Infection used to be the main cause of dementia. Treatment for infections and inflammation of the central nervous system (CNS) has dramatically decreased the incidence of infection-related dementia. But there has been one infectious disease that has reversed the trend and that is HIV/AIDS. It is the statistical increase that is one of the few... Read more
Huntington's disease (HD), also known as Huntington's Chorea, is an inherited progressive form of dementia. The disease, first described by Dr. George Huntington in 1872, is a predominantly inherited one. Although Alzheimer's disease (AD) can be inherited too it is not a single gene cause as in HD.
In Huntington's disease the... Read more
Vascular dementia (VaD) is the second most common type of dementia after Alzheimer's and is responsible for up to 25% of all dementias. VaD, previously known as multi infarct dementia, like Alzheimer's, is caused by brain damage. The crucial difference is that in VaD the damage is due to strokes. Between 500,000 and 700,000 Americans have a stroke... Read more
Lewy body dementia (DLB) is increasingly being seen as one of the most common forms of dementia. Like vascular dementia, it is believed to be the second most common type after Alzheimer's.
In this type of dementia the cause of the brain damage is different to Alzheimer's and abnormal protein deposits (intracytoplasmic proteins)... Read more
At one time it used to be thought that over-stimulation could cause behavior problems in people with dementia. This notion has been overturned and it is now believed that the opposite is much more likely. Walk into most nursing homes and one of the most common observations is that routine rules and activities, for their mostly older client group,... Read more
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