Diagnosis of dementia diseases
Dementia diseases are a serious health problem characterized by progressive cognitive impairment. Symptoms include problems with memory, executive functions, speech and social skills. These conditions are caused by neurodegenerative changes in the brain and can be the result of various diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease or frontotemporal dementia. Diagnosis is based on neuropsychological evaluation and assessment of the patient's ability to function independently in daily activities.
The most common forms of dementia diseases are:
- Alzheimer’s disease: It is the most common cause of dementia and involves about 60-80% of cases. It is characterized by the accumulation of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain, leading to nerve cell death and cognitive decline.
- Ischemic vascular dementia: Symptoms result from multiple small infarcts of brain tissue and lacunar and leukoaraiosis-like lesions present. It is also called multi-infarct dementia. It is characterized by a sudden onset and a spike in cognitive decline.
- Frontotemporal dementia (FTD): This is a rare form of dementia in which major areas of the brain, such as the frontal and temporal lobes, degenerate. FTD, depending on the type, manifests as changes in behavior, emotionality and social functioning, but also loss of acquired knowledge of the world or language impairment (primary progressive aphasia).
- Parkinson’s disease with dementia (PDD): Patients with Parkinson’s disease may experience additional dementing symptoms in the later stages of the condition. PDD is characterized by the presence of Parkinsonian symptoms along with impaired cognitive function, particularly executive function and control of emotional expression.
- Dementia with Lewy bodies (LBD): This is a disorder in which an accumulation of so-called Lewy bodies is observed in the brain. Symptoms of LBD can include sleep disturbances, visual hallucinations, parkinsonism and cognitive impairment, especially attention processes and executive functions.
- Huntington’s disease: This is an inherited neurodegenerative disease that leads to progressive degeneration of nerve cells, mainly in the caudate nucleus area. It initially manifests itself with motor difficulties, followed by cognitive impairment, especially executive function, short-term memory and emotion control.
Diagnosis of dementia diseases is based on a comprehensive clinical evaluation, including neuropsychological diagnosis, brain imaging studies and exclusion of other potential causes of symptoms. Early diagnosis and appropriate care planning are key to managing these conditions to ensure patients have the highest possible quality of life. In addition, research into therapies and strategies to delay the progression of neurodegenerative conditions is an area of intense scientific investigation.