Possible Causes Of Dementia

Senility vs. Alzheimer

Alzheimer’s disease is a form of senile dementia that leads to debilitating cognitive impairment and loss of functional abilities that ultimately results in death. Because of widespread confusion regarding medical terminology, such as senility vs. Alzheimer’s, the public is apt to confuse the symptoms of senility, or dementia, with Alzheimer’s, and vice versa. A quick examination of the origin and meaning of senility vs. Alzheimer’s origin and history will hopefully clear up some of the confusion.

The aging process is accompanied by a whole host of physical manifestations. The back bends, the skin becomes thin, and muscles weaken. Some say that age affects the mind as well, clouding thinking, weakening memory and dulling the senses. This age-related cognitive impairment has traditionally been called senility. Scientists have found, however, that age itself does not cause a loss of cognitive ability; rather, age-related disease processes are what wreak havoc on elders’ mental functioning. Accordingly, senility has been replaced by the more general term dementia, which denotes severe cognitive impairment that could apply to both the very young and the very old. The debate between senility vs. Alzheimer’s would more accurately be called the debate between dementia vs. Alzheimer’s. Alzheimer’s disease is, in fact, the most common form of dementia; however, dementia, which is characterized by changes in mood and behavior as well as diminished mental capacity, can also be caused by cardiovascular problems, nutrition deficits, glandular imbalances, neurological diseases, auto-immune disorders, and substance abuse. In the elderly, what appears to be Alzheimer’s disease could actually be the result of mood disorders, drug interactions, or dehydration, all of which physicians are easily able to treat.

When a patient presents with symptoms of cognitive impairment, the physician must measure the possibility of senility vs. Alzheimer’s disease. A complete medical history including information on current prescription medications, blood tests, and other measures of mental ability will allow the doctor to give a fairly accurate diagnosis. In the early part of the twentieth century, doctors were only able to diagnose Alzheimer’s with an autopsy of the brain, but now doctors can diagnose the disease with an accuracy as high as 90% using various assessment scales and advanced technology, such as MRIs and PET scans. Alzheimer’s disease is most frequently found in older adults over the age of 65, and it has been speculated that one-fifth of people over the age of 85 have the disease. A rare genetic form of Alzheimer’s does occur in people as young as 30, so anyone with a family history of the disease should be particularly wary of the early symptoms of dementia, such as memory loss, confusion, and changes in mood and personality. The progression of Alzheimer’s disease resembles a sort of reverse child development, resulting in the loss of all functional abilities and, ultimately, death. The earlier the disease is diagnosed, however, the earlier treatment with FDA-approved medications can begin, and the drugs can slow the progression of the disease and delay institutionalization by helping the neurons in the brain function.

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