Vishnumolakala Vaishnavi Group : a Course: Childhood Autism

 
 
 
Dementia 
Dementia is a term used to describe a group 
of symptoms affecting memory, thinking 
and social abilities severely enough to 
interfere with your daily life. It isn’t a 
specific disease, but several diseases can 
cause dementia. 
Though dementia generally involves 
memory loss, memory loss has different 
causes. Having memory loss alone doesn’t 
mean you have dementia, although it’s often 
one of the early signs of the condition. 

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Alzheimer’s disease is the most common 
cause of a progressive dementia in older 
adults, but there are a number of other 
causes of dementia. Depending on the cause, 
some dementia symptoms might be 
reversible. 
Symptoms 
Dementia symptoms vary depending on the 
cause, but common signs and symptoms 
include: 
Cognitive changes 
Memory loss, which is usually noticed by 
someone else 
Difficulty communicating or finding words 
Difficulty with visual and spatial abilities, 
such as getting lost while driving 
Difficulty reasoning or problem-solving 

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Difficulty handling complex tasks 
Difficulty with planning and organizing 
Difficulty with coordination and motor 
functions 
Confusion and disorientation 
Psychological changes 
Personality changes 
Depression 
Anxiety 
Inappropriate behavior 
Paranoia 
Agitation 
Hallucinations 
Types of dementia include: 

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Alzheimer’s disease, the most common 
dementia diagnosis among older adults. It is 
caused by changes in the brain, including 
abnormal buildups of proteins known as 
amyloid plaques and tau tangles. 
Frontotemporal dementia, a rare form of 
dementia that tends to occur in people 
younger than 60. It is associated with 
abnormal amounts or forms of the proteins 
tau and TDP-43. 
Lewy body dementia, a form of dementia 
caused by abnormal deposits of the protein 
alpha-synuclein, called Lewy bodies. 
Vascular dementia, a form of dementia 
caused by conditions that damage blood 
vessels in the brain or interrupt the flow of 
blood and oxygen to the brain. 
Mixed dementia, a combination of two or 
more types of dementia. For example, 

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through autopsy studies involving older 
adults who had dementia, researchers have 
identified that many people had a 
combination of brain changes associated 
with different forms of dementia. 
Treatment: 
Cholinesterase inhibitors. These medications 
— including donepezil (Aricept), 
rivastigmine (Exelon) and galantamine 
(Razadyne)
Memantine. Memantine (Namenda) works 
by regulating the activity of glutamate, 
another chemical messenger involved in 
brain functions, such as learning and 
memory.

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Document Outline

• Vishnumolakala Vaishnavi
• Childhood Autism
  • What causes autism?
  • What are symptoms of autism?