There are different types of dementia. The term dementia itself is often used to describe senility in older people. However, it is actually a more complex condition. Different types of dementia can have different causes and symptoms.
Dementia is a decreased ability of the brain to perform basic functions, such as thinking, remembering, speaking, and making decisions. People with dementia usually find it difficult to take care of themselves, have difficulty communicating with those around them, and have difficulty understanding what they see. Some people with dementia also experience behavioral changes and difficulty focusing.
Types of Dementia Following Symptoms
Dementia is caused by damage or death of nerve cells in the brain. Naturally, the number of nerve cells in each person does decrease with age. However, people with dementia experience a more significant reduction in the number of nerve cells.
There are various types of dementia which are divided based on the cause of nerve cell damage, namely:
1. Dementia in Alzheimer's disease
About 60-80% of people with dementia have . This disease is caused by the deposition of proteins in the brain that interfere with the work of nerve cells. Some of the common symptoms of Alzheimer's disease are:
- Difficulty remembering time, place, name, date of birth, address and other basic information
- Often loses things and can't remember where they are
- Difficulty talking and communicating with people around him
- Difficulty walking, dressing, and using the bathroom
- Frequent changes in personality and mood
- It's hard to understand what's going on around him
- Often does not remember family members and is unable to take care of himself
2. Vascular dementia
The next type of dementia is vascular dementia. In this type of dementia, brain cell damage is caused by impaired blood flow to the brain. Vascular dementia usually occurs in people who have recently had a stroke. Common symptoms are:
- Confused and irritable
- Visual disturbance
- hallucination
- Memory disorder
- Difficulty speaking and understanding other people's speech
- Personality changes
- It's hard to do simple things
3. Dementia with Lewy body
This type of dementia occurs due to the buildup of certain proteins in nerve cells that interfere with the delivery of chemical signals in the brain. This dementia has symptoms similar to those in Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease, including:
- Memory disorders
- Difficulty thinking, making decisions, and paying attention
- Seeing things that aren't there (visual hallucinations)
- Difficulty sleeping at night or falling asleep suddenly during the day
- Often daydream
- shaking hands
- Difficulty walking or walking very slowly
4. Frontotemporal dementia
Frontotemporal dementia is a type of dementia caused by damage to nerve cells in the frontal (front) and temporal (side) parts of the brain due to mutations in certain genes. This area of the brain regulates speech, planning, movement, and emotions. Some of the symptoms experienced by sufferers are:
- Changes in personality and behavior
- Loss of inhibition (inhibition) from within when interacting with others or with oneself, resulting in impulsive actions
- Difficulty speaking and forgets common words
- Movement disorders, such as muscle rigidity, tremors, and balance disorders
5. Mixed dementia
Mixed dementia (mixed dementia) is a condition in which a person experiences more than one type of dementia, for example dementia due to Alzheimer's disease with vascular dementia. Symptoms experienced by people with mixed dementia will vary greatly depending on the type of dementia experienced.
In addition to the five types of dementia above, there are actually several other types of dementia but they are very rare. To determine the type of dementia experienced, the patient must be brought to the doctor for examination.
Currently there is no definite way to prevent dementia because most dementia is caused by aging and genetic factors. However, adopting healthy lifestyle habits, such as maintaining an ideal body weight, getting enough exercise, keeping cholesterol levels in check, and not smoking, can reduce the risk of developing dementia.
Written by:
dr. Irene Cindy Sunur