Dementia

Older age is the most well-known risk factor for developing dementia. 

Genetics, environmental factors, and lifestyle factors also contribute to the risk of different types of dementia. It is likely a combination of these factors that leads to the development of the disease.

Cardiovascular disease, such as high blood pressure, stroke, and atherosclerosis, can increase a person’s risk for dementia. Health conditions and lifestyle behaviors that negatively impact cardiovascular health can also increase the risk. This can include uncontrolled diabetes, smoking, and alcohol misuse. Having certain genes can also increase a person’s risk for developing dementia.

Dementia causes the progressive loss of neurons and results in cognitive difficulties that get more debilitating over time. Symptoms can include memory loss, confusion, and difficulty focusing and making decisions. A person with dementia may get lost in a familiar place and have trouble completing daily tasks. 

Dementia can also affect a person’s ability to understand and use language, whether spoken or through reading and writing. They may repeat themselves or forget the word to refer to a common object. They may also have difficulty with movement and balance, have emotional or personality changes, or experience hallucinations or paranoia. As the disease gets worse over time, people with dementia eventually need full-time care.

While people lose neurons as they age, the symptoms of dementia are more severe than those caused by typical age-related memory loss.

In order to diagnose dementia, doctors typically ask for a medical history and conduct tests to rule out other conditions that could cause cognitive issues. They may perform tests that evaluate memory, balance, language skills, and problem solving. Doctors may also order scans of the brain to rule out other causes. They may also conduct tests that record the electrical activity in the brain and that look for the amyloid plaques and tau tangles that occur with Alzheimer’s disease.

While some tests can help diagnose specific types of dementia, such as Alzheimer’s disease, at an early stage, not all people have access to them. For other types like Lewy body dementia, there is no diagnostic test available to definitively diagnose the disease while a person is alive.

There is currently no cure for dementia or way to stop the progression of the disease. Treatment options can depend on the specific type of dementia a person has.

Treatment options for Alzheimer’s disease may slow progression of the disease. These options can include cholinesterase inhibitors and NMDA receptor antagonists. Some research suggests these drugs may help people with other types of dementia, such as Lewy body dementia and frontotemporal lobe dementia. However, more research is still needed.

Doctors may prescribe medications to treat symptoms that occur alongside dementia. This can include muscle stiffness and psychological symptoms of dementia, such as depression, delusions, and sleep difficulties. 

Other therapies aim to maintain daily functions including movement, swallowing, and speech. This can include learning ways to cope with the loss of necessary skills. At advanced stages, people with dementia require skilled around-the-clock care.

Research on the various types of dementia is ongoing. Researchers are looking into what makes the aging brain more prone to degeneration and how speech is connected to age-related and degenerative decline. Other research involves developing cost-effective and accessible diagnostic tests to diagnose dementia across various types.

Findings that help doctors and researchers better understand dementia could lead to advances in diagnosis and care for all types of the disease.

Research funded THROUGH the american brain foundation

Maria Pia Campagna, PhD, is investigating the connections between early menopause (such as when it is induced through surgery to remove both ovaries), hormone therapy, and significantly increased dementia risk. Among other benefits, her work could lead to more accurate and customized recommendations for hormone therapy that reduce dementia risk. This research is funded by the McKnight Brain Research Foundation through the American Brain Foundation.

Quentin Devignes, PhD is working to determine for the first time if amyloidosis (the process by which beta-amyloid proteins build up and cause neurodegeneration) plays a biological role in normal age-related memory loss as well. This research is funded by the McKnight Brain Research Foundation through the American Brain Foundation.

Giovanna Pilonieta, PhD, DDS is researching the relationship between modifiable health behaviors, mental health, and cognitive function in older adults. She will also examine gender-based differences in these associations.  Current research suggests that 40% dementia cases may be attributable to modifiable health behaviors like blood pressure and weight control, smoking, alcohol consumption, and regular physical activity. This research is funded by the McKnight Brain Research Foundation through the American Brain Foundation.

Deborah Rose, MD is investigating how adverse childhood experiences (ACE) are associated with cognitive performance and biomarkers of neurodegeneration, and how this association differs across ethnic and racial groups. She’ll then look at how these ACEs relate to stress response and neuroinflammation. Age-related cognitive decline is a significant public health concern, particularly within diverse or marginalized populations. This study could lead to interventions to reduce inequitable cognitive decline.  This research is funded by the McKnight Brain Research Foundation through the American Brain Foundation.

Learn more about research funded by American Brain Foundation donors >

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