Neurodegeneration is a term that describes the loss of neurons in the brain which cause a number of diseases and dementia.

Dementia is a word used to describe a class of symptoms. Symptoms between the different forms of dementia can differ a great deal and can include memory loss, confusion and mood changes.

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Dementia can be caused by a good number of different diseases – Alzheimer’s disease is foremost and the most common, causing about two thirds of cases. Other diseases that create dementia include vascular dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies and frontotemporal dementia. Often, dementia is caused by both Alzheimer’s disease and either vascular dementia or dementia with Lewy bodies, often known as mixed dementia.

Who gets dementia?

Most people with dementia are over the age of 65. It’s estimated that 2%-5% of people with dementia are under 65. That’s 16,400 – 41,000 cases in the UK. Some rare kinds of dementia can affect people in their 30s, 40s and 50s.

In the UK 61% of people with dementia are female and 39% are male. This is mostly due to the fact that women tend to live longer than men and as dementia becomes more common as we age, more women develop the condition. 820,000 people in the UK have dementia.

The number of people with dementia is increasing as people are living longer. It is estimated that by 2021, the number of people with dementia in the UK will have increased to around 1 million.

What are the symptoms of dementia?

Dementia often evolves slowly and the early signs are not always obvious. Symptoms similar to dementia can be seen in other illnesses. Sometimes it can be hard to tell apart dementia from the usual mild forgetfulness seen in normal ageing.

Alzheimer’s, dementia with Lewy bodies and frontotemporal dementia are all neurodegenerative diseases, meaning that the signs and symptoms get worse over time. This is usually the situation with vascular dementia too. The speed of change differs between people and also between different diseases, but in most situation, dementia symptoms progress slowly over several years.

As dementia progresses:

People may notice that their ability to remember, think and make decisions worsens.
Communication and language often gets more difficult.
A person’s behaviour may change and some people can get sad or demoralised.
Anxieties or phobias are quite common.
Problems with time perception may cause issues with sleeping and restlessness at night.
Anger or agitation is common in the later stages of dementia.
It is common for people to be unsteady on their feet and fall more often.
Gradually people need more help with daily activities like dressing, toileting and eating.
Are there treatments for dementia?

Dementia is caused by progressive diseases, none of which can currently be cured. Some treatments are offered that can help some people with the symptoms of dementia, including those caused by Alzheimer’s, but the effects are temporary and don’t work for everyone. Sadly no treatment can currently affect or halt the underlying disease process in the brain.

Non-pharmacological treatment can also assist some people with dementia, including helping to manage some symptoms and maintain quality of life for longer.
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