DEMENTIA   Dementia is the umbrella term used to describe a multitude of conditions that exhibit memory loss and confusion. There are dozens of causes of dementia aside from Alzheimer’s. Sometimes it’s hard to distinguish dementia from what’s know as delirium, or severe confusion due to illness. Delirium is reversible and may be caused by dehydration, pneumonia, drug reactions, or a severe exacerbation of many pre-existing conditions. Rarely are personality changes found to be due to brain tumors.   Dementia can also be caused by hypo-thyroidism, normal pressure hydro-cephalus (NPH,) and vitamin deficiencies. These conditions are treatable and the dementia may be reversed or at least greatly relieved.     Alzheimer’s Disease - Most common type of dementia; accounts for an estimated 60 - 80 percent of cases.     * Difficulty remembering names and recent events is often an early clinical symptom; apathy and depression are also often early symptoms. Later symptoms include impaired judgment, disorientation, confusion, behavior changes and difficulty speaking, swallowing and walking.   Vascular Dementia - also known as multi-infarct or post-stroke dementia or vascular cognitive impairment) Considered the second most common type of dementia.     * Impairment is caused by decreased blood flow to parts of the brain, often due to a series of small strokes that block arteries.     * Symptoms often overlap with those of Alzheimer’s, although memory may not be as seriously affected. Multi-infarct dementia is caused by repeated strokes sometimes mini-strokes or Transient Ischaemic Attacks (TIA,) but it also may occur if several larger strokes have happened.   Mixed Dementia - Characterized by the hallmark abnormalities of Alzheimer’s and another type of dementia - most commonly vascular dementia, but also other types, such as dementia with Lewy bodies.     * Recent studies suggest that mixed dementia is more common than previously thought.   Lewy Body Disease (LBD) - Pattern of decline may be similar to Alzheimer’s, including problems with memory and judgment as well as changes in behavior. Alertness and severity of cognitive symptoms may fluctuate daily. Visual hallucinations, muscle rigidity and tremors are common. LBD is closely related to Parkinson’s disease and may co-exist with that. Rigidity and difficulty initiating movement along with severe hallucinations, delusions and aggressive outbursts usually show up before real memory loss is apparent. It’s quite difficult to distinguish from Alzheimer’s and may benefit from some of the same therapy.   Parkinson’s Disease - Many people who have Parkinson’s disease (a disorder that usually involves movement problems) also develop dementia in the later stages of the disease. The hallmark abnormality is Lewy bodies (abnormal deposits of the protein alphasynuclein) that form inside nerve cells in the brain.   Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) - Involves damage to brain cells, especially in the front and side regions of the brain. The frontal lobe governs mood, behavior, and self-control.  Damage leads to changes in the way a person feels and expresses emotion, and loss of judgment. Typical symptoms include changes in personality and behavior and difficulty with language. No distinguishing microscopic abnormality is linked to all cases.      * Pick’s disease, characterized by Pick’s bodies, is one type of frontotemporal dementia. Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (“Mad Cow”) - Rapidly fatal disorder that impairs memory and coordination and causes behavior changes. Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is believed to be caused by consumption of products from cattle affected by mad cow disease. Caused by the misfolding of prion protein throughout the brain.   Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (NPH) - Caused by the buildup of fluid in the brain. Symptoms include difficulty walking, memory loss and inability to control urination. Can sometimes be corrected with surgical installation of a shunt in the brain to drain excess fluid.