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DEMENTIA 
Rudresh BR
History 
 The word dementia derives from the Latin word dementatus, meaning out 
of one's mind 
 Celsus probably first used the term dementia in the 1st century AD 
 In 4th century AD Oribasius wrote of a disease of cerebral atrophy that 
caused loss of intellectual capacity and weakness of movement 
 Term “dementia” was first introduced in 1789 by Phillipe Pinel 
 In 1907, Alois Alzheimer was the first to identify specific histopathological 
changes associated with progressive degenerative dementia characterized 
by neurofibrillary tangles and milar foci (plaques) that distinguished it from 
dementia associated with cerebral arteriosclerosis
Dement: 
A person with an absence or reduction of intellectual 
faculties in consequence of known organic brain disease.
DEFINITION: 
Dementia is an acquired progressive deterioration of 
previously acquired intellectual abilities, behavior and 
personality as a consequence of diffuse disease of cerebral 
hemispheres (maximally affecting the cerebrum and 
hippocampus), marked by severe impairment in memory, 
abstract thinking, judgment, orientation and other cognitions 
impairing individual's socio-occupational functioning & 
capacity to meet the ordinary demands of living.
Dementia 
Dementia is defined by a loss of previous levels 
of cognitive, executive, and memory function in 
a state of full alertness.
Epidemiology 
 The prevalence of dementia is rapidly increasing 
 More than 25 million people suffered from dementia in 2000. 
 By 2030, that is expected to rise to 63 million, 65% of whom in less 
developed countries 
 Age is the leading risk factor for dementia 
. 
 Alzheimer's disease accounts for about 50 to 75 percent of dementia 
cases, Lewy bodies at 15 to 35 percent and vascular dementia 5 to 20 
percent of dementia cases.
 Female gender is a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease 
 Vascular risk factors increase risk for vascular dementia, Alzheimer's 
disease and dementia in general in particular hypertension is a major risk 
factor 
 Elevated body mass index (BMI) in midlife also confers greater risk for 
dementia in later life 
 cardiovascular disease, diabetes and hyperlipidemia are also associated 
with increased risk.
Etiology
 Dementia Control
dementia rx
ICD 10 
 Decline in memory- registration, storage and retrieval of new information 
 Impairment of thinking, reasoning capacity and reduction in flow of ideas 
 Impair personal activities of daily living 
 Evident for at least 6 months
CLASSIFICATION 
DSM-IV DEMENTIA-6 broad categories: ICD-10 DEMENTIA-4 broad categories: 
Dementia of the Alzheimer's type 
Vascular dementia 
Dementia due to other general medical conditions 
Substance-induced persisting dementia 
Dementia due to multiple etiologies 
Dementia not otherwise specified. 
Dementia of the Alzheimer's type 
Vascular dementia 
Dementia due to other diseases 
Unspecified Dementia.
ICD 10 
 F02 Dementia in other diseases classified elsewhere 
 F02.0 Dementia in Pick’s disease 
 F02.1 Dementia in Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease 
 F02.2 Dementia in Huntington’s disease 
 F02.3 Dementia in Parkinson’s disease 
 F02.4 Dementia in HIV disease 
 F02.8 Dementia in other diseases classified elsewhere 
 F03 Unspecified dementia
Types 
 Primary 
 Secondary 
 Mild, moderate, severe and profound.
Primary dementia 
 Such as AD, in which the dementia itself is the major 
sign of some organic brain disease not directly related to 
any other organic illness.
Secondary dementia 
 Caused by or related to another disease condition 
such as HIV or cerebral trauma(nutritional 
deficiency, metabolic).
Symptoms 
 Impairment in abstract thinking, judgment, and impulse 
control. 
 Uninhibited and inappropriate behavior. 
 Personal appearance and hygiene are neglected. 
 Language may or may not be affected. (naming objects / 
aphasia / vague)
Symptoms contd… 
 Personality changes (paranoia / difficulty to trust / 
extreme fear / opposite personality) 
 Apraxia (inability to carry out motor activities despite 
intact motor function) 
 Irritable / moody / sudden outbursts / 
 Inability to care for personal needs 
 Falls / wandering away – risk for accidents
dementia rx
Types 
 Alzheimer's disease
Stages of dementia 
 The progressive nature of symptoms associated with AD 
has been described according to the stages.
stage characteristics 
1 –Normal adult No functional decline. 
2- Normal older adult Personal awareness of some functional decline 
3- early Noticeable deficits in demanding job situations. 
4-mild alzheimer’s Requires assistance in complicated tasks such as 
handling finances, planning parties, etc. 
5-moderate Requires assistance in choosing proper clothing and 
abnormal behaviour. 
6- moderately severe Requires assistance dressing, bathing, and toileting. 
Experiences urinary and fecal incontinence 
7-severe Speech ability declines to about a half-dozen intelligible 
words. Progressive loss of abilities to walk, sit up, smile, 
and hold head up.
Stage 1- no apparent symptoms 
 No apparent decline in memory
Stage 2- forgetfulness 
 Begins to loose things / forget names 
 Losses short term memory 
 Aware of intellectual decline and may feel ashamed / 
anxious / depressed 
 Not usually observed by others 
 Compensate with lists and structured routine work etc.
Stage 3 – mild cognitive decline 
 Interference with work performance 
 Noticeable to co workers 
 Interrupted concentration 
 Difficulty recalling names / words 
 Ability to plan and organize declines 
 Lost on the road
Stage 4 –mild to moderate cognitive decline – 
confusion 
 At this stage, the individual may forget major events in 
personal history, such as his or her own child’s birthday. 
 experience declining ability to perform tasks, such as 
shopping and managing personal finances. 
 unable to understand current news events. He or she 
may deny that a problem exists. 
 Covering up memory loss with confabulation 
 Depression and social withdrawal are common.
Stage 5. Moderate cognitive decline; early dementia. 
 Inability to perform activities of daily living (ADLs) 
independently.(hygiene, dressing, and grooming)
Stage 6. Moderate-to-severe cognitive decline; 
middle dementia. 
 Psychomotor symptoms include wandering, 
obsessiveness, agitation, and aggression. 
 Symptoms seem to worsen in the late afternoon and 
evening—a phenomenon termed sundowning. 
 Disorientation to surroundings is common, and the 
person may be unable to recall the day, season, or year. 
 Institutional care is usually required at this stage.
Stage 7. Severe cognitive decline; late dementia also called 
late-stage dementia, 
 The individual is unable to recognize family members. 
He or she most commonly 
 Aphasic, chair bound or bedbound. Muscles are rigid, 
contractures may develop
ASSESSMENT 
 Assessment serves a twofold purpose: 
-first to establish whether dementia is present, and 
-second, if dementia is present, to determine its cause 
 A complete assessment for dementia begins with a thorough 
history from both the subject and a reliable informant. 
 Relevant aspects of the history include the -- 
-onset of cognitive impairment (insidious or sudden), 
-course (gradual or stepwise, progressive or episodic, or 
fluctuating), 
-and duration of impairment
 An assessment of each cognitive domain is critical. For 
memory, inquire about short-term, long-term, and 
remote memory. 
 For language, inquire about word-finding difficulties and 
remembering names of family members and friends.
 For praxis, inquire about use of familiar tools or 
machines, maintenance of previously acquired skills, 
and dressing or feeding apraxias. 
 For agnosia, inquire about recognition of familiar objects 
and insight into their condition and limitations. Inquiring 
into executive function involves assessing ability to 
perform complex tasks or solve problems.
INVESTIGATIONS OF PATIENTS WITH DEMENTIA 
-Complete blood count, 
-serum electrolytes, renal and hepatic function, glucose, 
albumin and protein, 
- vitamin B12 and folate, 
- rapid plasma reagin (syphilis), HIV tests 
- thyroid- stimulating hormone,
 Imaging: Computed tomography without contrast or 
magnetic resonance imaging Rule out infarcts, mass 
lesions, tumors, and hydrocephalus 
 Neurological examination Correlate imaging findings 
with clinical examination 
 Neuropsychological testing, Mini-Mental State 
Examination 
 EEG,
MEDICAL TREATMENT MODALITIES 
 Attention must be given to fluid and electrolyte status, 
hypoxia, anoxia, and diabetic problems. 
 Chemical and/or mechanical restraint. 
 Low dose neuroleptics & symptomatic treatments.
NURSING MANAGEMENT 
 NURSING DIAGNOSIS: RISK FOR TRAUMA 
 DISTURBED THOUGHT PROCESSES 
 SELF-CARE DEFICIT
Effect on Caregivers: 
The effects of caring for an individual with dementia often 
results in increased stress as well as a broad variety of 
other problems. The caregivers often experience 
depression or anxiety with an increased use of psychotropic 
Medications. Decreased overall life satisfaction are noted in 
caretakers. Higher levels of abusive behavior have been 
reported in the relatives of individuals with dementia.
Caregiver information and support 
Caregivers should: 
 Encourage independence for the Alzheimer’s 
patient without sacrificing security 
 Assist the patient, but only if necessary (i.e. 
allow the patient as much control as possible) 
 Learn to compromise 
 Develop ways to share activities 
 Establish a support network; get other family 
involved 
 Educate themselves (alzheimers.org)
dementia rx

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dementia rx

  • 1. Air Mail Par Avion I DEMENTIA Rudresh BR
  • 2. History  The word dementia derives from the Latin word dementatus, meaning out of one's mind  Celsus probably first used the term dementia in the 1st century AD  In 4th century AD Oribasius wrote of a disease of cerebral atrophy that caused loss of intellectual capacity and weakness of movement  Term “dementia” was first introduced in 1789 by Phillipe Pinel  In 1907, Alois Alzheimer was the first to identify specific histopathological changes associated with progressive degenerative dementia characterized by neurofibrillary tangles and milar foci (plaques) that distinguished it from dementia associated with cerebral arteriosclerosis
  • 3. Dement: A person with an absence or reduction of intellectual faculties in consequence of known organic brain disease.
  • 4. DEFINITION: Dementia is an acquired progressive deterioration of previously acquired intellectual abilities, behavior and personality as a consequence of diffuse disease of cerebral hemispheres (maximally affecting the cerebrum and hippocampus), marked by severe impairment in memory, abstract thinking, judgment, orientation and other cognitions impairing individual's socio-occupational functioning & capacity to meet the ordinary demands of living.
  • 5. Dementia Dementia is defined by a loss of previous levels of cognitive, executive, and memory function in a state of full alertness.
  • 6. Epidemiology  The prevalence of dementia is rapidly increasing  More than 25 million people suffered from dementia in 2000.  By 2030, that is expected to rise to 63 million, 65% of whom in less developed countries  Age is the leading risk factor for dementia .  Alzheimer's disease accounts for about 50 to 75 percent of dementia cases, Lewy bodies at 15 to 35 percent and vascular dementia 5 to 20 percent of dementia cases.
  • 7.  Female gender is a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease  Vascular risk factors increase risk for vascular dementia, Alzheimer's disease and dementia in general in particular hypertension is a major risk factor  Elevated body mass index (BMI) in midlife also confers greater risk for dementia in later life  cardiovascular disease, diabetes and hyperlipidemia are also associated with increased risk.
  • 11. ICD 10  Decline in memory- registration, storage and retrieval of new information  Impairment of thinking, reasoning capacity and reduction in flow of ideas  Impair personal activities of daily living  Evident for at least 6 months
  • 12. CLASSIFICATION DSM-IV DEMENTIA-6 broad categories: ICD-10 DEMENTIA-4 broad categories: Dementia of the Alzheimer's type Vascular dementia Dementia due to other general medical conditions Substance-induced persisting dementia Dementia due to multiple etiologies Dementia not otherwise specified. Dementia of the Alzheimer's type Vascular dementia Dementia due to other diseases Unspecified Dementia.
  • 13. ICD 10  F02 Dementia in other diseases classified elsewhere  F02.0 Dementia in Pick’s disease  F02.1 Dementia in Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease  F02.2 Dementia in Huntington’s disease  F02.3 Dementia in Parkinson’s disease  F02.4 Dementia in HIV disease  F02.8 Dementia in other diseases classified elsewhere  F03 Unspecified dementia
  • 14. Types  Primary  Secondary  Mild, moderate, severe and profound.
  • 15. Primary dementia  Such as AD, in which the dementia itself is the major sign of some organic brain disease not directly related to any other organic illness.
  • 16. Secondary dementia  Caused by or related to another disease condition such as HIV or cerebral trauma(nutritional deficiency, metabolic).
  • 17. Symptoms  Impairment in abstract thinking, judgment, and impulse control.  Uninhibited and inappropriate behavior.  Personal appearance and hygiene are neglected.  Language may or may not be affected. (naming objects / aphasia / vague)
  • 18. Symptoms contd…  Personality changes (paranoia / difficulty to trust / extreme fear / opposite personality)  Apraxia (inability to carry out motor activities despite intact motor function)  Irritable / moody / sudden outbursts /  Inability to care for personal needs  Falls / wandering away – risk for accidents
  • 21. Stages of dementia  The progressive nature of symptoms associated with AD has been described according to the stages.
  • 22. stage characteristics 1 –Normal adult No functional decline. 2- Normal older adult Personal awareness of some functional decline 3- early Noticeable deficits in demanding job situations. 4-mild alzheimer’s Requires assistance in complicated tasks such as handling finances, planning parties, etc. 5-moderate Requires assistance in choosing proper clothing and abnormal behaviour. 6- moderately severe Requires assistance dressing, bathing, and toileting. Experiences urinary and fecal incontinence 7-severe Speech ability declines to about a half-dozen intelligible words. Progressive loss of abilities to walk, sit up, smile, and hold head up.
  • 23. Stage 1- no apparent symptoms  No apparent decline in memory
  • 24. Stage 2- forgetfulness  Begins to loose things / forget names  Losses short term memory  Aware of intellectual decline and may feel ashamed / anxious / depressed  Not usually observed by others  Compensate with lists and structured routine work etc.
  • 25. Stage 3 – mild cognitive decline  Interference with work performance  Noticeable to co workers  Interrupted concentration  Difficulty recalling names / words  Ability to plan and organize declines  Lost on the road
  • 26. Stage 4 –mild to moderate cognitive decline – confusion  At this stage, the individual may forget major events in personal history, such as his or her own child’s birthday.  experience declining ability to perform tasks, such as shopping and managing personal finances.  unable to understand current news events. He or she may deny that a problem exists.  Covering up memory loss with confabulation  Depression and social withdrawal are common.
  • 27. Stage 5. Moderate cognitive decline; early dementia.  Inability to perform activities of daily living (ADLs) independently.(hygiene, dressing, and grooming)
  • 28. Stage 6. Moderate-to-severe cognitive decline; middle dementia.  Psychomotor symptoms include wandering, obsessiveness, agitation, and aggression.  Symptoms seem to worsen in the late afternoon and evening—a phenomenon termed sundowning.  Disorientation to surroundings is common, and the person may be unable to recall the day, season, or year.  Institutional care is usually required at this stage.
  • 29. Stage 7. Severe cognitive decline; late dementia also called late-stage dementia,  The individual is unable to recognize family members. He or she most commonly  Aphasic, chair bound or bedbound. Muscles are rigid, contractures may develop
  • 30. ASSESSMENT  Assessment serves a twofold purpose: -first to establish whether dementia is present, and -second, if dementia is present, to determine its cause  A complete assessment for dementia begins with a thorough history from both the subject and a reliable informant.  Relevant aspects of the history include the -- -onset of cognitive impairment (insidious or sudden), -course (gradual or stepwise, progressive or episodic, or fluctuating), -and duration of impairment
  • 31.  An assessment of each cognitive domain is critical. For memory, inquire about short-term, long-term, and remote memory.  For language, inquire about word-finding difficulties and remembering names of family members and friends.
  • 32.  For praxis, inquire about use of familiar tools or machines, maintenance of previously acquired skills, and dressing or feeding apraxias.  For agnosia, inquire about recognition of familiar objects and insight into their condition and limitations. Inquiring into executive function involves assessing ability to perform complex tasks or solve problems.
  • 33. INVESTIGATIONS OF PATIENTS WITH DEMENTIA -Complete blood count, -serum electrolytes, renal and hepatic function, glucose, albumin and protein, - vitamin B12 and folate, - rapid plasma reagin (syphilis), HIV tests - thyroid- stimulating hormone,
  • 34.  Imaging: Computed tomography without contrast or magnetic resonance imaging Rule out infarcts, mass lesions, tumors, and hydrocephalus  Neurological examination Correlate imaging findings with clinical examination  Neuropsychological testing, Mini-Mental State Examination  EEG,
  • 35. MEDICAL TREATMENT MODALITIES  Attention must be given to fluid and electrolyte status, hypoxia, anoxia, and diabetic problems.  Chemical and/or mechanical restraint.  Low dose neuroleptics & symptomatic treatments.
  • 36. NURSING MANAGEMENT  NURSING DIAGNOSIS: RISK FOR TRAUMA  DISTURBED THOUGHT PROCESSES  SELF-CARE DEFICIT
  • 37. Effect on Caregivers: The effects of caring for an individual with dementia often results in increased stress as well as a broad variety of other problems. The caregivers often experience depression or anxiety with an increased use of psychotropic Medications. Decreased overall life satisfaction are noted in caretakers. Higher levels of abusive behavior have been reported in the relatives of individuals with dementia.
  • 38. Caregiver information and support Caregivers should:  Encourage independence for the Alzheimer’s patient without sacrificing security  Assist the patient, but only if necessary (i.e. allow the patient as much control as possible)  Learn to compromise  Develop ways to share activities  Establish a support network; get other family involved  Educate themselves (alzheimers.org)