How to alleviate senile dementia?

Written by Zhang Hui
Neurology
Updated on December 27, 2024
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Dementia brings a heavy burden to both the patient and their family, severely affecting the quality of life. Fundamentally, there is no particularly effective treatment for this disease. To achieve relief, the following measures are recommended:

Firstly, it is generally necessary for the patient to take medication for treatment. Commonly used medications include cholinesterase inhibitors, which can increase the content of acetylcholine in the brain and can to some extent delay the progression of the disease. In addition, one can also take some NMDA receptor antagonists to improve dementia.

Secondly, encourage the elderly to learn more and read more, which can increase knowledge reserves and delay progression.

Thirdly, it is essential to encourage the elderly to go out and interact with others, and of course, precautions should be taken to prevent them from getting lost. In addition, they should engage in appropriate aerobic exercise.

(Specific medication use should be conducted under the guidance of a doctor)

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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.

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Written by Zhang Hui
Neurology
1min 9sec home-news-image

Causes of Alzheimer's Disease in the Elderly

The causes of dementia in the elderly are not currently completely clear. Dementia in the elderly is mainly divided into familial and sporadic types. Familial dementia shows autosomal dominant inheritance, which is caused by a gene mutation on chromosome 21 leading to the accumulation of some toxins, resulting in the death of neurons and causing dementia fundamentally due to genetic mutations. However, most cases of dementia are sporadic and do not have a clear family history. The mechanisms and reasons for disease onset are not particularly clear. Some believe that abnormalities in cerebral vascular function may lead to neuronal cell functional disorders, resulting in decreased ability to clear certain cell toxins, thus leading to neuronal apoptosis and death, and consequently impaired cognitive functions. In addition, factors such as oxidative stress, inflammatory mechanisms, excessive fatigue, and emergency stress may also cause cell death. Overall, the causes of dementia in the elderly are not particularly clear.

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Written by Zhang Hui
Neurology
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What to eat for senile dementia

For patients with dementia, it is recommended to take some cholinesterase inhibitors, which can increase the content of acetylcholine in the brain and have certain effects on improving cognitive functions. Additionally, consuming NMDA receptor antagonists can also help improve cognition. In terms of diet, it is advised that patients eat more foods rich in unsaturated fatty acids, such as fish, shrimp, and olive oil. It's also beneficial to consume plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits, which are rich in vitamin C and can help combat oxidative stress. Drinking more milk and eating foods rich in B vitamins, mainly whole grains, is also recommended. (Medication should be used under the guidance of a doctor.)

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

Causes of Dementia

At present, the specific causes and mechanisms of Alzheimer's disease are not very clear, but they are mainly divided into two categories. The first category is hereditary, where some Alzheimer's disease cases have a clear family history and involve some genetic mutations. These genetic mutations lead to the deposition of abnormal proteins within neurons, causing irreversible neuronal death, which is the main reason for familial Alzheimer’s disease. The second category is sporadic Alzheimer’s disease, for which no clear pathogenesis has been identified. Research suggests that factors such as oxidative stress, trauma, cerebrovascular disease, cerebral ischemia, and other factors, including metabolic conditions leading to dementia, are related to the occurrence of sporadic Alzheimer's disease. Therefore, the causes of Alzheimer’s disease include two main categories: the first is caused by genetic mutations, and the second is caused by various adverse factors leading to neuronal death.

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Written by Guan Yu Hua
Orthopedic Surgery
1min 20sec home-news-image

Is spinal bifida prone to dementia?

Spina bifida is a common congenital malformation caused by incomplete closure of the vertebral canal during embryonic development. If the spina bifida is occult, it does not affect anything and does not cause dementia. If it is overt spina bifida, it can be diagnosed through physical examination, and confirmed with radiographic examination, CT, or MRI. Typically, the patient has a swelling along the midline of the back, which grows as they age. The cystic tension increases when the child cries, and may be accompanied by varying degrees of flaccid paralysis of the lower limbs and incontinence. Occult spina bifida generally has no symptoms and does not require intervention. However, overt spina bifida is best treated surgically, or if the occult spina bifida is accompanied by spinal cord tethering, then surgical treatment is recommended as it would be for all cases of overt spina bifida. In cases where the cyst wall is very thin and ruptured, emergency surgery is necessary and can be curative. For other cases, surgery within one to three months is optimal to prevent aggravation of the condition due to cyst rupture. Generally, adult patients with stable conditions in recent years may not need surgery.