brain, spinal cord, and nerve disorders
Dementia
Causes of Dementia
Dementia usually occurs as a brain disorder with no other cause (called a primary brain disorder), but it can be caused by many disorders. Most commonly, dementia is Alzheimer Disease , a primary brain disorder About 60 to 80% of older people with dementia have Alzheimer disease. Other common types of dementia include Vascular Dementia (also called vascular cognitive impairment and dementia) Dementia With Lewy Bodies and Parkinson Disease Dementia None Frontotemporal Dementia (such as Pick disease) HIV-Associated Dementia None People may have more than one of these dementias (a disorder called mixed dementia). The most common mixed dementia is Alzheimer disease plus vascular cognitive impairment and dementia Disorders that can cause dementia include the following: Parkinson Disease (PD) (a common cause, but the dementia occurs late in the disease) Brain damage due to a Overview of Head Injuries or certain Huntington Disease None Overview of Prion Diseases , such as Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) None Syphilis that affects the brain ( Tertiary (third, or late) syphilis ) Most of the conditions that cause dementia cannot be reversed, but some can be treated and may be called reversible dementia. (Some experts use the term dementia only for conditions that progress and cannot be reversed and use terms such as encephalopathy or cognitive loss when dementia may be partly reversible.) Treatment can often cure these dementias if the brain has not been damaged too much. If brain damage is more extensive, treatment often does not reverse the damage, but it can prevent new damage. Conditions that cause reversible dementia include the following: Normal–Pressure Hydrocephalus None Subdural Hematomas None Deficiency of Thiamin Deficiency , An underactive thyroid gland ( Hypothyroidism ) Overview of Brain Tumors that can be removed Overview of Substance-Related Disorders None Toxins (such as lead, mercury, or other heavy metals) Tertiary (third, or late) syphilis if treated early Other infections (such as Lyme Disease , Autoimmune Disorders None Multiple Sclerosis (MS) None Subdural Hematomas None Many disorders can worsen the symptoms of dementia. They include Autoimmune Disorders , Many medications may temporarily cause or worsen symptoms of dementia. Some of these medications can be purchased without a prescription (over the counter). Sleep aids (which are Misuse of Antianxiety Medications and Sedatives ), cold remedies, Drinking Alcohol Use , even in moderate amounts, may also worsen dementia, and most experts recommend that people with dementia stop drinking alcohol. Recreational drugs can also make dementia worse. 