Dementia
Alternative names:
chronic brain syndrome
Symptoms:
- progressive loss of memory
- inability to concentrate
- decrease in problem solving skills and judgment capability
- fluctuating mental status, hyperactive to limited alertness
- confusion, severe
- hallucination, delusions
- altered sensation or perception
- impaired recognition (agnosia)
- impaired recognition of familiar objects or persons
- impaired recognition through stimuli of any or all senses
- altered sleep patterns
- insomnia
- need for increased sleep
- disturbance or change of sleep-wake cycle
- motor system impairment
- impaired skilled motor function (apraxia)
- inability to reproduce geometric figures
- inability to mimic hand positions
- inability to dress self
- gait changes
- inappropriate movements
- other impairment of motor system
- disorientation
- person, place, time
- visual-spatial disorientation
- inability to interpret environmental cues
- specific disorders of problem solving or learning
- inability to generalize
- loss of abstract thinking
- impaired calculating ability
- inability to learn
- memory deficit
- short-term memory
- long-term memory
- absent or impaired language ability (aphasia)
- inability to comprehend speech
- inability to read (alexia)
- inability to write (agraphia)
- inability to speak, without muscle paralysis
- inability to form words
- inability to name objects (anomia)
- poor enunciation
- inappropriate speech, use of jargon or wrong words
- inability to repeat a phrase
- persistent repetition of phrases
- other language impairment
- personality changes
- irritable
- poor temper control
- anxiety
- depression
- indecision
- self centered
- inflexible
- no observable mood (flat affect)
- inappropriate mood or behavior
- withdrawal from social interaction
- inability to function or interact in social or personal situations
- inability to maintain employment
- decreased ability to care for oneself
- decreased interest in daily living activities
- lack of spontaneity
Additional symptoms that may be associated with this disease:
Signs and tests:
A neurologic examination may reveal abnormalities, including the presence of abnormal reflexes and abnormal levels of normal reflexes. Psychologic studies and tests of sensation, cognitive function, and motor function may be abnormal.
DSM-IIIR criteria for diagnosis of dementia include: - reduced attention
- disorganized thinking as evidenced by speech patterns
- 2 or more of these symptoms:
- altered consciousness
- perception changes
- disturbance of sleep-wake cycle
- psychomotor changes
- disorientation to person, place, time
- impairment of memory, problem solving, learning, language
- symptoms develop rapidly, may fluctuate
- one of these factors:
- evidence from the history, physical exam, and testing of specific disorders that are judged to cause the disturbance
- organic (physical disease) factor can be presumed if there is no evidence of non-organic (psychiatric, emotional, and so on) disorder
The extent of damage and cause of dementia may be indicated by tests and procedures that include, but are not limited to:
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