Doctor's Notes on Dementia in Head Injury
A head injury occurs when an outside force hits the head hard enough to cause the brain to move violently within the skull. This force can cause shaking, twisting, bruising (contusion), or sudden change in the movement of the brain (concussion). The violent jarring of the brain can damage brain tissue and tear nerves, blood vessels, and membranes. Even a mild head injury can cause prolonged or permanent declines in cognition called dementia, which describes problems that affect thinking and concentration, memory, communication, personality, interactions with others, mood, and behavior. A type of dementia resulting from multiple head injuries is called chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
Symptoms of dementia resulting from head injuries may include
- problems thinking clearly,
- memory loss,
- difficulty concentrating,
- slowed thought processes,
- irritability,
- easy frustration,
- impulsiveness,
- mood swings,
- inappropriate behavior in social situations,
- grooming and dressing become eccentric or neglected,
- restlessness,
- agitation,
- insomnia,
- aggression,
- combativeness,
- hostility,
- headache,
- fatigue,
- apathy, and
- other vague, nonspecific physical symptoms.
What Is the Treatment for Dementia in Head Injury?
Treatment of dementia in a person with a history of traumatic brain injuries varies depending on the type of dementia diagnosed, the type and severity of the head trauma, and how recently the injury occurred. Debility from head injury can vary from very severe to mild. Patients with severe debility from a major head injury may require long-term inpatient medical care or rehab. Patients with mild debility from head injuries may only require simple supportive care from family or loved ones.
Patients with dementia from head injuries commonly require supportive care for activities of daily living (ADLs). Medical providers often prescribe physical and occupational therapy and home health services to assist in the care of demented head injury patients. It is important for families of patients with dementia from head injuries to work with their care providers and their social service workers to get the support they need.
The treatment of dementia from head injury is still in its infancy. Many clinical trials and studies related to the care of dementia and CTE are currently ongoing.
Must Read Articles:
-
Dementia (Loss of Memory)
Dementia is the loss of reasoning, memory, and other mental abilities. Dementia may be caused by irreversible causes such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's dementia, Lewy body dementia, and vascular dementia. There are also treatable causes of dementia such as infections, head injury, normal hydrocephalus, and metabolic and hormonal disorders. Early symptoms of dementia include forgetting appointments and names, losing things, difficulties performing familiar tasks (driving, cooking, household chores), personality changes, mood swings, paranoia, and suspiciousness. There are 7 types of dementia. A variety of tests (blood tests, scans, assessment of family history) may be used to diagnose dementia. Treatment may include medication and behavioral therapy. -
Dementia Due to HIV Infection
Dementia and general cognitive decline is a hallmark of later-stage HIV infections, and is known as AIDS dementia complex (ADC). Thinking, memory, judgement, concentration, and motor function may all suffer as a result of this condition. While HIV/AIDS is incurable, antiretroviral therapy can not only prevent, but also reduce the severity of symptoms in people who have it already. -
Dementia in ALS
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) affects the voluntary nervous system that causes muscles to weaken, leading progressively to paralysis and death, usually within five years of the first symptoms. ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease, usually doesn't cause cognitive impairment, but is sometimes accompanied by dementia due to destruction of cells in the frontal lobe of the brain. -
Dementia Medication Overview
There is no good way to treat the progressive condition of dementia, but several different classes of medications can improve the symptoms and slow the patient's decline, especially if paired with diet and lifestyle changes. Drug classes include acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, N-methyl-D-aspartate blockers, and experimental amyloid deposit inhibitors. Antidepressant and antipsychotic drugs can help with problematic behavioral changes. -
Dementia vs. Alzheimer's: What Is the Difference?
Dementia causes memory loss and difficulty thinking, which can interfere with a person’s ability to carry out daily activities, but it is not a specific disease in itself. Alzheimer's disease is a brain disorder that causes problems with memory, thinking, and behavior. -
How Do You Feel When You Have Lewy Body Dementia?
Lewy body dementia is a form of dementia in which Lewy bodies (abnormal proteins) are found in the brain. There are two types of LBD 1) dementia with Lewy bodies, and 2) Parkinson's disease dementia. Symptoms of LBD include severe cognitive, behavoir, and mood problems; hallucinations, tremors, shuffling gait, and dedcreased cooridation. -
Huntington Disease Dementia
Huntington disease (HD) is a virus that causes movement disorder and neurological problems. The neurological problems eventually cause cognitive and emotional disabilities that eventually descend into dementia. -
Lewy Bodies Dementia (LBD)
Dementia with Lewy bodies or Lewy body dementia is the name for a group in which dementia is caused by the presence of Lewy bodies in the brain. The cause is not known. Lewy body dementia symptoms include recent loss of memory, difficulty concentrating or paying attention, misperceptions of space and time, the inability to think or reason, abnormal movements of Parkinson's disease, depression, delusions, agitation, and unexplained fainting. Treatment for dementia with Lewy bodies is focused on lifestyle changes, care for the individual with dementia with Lewy bodies, and medication to manage symptoms. -
Mild Cognitive Impairment
Dementia is marked decline in brain function that affects memory, thought processes and speech. Alzheimer's disease is a major cause, but many other different factors can cause permanent or reversible dementia. Dementia should be distinguished from the benign age-related forgetfulness many experience, which only superficially affects daily life. Mild cognitive impairment is a memory-loss state more significant than age-related senescence describe above, but less severe than Alzheimer's. -
Parkinson's Disease
Parkinson's Disease (PD) is a degenerative disorder of the brain. It mainly affects movements of the body. Severe cognitive impairments associated with PD are a form of dementia. Symptoms of Parkinson's Disease Dementia include various types of cognitive impairment, such as loss of decision-making ability, disorientation in familiar surroundings, inflexibility to adapting changes, and more. The condition is diagnosed via neuropsychological testing. Various classes of prescription medications are used to treat the condition. -
Stroke-Related Dementia
Dementia is a blanket term to describe significant cognitive and memory decay that could be caused by a number of different conditions. A stroke is a bleed or blockage in the blood vessels that may starve parts of the brain of oxygen. Thought and memory impairment due to a stroke is called vascular dementia. Medications and behavioral therapy may prevent further strokes and slow cognitive decline, but stroke damage cannot be repaired after more than a few hours after the event. -
What Are The 7 Stages of Dementia?
Symptoms of dementia are usually mild to begin with, and slowly and progressively worsen. Dementia is a general term for a group of brain disorders that cause problems with thinking, reasoning, judgment, and memory. The problems must be severe enough to interfere with a person’s daily activities and independence.
REFERENCE:
Kasper, D.L., et al., eds. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 19th Ed. United States: McGraw-Hill Education, 2015.