Dementia: What Patients Need to Know

Detect dementia early — starting from the very first signs of forgetfulness. The sooner treatment begins, the more effective it will be.

1. What Is Dementia?

Dementia is a brain disorder. People with dementia have difficulty remembering, learning, and communicating. It can also change a person's mood and personality. Over time, the condition can leave patients unable to care for themselves.

2. Warning Signs You May Have Dementia

Recent memory loss

• Dementia is a brain disorder. People with dementia have difficulty remembering, learning, and communicating. It can also change a person's mood and personality. Over time, the condition can leave patients unable to care for themselves.

Difficulty performing familiar tasks

• Patients may forget how to eat properly, or may no longer be able to feed themselves.

Language problems

• Patients may forget simple words or use the wrong ones, making it hard for others to understand what they mean.

Disorientation

• Patients may get lost in a place that was once very familiar to them, or may not remember how they got there or how to get back home.

Poor judgment

• Patients may sometimes choose clothing that is completely unsuitable for the weather or the occasion.

Problems with abstract thinking

• Patients may fail to recognize numbers or be unable to perform simple calculations.

Misplacing things

• Patients may put objects in completely inappropriate places — for example, putting an iron in the refrigerator or a wristwatch in the sugar bowl.

Rapid mood changes

• Patients may shift quickly between moods — from calm to tearful and sorrowful to angry within just a few minutes.

Personality changes

• Dementia can cause severe changes in a person's personality. Patients may become easily agitated, or suspicious and fearful of things that aren't real.

Loss of initiative

• Patients may become passive, losing interest in their work and no longer caring about the activities they once enjoyed.

3. Who Is Commonly Affected by Dementia?

Common causes:

• Alzheimer's disease: The most common cause, resulting from the gradual death of brain cells over time.

• Vascular dementia: Caused by insufficient blood supply to part of the brain, due to blockage from blood clots or arterial narrowing from hypertension and diabetes. This is common among patients who have had a stroke or who have risk factors for stroke.

• Dementia in Parkinson's disease: Parkinson's disease is a brain disorder that affects movement, causing resting tremors, rigidity, and slowed movement. As the condition worsens, patients may also develop dementia.

• Head injury

4. What Should Patients Do?

If you experience symptoms related to memory loss or other cognitive functions — such as language use, calculation, planning, or attention — you should visit a healthcare facility for a full evaluation, including:

• A doctor or nurse will take a detailed history of your symptoms, medical history, medications, and any substance use.
• A clinical examination.
• Cognitive tests assessing memory, calculation, language ability, attention, and logical reasoning.
• General laboratory tests: blood glucose, complete blood count, liver and kidney function, vitamin B12 levels, and others.
• A CT scan or MRI of the brain, if needed.

5. Treatment for Memory Loss and Dementia

Treatment strategies vary depending on the underlying cause and stage of dementia. For Alzheimer's disease, cholinesterase inhibitors (such as galantamine, donepezil, and rivastigmine) and the NMDA receptor modulator memantine may help control symptoms.

For vascular dementia, in addition to these medications, doctors also need to closely control blood pressure, blood lipids, and blood glucose to help prevent further brain damage. Non-drug therapies are also available to help improve cognitive function.

• Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS):

A non-invasive medical technique used to treat early-stage dementia. A coil placed on the head generates a magnetic field as electrical current passes through it. This magnetic field passes through the skull to the brain, creating an induced current that stimulates the brain cells beneath the coil.

• Cognitive stimulation: Patients are grouped together in small groups under the guidance of an occupational therapist and take part in activities designed to stimulate thinking and memory, such as group discussions, crossword puzzles, and playing musical instruments.

• Cognitive training: Core cognitive functions are broken down into specific exercises to strengthen areas such as memory, calculation, executive function, visual perception, and problem-solving skills.

• Cognitive rehabilitation: Focuses on identifying and addressing each individual's specific needs and goals in daily life. Detect dementia early — starting from the very first signs of forgetfulness. The sooner treatment begins, the more effective it will be.

The information above is for reference purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Please contact your doctor for detailed medical consultation.