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Dementia. Dr Chandra Prajapati FRCP, FRCPI Consultant Physician. Dementia. a serious loss of global cognitive function in a previously unimpaired person, beyond what might be expected from normal ageing. Delirium. Acute onset and fluctuating course Inattention
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Dementia Dr Chandra Prajapati FRCP, FRCPI Consultant Physician
Dementia a serious loss of global cognitive function in a previously unimpaired person, beyond what might be expected from normal ageing
Delirium • Acute onset and fluctuating course • Inattention • Difficulty focussing attention • Easily distractible • Disorganised thinking • Disorganised / incoherent / unclear / unpredictable switching • Altered level of consciousness • Vigilant /hyperactive • Drowsy→ comatose /hypoactive
Delirium vs. Dementia • Delirium or acute confusional state, is a syndrome presenting as severe confusion and disorientation, developing with relatively rapid onset and fluctuating in intensity. • Reversible • May last up to six months • Dementia is a non-specific syndrome affecting memory, attention, language and problem solving lasting more than six months • Later complicated by orientation and behaviour problems • 10% may have reversible cause
Dementia • Currently 35.6 million sufferer worldwide • Number likely to increase > 60 million by 2030 • In UK • Currently 800,000 • By 2021 10,00,000 • By 2051 17,00,000 • SASH area • Current number is as high as would be expected by 2051 in other areas
Dementia • Dementia care cost worldwide = IHD+DM+cancer care • Dementia care in 2010 @ 604 Billion USD • 1% of world GDP • If dementia care were a country, it would be 18th largest economy in the world
CAIDE Dementia score Likelihoods of Dementia risk in 20 years ScoreRisk 0-5 1% 6-7 1.9% 8-9 4.2% 10-11 7.4% 12-15 16.4% When the cut-off was set at 9 points or more, the sensitivity was 0.77, the specificity was 0.63, and the negative predictive value was 0.98
Dementia types • Alzheimer • Vascular • Lewy Body dementia • Fronto-temporal dementia • Cortico-basal degeneration • PD • Alien Hand syndrome • Apraxia • Aphasia
Type of dementia • Fixed memory loss • Traumatic brain injury • Hypoxic-ischaemic brain injury • Alcohol • Infections i.e encephalitis • Slowly progressive • Alzheimer • Vascular dementia • Post infections • Rapidly Progressive • CJD • Others: Alzheimer, LBD, FTD, CBD, PSP
Dementia in younger age group • Uncommon under 65 • Consider Alzheimer • Familial causes i.e. FTD, Huntington’s disease • Frequent head trauma i.e. boxers ( dementia pugilistica) and footballers • Vascular • antiphospholipid syndrome • CADASIL(cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy) • MELAS (mitochondrial encephalopathy, lactic acidosis and stroke like symptoms) • Homocysinuria • Binswanger disease ( sub cortical white matter atrophy due to small vessel disease)
Dementia in younger age group Rare under 40 • Consider familial Alzheimer • Drugs • Alcohol • Metabolic disorders • Infections i.e HIV, Cryptococcal infection, syphilis, Lymes diasease etc
Assessment • Specialist assessment • AMTS • MMSE • Clock draw test • Trail making test • Exclude other causes i.e. depression, anxiety • Consider carer views; DO NOT SOLELY RELY ON ASSESSMENT
Diagnostic tests • Bloods • FBC, Electrolytes and calcium, Glucose, B12,Folate, TFTs, TPHA • Radiology • CT/MRI • Functional Neuroimaging i.e. SPECT or PET • Brain Biopsy!
SPECT Perfusion SPECT scan showing evidence of biparietal and bitemporal hyperperfusion in a) an Alzheimer's disease case compared to b) a control subject.
Management • 10% may have reversible cause – Treat the cause i.e. B12, Folate, Levothyroxine • Remaining – NO CURE • Pharmacological • Acetylcholine esterase inhibitor • Donepezil (Aricept) • Galantamine (Reminyl) • Rivastigmine (Exelon) • NMDA (N-Methyl-D-Aspartate) receptor blocker • Memantine (Ebixa)
Management • Symptom management • AVOID ANTIPSYCHOTICS • Carer Support • Consider carer’s views • Dementia support/crisis team • Specialist care at home or in care homes • Severe dementia – Holistic care, advance care planning, Palliative care
Barrier to dementia care Stigmata of Dementia ↓ Inactivity in seeking + Offering help False belief Nothing can be done False belief Nothing Available