (CJD),
Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker,
(GSS) or fatal familial insomnia occurs
due to mutations in prion protein gene. Abnormal
genes may also cause Huntington disease and
frontotemporal dementia with Parkinsonism linked
to chromosome 17 (FTDP-17) is linked to mutation
of tau gene causing dementia.
Smoking and Alcohol
Usage: Studies suggest that smokers are
at risk of developing atherosclerosis and other
types of vascular diseases.
Atherosclerosis:
Deposition of fatty substances, cholesterol and
other matter in the inner lining of artery is
called atherosclerosis. This accumulation of
plaque leads to increased risk of vascular
dementia and stroke due to reduced supply of
oxygenated blood to the brain.
Cholesterol:
Higher levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL)
increases the risk of vascular dementia.
Plasma Homocysteine: Higher
than average levels of homocysteine in blood is a
potential risk for development of vascular
dementia and AD.
Down Syndrome:
Most of the people suffering from Down syndrome
develop plaques and neurofibrillary tangles and
many of them develop dementia (4).
See Also:
Dementia:
Introduction
Dementia: Types
Dementia:
Causes & Risk Factors
Dementia: Signs &
Symptoms
Dementia: Stages
Dementia: Medical Tests
& Diagnosis Methods
Dementia:
Treatment & Prevention Options

Article by Kona Vishnu, MS
Medical Writer,
OmniMedicalSearch.com
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