Tag Archives: neurological condition

Dementia

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Dementia is a general term that represents a group of diseases and illnesses that cause the loss of cognitive functioning to the point that it interferes with a person’s daily life and activities.

Cognitive changes they may experience include:

  • Memory loss, usually noticed by someone else
  • Problems communicating or finding words
  • Trouble with visual and spatial abilities, such as getting lost while driving
  • Problems with reasoning or problem-solving
  • Trouble performing complex tasks
  • Trouble with planning and organizing
  • Poor coordination and control of movements
  • Confusion and disorientation

Some people with dementia can’t control their emotions, and they may also have psychological changes, such as:

  • Personality changes
  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Agitation
  • Inappropriate behavior
  • Hallucinations

Dementia is caused by damage to your brain, affecting its nerve cells and destroying the brain’s ability to communicate with its various areas. Dementia can also result from blocked blood flow to your brain, depriving it of oxygen and nutrients. Without oxygen and nutrients, brain tissue dies.

Progressive dementias get worse over time. Types of dementias that worsen and aren’t reversible include:

  • Alzheimer’s disease (the most common cause of dementia)
  • Vascular dementia
  • Lewy body dementia
  • Frontotemporal dementia
  • Mixed dementia

Other disorders linked to dementia include:

  • Huntington’s disease
  • Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
  • Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
  • Parkinson’s disease

Some causes of dementia-like symptoms can be reversed with treatment including:

  • Infections and immune disorders
  • Metabolic or endocrine problems
  • Low levels of certain nutrients
  • Medicine side effects
  • Subdural bleeding
  • Brain tumors
  • Normal-pressure hydrocephalus

Many risk factors can contribute to dementia, including:

  • Age
  • Family history

A healthcare provider must recognize the pattern of loss of skills and function to be able to diagnose the cause of dementia. No single test can diagnose dementia, therefore, a series of tests may be conducted to determine a diagnosis. These tests include:

  • Cognitive and neuropsychological tests
  • Neurological evaluation
  • Brain scans
    • CT or MRI
    • PET scans
  • Laboratory tests
  • Psychiatric evaluation

Most types of dementia can’t be cured, but there are ways to manage your symptoms including:

  • Medications
  • Therapies

If you or a loved one is experiencing symptoms associated with dementia, you can receive treatment from a neurologist at Flushing Hospital Medical Center’s Ambulatory Care Center. To schedule an appointment, please call (718) 670-5486.

 

All content of this newsletter is intended for general information purposes only and is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult a medical professional before adopting any of the suggestions on this page. You must never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical treatment based upon any content of this newsletter. PROMPTLY CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN OR CALL 911 IF YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY.

Learning The Facts About Aphasia

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Aphasia is a neurological condition that can affect your speech, as well as your ability to write and understand both spoken and written language.

Aphasia typically occurs after a stroke or a head injury, but it can also have a gradual onset as the result of a slow-growing brain tumor or a disease that causes degenerative damage. Sometimes temporary episodes of aphasia can occur. These can be due to migraines, seizures or a transient ischemic attack (TIA). A TIA occurs when blood flow is temporarily blocked to an area of the brain.

The severity of aphasia varies depending on the cause and the extent of the brain damage.

Some of the symptoms of aphasia include:

  • Speaking in short or incomplete sentences
  • Speaking in sentences that don’t make sense
  • Substituting one word for another or one sound for another
  • Using unrecognizable words
  • Not understanding conversations
  • Writing sentences that don’t make sense

Aphasia can create numerous quality-of-life problems because communication is so much a part of your life. Communication difficulty may affect your job, relationships, and general day-to-day functionality.  Communication difficulties can also lead to feelings of shame and depression.

Once the cause has been addressed, the main treatment for aphasia is speech and language therapy. The person with aphasia relearns and practices language skills and learns to use other ways to communicate. Family members often participate in the process, helping the person communicate.

Because aphasia is often a sign of a serious problem, such as a stroke, seek emergency medical care if you suddenly develop any symptoms.

All content of this newsletter is intended for general information purposes only and is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult a medical professional before adopting any of the suggestions on this page. You must never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical treatment based upon any content of this newsletter. PROMPTLY CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN OR CALL 911 IF YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY.