Non-Alzheimer's Causes of Dementia

Although the article was a good overview it left out, in some cases, significant points such as memory loss because of HIV/AIDS. The author defines the memory loss relative to HIV/AIDS and concludes that the physician then will evaluate if other AIDS symptoms are apparent and also ablood test and an HIV thesare apparent and determine if . if other

My wonderful spouse seemed to have vascular dementia it was hard to get a specific diagnosis from the physician. He had some of the same signs of Parkinson's too. He was never angry or mean. He did get up and try to wander outside at 2-3 am in the morning. I used kids door knob covers and I had ADT complete alarm system that went off and stopped him many times so I could get control and he could not go out in sub zero weather. I was able to keep him at home until his death with the assistance of two seasoned caregivers the last month or so, hospice and hospice extra care and myself a retired RN. The last month he took a fall and hit his head. I thought he was recovering but a week after the fall, he had a stroke and died a week later. He had been seen in ER, his primary physician's office. I promised him I would keep him at home if at all possible and was able too with good assistance. He was a wonderful man of 81, a patriot , a veteran, a crew chief on jets and a pilot and all of us will miss him forever. Care.Com helped me a lot even though they were some people that tried to control what I said. These were visitors not professional to your pages. I suggest you survey some of the visitors attitudes at times. Thank you for your support over the last 4 years.

Dear Paula Mother is diagnosed with mix dementia and she is given ebixa and exelon for Alzheimer. She had a scan in 2013 which confirmed vascular dementia only, and she never had a scan after that, to confirm Alzheimer. She was diagnosed with that only with the test. Can the Alzheimer medication have a down effect on her, if she was not to have Alzheimer? Her health is deteriorating quit rapidly since I left a month and a half ago and I wonder if this may be a reason? Thank you in advance for the reply

My husband 67 had an MRI taken and was told he has some brain loss. His only problem is extreme short-term memory, i.e. when his question is answered, he will ask it again and again until I get very frustrated and we have an argument. If I make him repeat the answer numerous times he will remember it. He has had ADD all his life but never treated. He insists his problem is still ADD. Could it be Alzheimer's? Also, should he get more tests or see another neurologist? His mother now 86 has been bedridden for nearly 3 yrs. with end stage dementia. Is this hereditary? Would really appreciate some insight.

I was told about four years ago by my mother's PCP that she had dementia. She had a brain CT that at that time was negative for Alzheimer's. The PCP simply stated that it was due to "normal aging." Four years down the road, my mother is showing all the classic signs of dementia, short-term memory loss, bad judgement, unable to complete simple tasks, repeatedly asking me the same questions, etc. She is 89 years old. My father, my mother's father, and other elder people I have been around and cared for never showed these symptoms at her age, so I'm convinced she definitely has some type of dementia. My question is, "Is there such a thing as normal age-related dementia" as the PCP called it? I am aware that evidence of Alzheimer's may not be present on a CT scan in the early stages but may show up in later years, but my gut instinct is that she does not have Alzheimer's.

This is such a scary disease. :( Thanks so much for the information, though.

About one year ago I was diagnosed with having dementia. I am taking a generic for aericept (sp?) The doctor has given no suggestions for other help. I try to take as prescribed but do let things get by me. My friends who live in the same apartment building are very loving and helpful. Only one son lives close by and he wants nothing to do with me. He told one of my friends to notify him if I die. He will see to my burial. The other four grown children live in other states. They are all very loving. The short term memory is sketchy. So far, my house keeping is just a little worse than normal. I have lost all interest in cooking. At the tender age of 77 I just don't know how long it will be until I need to be taken care of. My friends tell me I sleep too much. Thanks for this web sight. It helps to connect with others who have similar problems.

I got thrown off my computer acts up. For the lady who had a sweet husband that went to the dark side meaning grouchy etc. She also had all future plans thrown to the wind. I know that is difficult on a smaller scale it happened to us. My husband went in for two hip surgeries shortly after I retired and came out confused, lost, etc. This intelligent man is now dependent on me. Try to get a diagnosis from his physician or a referral to a neurologist. My husband was fading fast, I would see it in his eyes. Our physician says nothing works as a perm. fix for cognitive issues. I finally told him I wanted to try Exelon Patch. He started on the lowest dose and now is on the second tier. I know it will not be forever but the improvement is wonderful. He talks better, there is a smile on his face more. He is not as confused. He will never fly a plane again, fix the mower, but he picks up the branches, sweeps the porch ,goes to exercise with me and to dinner. He is happy, I am grateful for more time with the love of my life. We also travel on airplanes to see our kids across the country. He sleeps well, showers by himself. I know it will not be what we planned but it is better than not having him with me. Exercise is good for the brain too. He is also on B vitamins and a multiple per his physician approval. Hope this helps a little. God Bless and thanks for all the wonderful sharing of information on this site.

Very informative. Thank you.

I don't know if any one out there feels like me but my husband who just turned 64 has been diagnosed with vascular dementia and in just one year he has changed from the intelligent, sweet, motivated man I knew and loved to a dependent, confused, angry man at loss with his speech and understanding at time. My best friend doesn't understand my depression and thinks a pill will help and I need to cheer up. Some days I feel better but then other days I just cry. I think it must be harder to have a younger spouse get hit with this disease than an older parent. We were looking forward to having a nice recent retirement together with traveling etc.but now all my hopes are shattered.

I Finally a site concerning dementia & alz. where people with similar situations. I have been diagnoised with dementia-stage 1-bought a l.t. to keep me busy, #1- see how to work it #2-getting involved in it,finding innumberable sites,pages. I do have some daily memory loss,that I know I should be writeing down-instead I'll think to myself- Don't need to write that down,I'll remember it........But I do'nt

This article was particularly useful to me as a patient diagnosed with MCI after a very bad fall. I had to work by myself to obtain a brain scan which showed a subdural hemotoma, probably the cause of my dementia. Knowing that I probably did NOT have Alzheimer's enabled me to relax and co-operate with appropriate therapy. I regained most cognitive functioning as my brain healed and was able to gracefully accept my children's help in making my life safer from falls and other issues related to my aging!

Thank you for helping to put things (ie. behavior etc.) in perspective.

My husband has non-alzheimer's dementia. Now in the last couple months we are told he has classic parkinsons. The Dr. told us they go hand and hand.

everything....found all articles of interest!

Lewy body disease has interested me. After his death, my friend found out that was what her husband had. I would like to learn more about it.

Specific descriptions of symptoms and etiology of different types of dementia, and how they present differently from Alzheimer's. Great article.

you left out COPD, not getting enough oxygen to the brian, that's what my Mom's doc told me anyway?

All the systems except maybe alzehimer appear to have no cure which is adding to my already lack of knowledge about memory loss, or whether it is hereditary. I become easily overwhelmed by a lot of medical diagnois.

you forgot to add Empysema (COPD), my Mom's doctor told me she didn't have enough oxygen getting to her brain from the disease, that her lungs were taking all the oxygen..something like that anyway, I was looking for more info pertianing to my poor Mom dementia at the end of her life and I thought I would find it here :-(

Knowledge is power.

My 65 year old husban had a stoke and several tia's. He is now 71 and has dementia. This artical was so enlightening. His mother just pasted away with alzheimers at age 89. He is much worse now then she was at age 85.He has lost taste ,smell, appetite, memory, concentration ect. We tried aricept but it made him worse. He was always so controlling and now he is dependent on me. I've tried a support group, but find it hard to put myself in the place of a spouse of an advanced an alzheimers loved one. He can still drive and walks everyday. If he doesn't get worse this is very liveable. He gets very defensive if i have to remind him of things. Of course i have to watch the tone in my voice. Thank-you for this site...

Hopeful Always, yo u can get aricept free of charge at RX prescription or you can buy from Singapure by going to Quality Prescription (Canada)and for less than 40 dollars you can get over one hundred. HOpe this helps. You are in my prayers. Now I don't know that aricept really helps other than making my husband mellow up some of his anger and aggression, what really helped him was Aloe of Vera juice (without any chemicals) we bought the Wallmart brand and within 3 weeks he went from barely eating or speaking to enrolling himself to a gym.

A detailed ,comprehensive yet easy to understand comparison among different causes of dementia.

Very insightful so we can look for a physician with the necessary experience to distinguish the causes of dementia. My husband had several mini strokes and seems to have many o f the those symptoms, so this will help me to get another specialist.

The disgnoses of many of these diseases' is very extreme. An autopsy??

yes, simple and quick, easy to understand

caregiversneed more tips that they can hold on to.

IT HELPS ME UNDERSTAND MY MOM MORE.

the process of diagnosis and whether it can be treated at this time or not, also through revealing symptoms and expectations one knows more

I recently heard that former meth users develop dementia at a high rate. In which category would that be. This article was very helpful to me. Several members of my husband's family had signs/symptoms of Alheimers/Demetia and I want to be aware for my children's and my own sake. Thank you for this article..

Yes, this article was helpful to me.

my mom has been "seeing" things that are not there. her doctors don't seem very concerned and say it is just her age, she is 79.now, thanks to your article,i can ask more detailed questions. i thank you so much. love you,c.a.

Very comprehensive and well written. The percentages of dementia patients accounted for by Alzheime'rs alone was quite surprising (~80%).

I now know that the stoke that my husband had has hastened his problem.

Hi goatgirl, Thanks for your comment. I'm very sorry to hear about your mother's condition. That must be very difficult for you. If you'd like to find the right facility for your mother, we have an excellent local directory you should check out, here: ( http://www.caring.com/local ). I hope that helps. Good luck and take care! -- Emily | Community Manager

I need help placing my mother in a facility in Salina that take Alzheimers and Dementia patients in an assisted living,need help with all the form, right now she in Beloit at the MitchellCo.Hospital for a pysc. evaluation, they will not release her until I have a this help lined up for her.

I just learned of an a condition called Hashimoto's Encephalopathy which can mimic stroke or AD and come on slowly or suddenly. Something to consider, particularly if the person has had Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Fortunately HE can respond to steroid treatment and sometimes spontaneously reverses. It is called "rare" but may simply be underdiagnosed.

Very helpful, particularly the explanation of how symptoms differ based on the underlying cause of the dementia.

what about multiple sclerosis dementia?

In the Wall St. Journal (yesterday, day before) there was an article on NFL football players having a nearly 20% increased risk of Alzheimers due to concussions. They pointed out that the new, extra-padded helmets aren't helping matters as they give players a false sense of protection, and so they are hitting other players even harder. In the Caring articles it says, under other reasons for dementia: "A head injury that causes hydrocephalus or a subdural hematoma, which is an accumulation of blood underneath the brain's covering." But it doesn't specifically mention football playing, which is something parents need to be made aware of in regards to their children.

Very helpful -- a great relief to put my symptoms in perspective after a mild heart attack.

I think this very helpful -- most people assume that any cognitive loss is caused by Alzheimer's and don't consider other causes.

None of these really address my wife's problems. She was a high school valedictorian, became a CPA and had a mind that could tackle complex issues and cut right through the BS and was very organized. In her early 40's she developed a brain fog, couldn't think clearly, severe short-term memory issues, and now acts as if she has severe ADD. At the same time she developed daily migraines, which are still unresponsive to traditional and not-so-traditional medical treatment. She has been diagnosed with connective tissue disorder/lupus and I suspect this has been in the background to a lesser extent her entire adult life. Her life now centers mostly around time-wasting computer game activities on the social networks to help serve as a distraction to her pain. Not much of a life.

Hi Cathie, You are an angel in human form.. Your mom is very blessed to have you in her life. Thank God you are understanding and that God has chosen you to care for her when no one else will. It makes me sad to know some people do not see what you see or ask the question in why her behaviors have increased. I have dementia but it isn't real bad yet. I do some things that are of some concerns, leaving the oven or stove on all night or burn a pot holder or the stove top cover and it releases toxic fumes. My husband is caring like you are. I forget a lot and often mix my words up and miss spell words that I normally wouldn't miss spell. I am able to catch some of my mistakes and correct them or use spell check. When typing I have to pay attention because even though I may know how to spell most words, I will miss spell by typing ( typing ) ytping.. It can frustrate me. I also miss doctor appointments and forget to take my medication at times. My husband has been marking my appointments on the calendar for me because my memory is slipping more. It scares me that maybe someday I may forget who my family members are. I am only 43 years old and have had dementia and diagnosed with it for four years now. I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and have other health problems. I have wondered if my hypothyroid, it's hoshimoto encephalopathy.. may of contributed to my dementia. I went in for migraines one day and my husband saw the questioner packet on memory problems and my husband talked to the doctor and from there is when I was tested and told yes for migraines and yes for dementia and encephalopathy too. I wish I could take Aricept but it's real expensive but seems to help slow it down some. I need to catch up on some of my bills and then get on it because I am going to be a grandma come January and I want to enjoy family as long as I can. My heart goes out to you Cathy and I will lend an ear to you any time. I love this site and thank God for people like you and many others who are so caring.

neurologynow.com or more specifically http://journals.lww.com/neurologynow/Pages/collectiondetails.aspx?TopicalCollectionId=2 free journal written in plain language... good info I think I am flying by the seat of my pants most of the time with my father's condition. but good info is out there, and shaped by what works with him,

I read that agent orange exposure can cause (al amyloidosis) an abnormal deposition of a particular protien. Can you refer me to more resources regarding this? thanks, sue

is there no treatment for HD ??

My father in law had dementia and now my husband (61 yrs. old) has been diagnosed with alzheimer's. Are our children at risk?

Many caregivers in the assisted living facility where I work thought Alzheimer was not only the main but practically the only cause of dementia, and also that it was relatively easy to tell apart the cause of dementia in most cases. Article makes things clear.

It was helpful to see percentages given for various group of susceptible people. Also, treatments, and not just medical treatment but things that anyone can do. Just getting info is helpful, rather than worrying and written information is helpful because it can be referred to later or shown to others. It was also helpful to get details about symptoms of dementia ( what is dementia and what is normal behaviour) and the various conditions apart from alzheimers and parkinson's .

the frontotemporal dementia information really helped. it fits

That sounds like the best idea I have heard in a long time. I have been thinking about doing exactly that very thing. However, my mom changes so often from one minute to the next that I, frequently, cannot keep up. I am so lost and feel so very alone due to the fact that no one in my family or her close friends really believes or understands. Mom has decline so quickly and I am the only one she knows that is willing and love her enough to put up with her changes. She has a friend that she has been close to since kindergarten, over 70 years. She isn't willing to giive mom the benefit of the doubt and stick with her, not even once a week for lunch. They had a falling out no too very long ago and her friend told her not to call her anymore. Since that point my moms abusive behavior towards me has increased a great deal. My mom is my reason for being here and there isn't anything I wouldn't do for her. Except lie to her doctor. Even her doctor takes our situation very lightly and there are times that I wonder which one of us, (mom or me) is really having the mental problems. Why is it that people just chose not to believe someone who is just basically trying to make moms last times as safe and loving as I possibly can. I seek help from agencies, her doctor, caring.com, and any place that can give me some kind of insight as to what my mom is going through and/or how to help. This is the hardest task that God has ever given me.

In my opinion, when suspecting dementia, from any origin, it seems most important to document the behaviors that are of concern.