What can be done about senile dementia?

Written by Zhang Hui
Neurology
Updated on September 01, 2024
00:00
00:00

Once a patient is diagnosed with dementia, it is crucial to promptly visit a hospital for treatment. The doctor will conduct some auxiliary examinations based on the patient's medical history to rule out other diseases.

If the diagnosis confirms dementia, firstly, family members must pay attention to care. The living abilities of patients with dementia decline significantly, and they may experience wandering, thus enhancing caregiving to prevent any accidents in the elderly;

Secondly, it is essential to encourage the patient to engage in physical activities. Exercise can slow down the progression of aging and delay the further deterioration of dementia;

Thirdly, it is vital to enhance communication for the patient, encouraging them to converse more with others, as interaction can slow down the progression of dementia;

Fourthly, some specific medications should be administered for treatment. These drugs mainly include acetylcholinesterase inhibitors and NMDA receptor antagonists, which current research confirms can alleviate certain symptoms of dementia.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhang Hui
Neurology
1min 7sec home-news-image

What can be done about senile dementia?

Once a patient is diagnosed with dementia, it is crucial to promptly visit a hospital for treatment. The doctor will conduct some auxiliary examinations based on the patient's medical history to rule out other diseases. If the diagnosis confirms dementia, firstly, family members must pay attention to care. The living abilities of patients with dementia decline significantly, and they may experience wandering, thus enhancing caregiving to prevent any accidents in the elderly; Secondly, it is essential to encourage the patient to engage in physical activities. Exercise can slow down the progression of aging and delay the further deterioration of dementia; Thirdly, it is vital to enhance communication for the patient, encouraging them to converse more with others, as interaction can slow down the progression of dementia; Fourthly, some specific medications should be administered for treatment. These drugs mainly include acetylcholinesterase inhibitors and NMDA receptor antagonists, which current research confirms can alleviate certain symptoms of dementia.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhang Hui
Neurology
1min 4sec home-news-image

What to do about senile dementia?

When dementia occurs in the elderly, there is a noticeable decline in cognitive function. Initially, it is important to identify the cause of the dementia; some cerebrovascular diseases can also cause dementia. For example, cerebral infarction in certain specific areas of the brain can lead to dementia if it affects the intelligence center. For dementia caused by these reasons, it is recommended to treat with antithrombotic medications, including antiplatelet aggregation drugs and brain cell protective medications. Additionally, if the dementia is caused by Alzheimer's disease, close care is needed to prevent incidents like the patient getting lost. It is advisable to write contact numbers in the pockets of their clothes and administer acetylcholinesterase inhibitors to increase the levels of acetylcholine in the brain, which can improve cognitive function to a certain extent. (Note: This answer is for reference only. Medication should be prescribed and managed under the guidance of a professional physician, and self-medication should be avoided.)

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhang Hui
Neurology
55sec home-news-image

Early signs of Alzheimer's disease

Patients with dementia manifest a noticeable decline in memory. Many patients or their families regard this as a normal age-related phenomenon and do not pay much attention, resulting in delayed treatment and lack of timely intervention, which may lead to severe clinical consequences. Therefore, it is very important to pay attention to dementia and its early signs. The early signs of dementia mainly include mild memory impairment. For instance, patients might occasionally forget where they have placed things, such as forgetting where a wallet was placed in the bedroom. These occurrences, while sporadic, do not significantly impact daily life. Thus, it is crucial to take these signs seriously and intervene early, including consulting a neurologist. Additionally, other early signs of dementia may include a decline in learning ability and work efficiency, which could also indicate early symptoms of the condition.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Tang Li Li
Neurology
58sec home-news-image

Methods for Examining Dementia in the Elderly

The examination of dementia mainly includes the following aspects. First, it is to determine whether the patient has cognitive impairment, because in the early stages of dementia this impairment is often mild, primarily in recent memory, with other aspects not yet obvious. Early screening can use some cognitive evaluation scales, such as the Mini-Mental State Examination or the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, chosen according to the patient's cultural level. Second, imaging examination, commonly using brain MRI, can reveal significant signs of dementia such as deepened brain sulci, narrowed gyri, and widened lateral fissures, indicating brain atrophy. Third, genetic testing for the APOE gene, which may be related to dementia. Possession of this gene may increase the likelihood of developing dementia in the future, serving as an auxiliary diagnostic measure.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhang Hui
Neurology
1min 5sec home-news-image

Can dementia be cured?

The most common disease causing dementia in the elderly is Alzheimer's disease. This disease has a very high prevalence rate both in China and globally. Currently, there is no cure for this disease, and the symptoms typically worsen progressively. However, there are measures that can be taken to possibly slow the progression of the disease, improve the cognitive functions of patients, enhance their quality of life, and reduce the burden on families. The common treatment methods for dementia are as follows. The first point involves pharmacological treatments, mainly using cholinesterase inhibitors, which can improve cognitive levels to some extent. If the patient exhibits psychiatric symptoms, some antipsychotic medications can be applied. Secondly, these patients should also engage in behavioral therapies, such as learning more, reading more, participating in more outdoor activities, and interacting more with others, which can also achieve the effect of slowing the progression of the disease. (Please use medication under the guidance of a professional physician and do not self-medicate.)