How is dementia treated?
Treatment of dementia begins with seeking regular medical care throughout your life. Regular medical care allows a health care professional to provide early screening tests. Regular medical care also provides an opportunity for your health care professional to promptly evaluate symptoms and your risks for developing dementia.
In general, treatment depends upon the cause of the dementia. For reversible causes, approaches such as changing medications, correcting chemical imbalances or deficiencies, or treating medical conditions may be helpful.
Medications to slow the progression of symptoms
Medications are available to help slow the degenerative changes seen with Alzheimer’s disease, and sometimes Parkinson’s disease including:
-
Cholinesterase inhibitors, such as donepezil (Aricept), galantamine (Razadyne), and rivastigmine (Exelon), which increase the availability of a chemical that is required for nerve signaling in the brain
-
NMDA receptor antagonists such as memantine (Namenda), which decrease the overexcitement of certain receptors in the brain that may contribute to the degenerative process
Medications to control behavioral changes
Medications are available to help control some of the behavioral changes that may occur with dementia including:
-
Antianxiety medications such as buspirone (Buspar)
-
Antidepressants, such as citalopram (Celexa), fluoxetine (Prozac), imipramine (Tofranil), and trazodone (Desyrel), to help stabilize moods
-
Antipsychotics, such as haloperidol (Haldol), olanzapine (Zyprexa), and risperidone (Risperdal), for severe behavioral issues
-
Stimulants such as methylphenidate (Methylin, Ritalin) to improve sleep disorders and flat moods
Complementary treatments
Some complementary treatments may help some people to better deal with dementia. These treatments, sometimes referred to as alternative therapies, are used in conjunction with traditional medical treatments. Complementary treatments are not meant to substitute for full medical care.
Complementary treatments may include:
-
Acupuncture
-
Massage therapy
-
Yoga
What are the potential complications of dementia?
Most types of dementia are progressive, leading to significant memory loss, loss of ability to carry out activities of daily living, and loss of the ability to socialize.
Complications of dementia include:
-
Changes in mood, personality or behavior
-
Fecal incontinence (inability to control stools)
-
Increased risk of falling
-
Increased susceptibility to infections
-
Loss of communication abilities
-
Loss of self-care abilities, such as getting dressed and personal hygiene
-
Poor nutrition due to a decreased desire to eat
-
Progressive memory loss
-
Sleep disturbances
-
Sundowning, in which confusion and behavioral abnormalities tend to increase in the late afternoon or evening
-
Swallowing problems that can lead to aspiration pneumonia
-
Urinary incontinence (inability to control urination)
References:
NINDS dementia information page. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/dementias/dementia.htm. Accessed May 2, 2011.
Dementia. PubMed Health. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001748/. Accessed May 2, 2011.
INTRODUCTION
What is dementia?
Dementia occurs when brain function is lost. Thought processes, judgment, behavior, language ability, and memory can be affected. Dementia can occur with a variety of different conditions. It is most common after the age of 60, although it can occur at earlier ages....
Read more about dementia introduction
CAUSES
What causes dementia?
Many things are known to cause dementia, including progressive degenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Lewy body dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and Huntington’s disease, infections such as HIV and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, medications, alcohol abuse, hormonal or chemical imbalances, vitamin deficiency, depression, infection, heart or lung disease, normal pressure hydrocephalus (fluid collection on the brain), or brain tumors. Some conditions that cause dementia run in families and others have specific risk factors....
Read more about dementia causes
