Post by Neo on Jan 19, 2005 21:15:32 GMT -5
This is the first of a series of informational posts I will be archiving from the old forum. I will attribute them to their original author for search accuracy. Anyone who has informational posts at the old forum they wish to transfer over here is welcomed to do so. That will make directed searches more fruitful earlier in the life of this forum. Discussion is welcome.
Attributed to Norbert:
Vascular dementia can be caused by "strokes" of different sizes.
Multi infarct dementia - is caused my tiny strokes that are so small, that a very tiny portion of the brain is affected and the person never shows sighs of the individual stroke event. The person has many of these Small strokes and the damage is cumulative.
Transient Ischemic attack - is a small stroke blockage that clears by itself within an hour. Even though the person seems to recover function, the effect of TIAs is cumulative.
Stroke - small or major. The person may recover most of their original function over time.
Other causes of vascular dementia include chronic restrictions in the blood supply to the brain; and restrictions in the vessels that supply the deep "white matter" of the brain.
Treatment - any person with stroke risk, needs to have their medical condition aggressively managed to minimize future stroke events. This will usually involve control of blood pressure, cloresterol, and blood thinners.
Some symptoms of vascular dementia 01/10/05 05:40 PM
Symptoms As I understand it--
Short shuffling steps (Like Tim Conway's imitation of an old man on Carol Burnett show)
Urinary incontinence early in the illness
Having trouble producing words (i.e. it's not a problem remembering the right word, it's a problem getting the mouth to produce the desired word)
from alzheimers outreach
Symptoms that begin suddenly may be a sign of multi-infarct dementia - In addition to confusion and problems with recent memory, symptoms of multi-infarct dementia may include: wandering or getting lost in familiar surroundings, moving with rapid shuffling steps, loss of bladder or bowel control, laughing or crying inappropriately, difficulty following instructions, problems handling money.
Norbert
more information -
Multi-Infarct Dementia Fact Sheet (from ADEAR)
www.alzheimers.org/pubs/mid.htm
Alzheimers Outreach has collected a number of articles on vascular dementia www.zarcrom.com/users/alzheimers/odem/mid-d.html
also - information below is from from a post by "waggy"----
I did a search on the web. Hope this helps.
Vascular Dementia is caused by a series of small strokes that gradually lead to a loss of intellectual functioning. The strokes occur when blood clots block small blood vessels, causing damage to brain tissue. The damage is usually gradual and effects of the strokes are not immediately noticeable. Over time, however, the damage interferes with basic cognitive functions and disrupts everyday functioning. Vascular dementia can occur with other types of dementia such as Alzheimer's disease. The disease progresses over a period of months and years.
People with vascular dementia are known to go long periods of time with improvement or stability, but when a stroke occurs, the symptoms quickly come back. Risk factors for vascular dementia include high blood pressure and advanced age. Controlling high blood pressure is imperative in lowering your risk of stroke.
An individual with an acute onset of cognitive impairment may not have dementia, but rather delirium caused by an infection, adverse reaction to medication, malnutrition, dehydration, or a metabolic disorder. The person should seek immediate medical attention to reverse the symptoms. It should also be noted that a person with dementia might also develop delirium and be unable to describe their symptoms. If there is a sudden or drastic change in the behavior or physical condition of someone diagnosed with dementia, the person should see a physician immediately. It may be a treatable problem.
Attributed to Norbert:
Vascular dementia can be caused by "strokes" of different sizes.
Multi infarct dementia - is caused my tiny strokes that are so small, that a very tiny portion of the brain is affected and the person never shows sighs of the individual stroke event. The person has many of these Small strokes and the damage is cumulative.
Transient Ischemic attack - is a small stroke blockage that clears by itself within an hour. Even though the person seems to recover function, the effect of TIAs is cumulative.
Stroke - small or major. The person may recover most of their original function over time.
Other causes of vascular dementia include chronic restrictions in the blood supply to the brain; and restrictions in the vessels that supply the deep "white matter" of the brain.
Treatment - any person with stroke risk, needs to have their medical condition aggressively managed to minimize future stroke events. This will usually involve control of blood pressure, cloresterol, and blood thinners.
Some symptoms of vascular dementia 01/10/05 05:40 PM
Symptoms As I understand it--
Short shuffling steps (Like Tim Conway's imitation of an old man on Carol Burnett show)
Urinary incontinence early in the illness
Having trouble producing words (i.e. it's not a problem remembering the right word, it's a problem getting the mouth to produce the desired word)
from alzheimers outreach
Symptoms that begin suddenly may be a sign of multi-infarct dementia - In addition to confusion and problems with recent memory, symptoms of multi-infarct dementia may include: wandering or getting lost in familiar surroundings, moving with rapid shuffling steps, loss of bladder or bowel control, laughing or crying inappropriately, difficulty following instructions, problems handling money.
Norbert
more information -
Multi-Infarct Dementia Fact Sheet (from ADEAR)
www.alzheimers.org/pubs/mid.htm
Alzheimers Outreach has collected a number of articles on vascular dementia www.zarcrom.com/users/alzheimers/odem/mid-d.html
also - information below is from from a post by "waggy"----
I did a search on the web. Hope this helps.
Vascular Dementia is caused by a series of small strokes that gradually lead to a loss of intellectual functioning. The strokes occur when blood clots block small blood vessels, causing damage to brain tissue. The damage is usually gradual and effects of the strokes are not immediately noticeable. Over time, however, the damage interferes with basic cognitive functions and disrupts everyday functioning. Vascular dementia can occur with other types of dementia such as Alzheimer's disease. The disease progresses over a period of months and years.
People with vascular dementia are known to go long periods of time with improvement or stability, but when a stroke occurs, the symptoms quickly come back. Risk factors for vascular dementia include high blood pressure and advanced age. Controlling high blood pressure is imperative in lowering your risk of stroke.
An individual with an acute onset of cognitive impairment may not have dementia, but rather delirium caused by an infection, adverse reaction to medication, malnutrition, dehydration, or a metabolic disorder. The person should seek immediate medical attention to reverse the symptoms. It should also be noted that a person with dementia might also develop delirium and be unable to describe their symptoms. If there is a sudden or drastic change in the behavior or physical condition of someone diagnosed with dementia, the person should see a physician immediately. It may be a treatable problem.
