Dementia can change a person’s life. It can mess with their memory, thinking, emotions, and even behavior. It makes daily tasks a challenge.
Dementia isn’t a disease itself. Instead, it’s a bunch of symptoms that are caused by different brain problems. Here are some of the big causes:
Alzheimer’s Disease
The most common reason people get dementia is Alzheimer’s disease. It’s behind about 70% of all dementia cases. People with Alzheimer’s disease slowly lose their memory, thinking, and behavior.
We don’t know exactly why it happens, but it might have to do with some unusual proteins building up in the brain.
Vascular Dementia
The second most common cause of dementia is vascular dementia. It’s responsible for up to 20% of cases.
This type happens when there’s damage to the brain’s blood vessels. It means less blood and oxygen gets to the brain, which it needs to work properly.
Lewy Body Dementia
Lewy body dementia comes next. It can mess with a person’s memory, thinking, and movement.
It’s caused by abnormal proteins called Lewy bodies that get in the way of the brain’s functions. Lewy body dementia accounts for up to 15% of all dementia cases.
Frontotemporal Dementia
Another cause is frontotemporal dementia. This affects parts of the brain called the frontal and temporal lobes.
It can change a person’s behavior, personality, and language. It’s not as common as the other types, causing up to 5% of cases.
Parkinson’s Disease Dementia and Huntington’s Disease
People with Parkinson’s disease, a condition that affects movement, can also develop dementia. It usually happens a few years after the first symptoms of Parkinson’s appear.
Huntington’s disease, a genetic disorder that affects movement and thinking, can also cause dementia, usually in the later stages.
Other Causes of Dementia
There are also less common reasons why people get dementia. These include Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, a rare and deadly brain disorder caused by abnormal proteins called prions.
Dementia can also be caused by a severe head injury, heavy drinking over a long time, and not getting enough vitamins B1 and B12.
People who don’t eat enough nutritious food, who drink too much alcohol, or have certain health problems can lack these vitamins.
In short, dementia is a group of symptoms that happen when the brain is damaged.
There are many reasons why this can happen, from diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, to head injuries and not getting the right vitamins.
By learning about the causes of dementia, we can find better ways to prevent and treat this tough condition.
If you care about brain health, please read studies about how the Mediterranean diet could protect your brain health, and Omega-3 fats and carotenoid supplements could improve memory.
For more information about brain health, please see recent studies about antioxidants that could help reduce dementia risk, and higher magnesium intake could help benefit brain health.
Follow us on Twitter for more articles about this topic.
Copyright © 2023 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
