Memory issues
Symptoms and causes
Symptoms and causesWhat are they?
Memory issues are common among the elderly. Sometimes, this is due to an underlying dementia, in other situations, there is another treatable cause or medication behind the memory loss. Dementia is a collective name for a group of conditions (over 50 brain diseases!) in which the brain can no longer process information properly and multiple cognitive impairments occur simultaneously. Cognitive functions include memory, learning ability, language use and the ability to understand and perform complex and everyday actions.
Usually, dementia is chronic and progressive in nature. Memory loss is usually at the forefront, but not in all forms. The mood, personality and behaviour of the person with dementia may also change. Dementia is only diagnosed when disturbances in thinking, mood, and behaviour are severe enough to significantly impair someone's ability to perform daily activities.
The condition mainly affects older people (6 in 10 people with dementia are over age 80), but it can also manifest at younger ages (6 in 100 people with dementia are between the ages of 60 and 65). Over 25% of people over the age of 80 have dementia. This percentage increases with age; over 40% of people over 90 have dementia. Dementia is much more common in women than in men, especially in old age. The chances of someone developing dementia in his or her lifetime are 1 in 5. Among women, it is even 1 in 3.
Symptoms
The initial symptoms of dementia vary from person to person, as well as the type of dementia. Often, it is bystanders who intuitively sense that something is amiss. Subtle but repetitive memory complaints, changes in behaviour and/or temperament stand out.
Symptoms that may indicate (early-stage) dementia include:
Having difficulty remembering something that happened a short time ago, forgetting new information, forgetting important dates or events, asking the same question over and over again, depending on cheat sheets or family for things one could remember without help before
Ordinary things become increasingly difficult; e.g. managing money, pursuing hobbies, making coffee, preparing a meal, planning things or doing them in the right order
Difficulty adapting to new or changing circumstances, difficulty learning new things
Having less sense of time, losing your way more often, forgetting where you are and how you got there
Difficulty following or having a conversation, falling into repetition, forgetting names and simple words, speaking less fluently
Putting things in strange places (e.g. hairbrush in fridge, newspaper in oven) losing things and not being able to find out where one has left them.
Difficulty in assessing situations and making choices, maths, assessing offers (e.g. spending large sums of money on unnecessary things), difficulty with problem solving and decision making, and planning
Becoming confused, suspicious, depressed or anxious; mood swings; difficulty controlling one’s emotions; doing things that one has never done before
Difficulty with social activities (hobbies, sports, conversations) and withdrawing more often, undertaking less, sitting in front of television for hours, sleeping much longer than usual
Not all symptoms are always present or consistently prominent. Which symptoms come to the fore when depends on the stage and type of dementia.
Types of dementia
There are many different forms or types of dementia. The most common and best known form is Alzheimer's disease (70%). Other types of dementia include vascular dementia (17%), Lewy Body dementia (4%), fronto-temporal dementia (2%) and Parkinson's dementia (2%).
We speak of juvenile dementia when the first symptoms occur before the age of 65. Although the symptoms may differ somewhat, the brain abnormalities are the same as those in people who develop dementia later in life. The decline usually occurs more quickly. Moreover, younger individuals with dementia often have better insight into their illness, which can result in more pronounced feelings of frustration and helplessness.
While in the elderly population with dementia, about 2 in 3 suffer from Alzheimer's disease, in those with young dementia, only 1 in 3 do. Then again, the proportion of other types of dementia (fronto-temporal dementia, vascular dementia, Parkinson's dementia, Huntington's disease, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, chronic toxic encephalopathy) is much higher in this group.
Diagnosis and treatment
Diagnosis and treatmentMore information regarding the initiatives offered by our hospital for patients with dementia and their informal carers and bystanders can be found under 'Dementia: What now? Our hospital has numerous dementia experts and dementia coaches who will be happy to advise and assist you!
Treatment centres and specialisations
Treatment centres and specialisations
Latest publication date: 02/08/2024
Supervising author: Dr Desimpelaere Patrick
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Supervising author: Dr Desimpelaere Patrick
