Senile dementia is a disease that causes deterioration of memory and other reasoning abilities related to language, perception or judgment.
These symptoms, produced by a lack of communication in the nerve cells, interfere with the patient’s daily life and make them dependent in the most advanced phases.
Being a pathology that does not differentiate by sex or age, since anyone can suffer from it, its etymology has changed today. For example, when speaking of senile dementia, reference is only made to that which occurs after age 65, so the most appropriate thing would be to determine it solely as dementia.
“We must banish outdated terms from the past that only generate confusion. Dementia does not imply that it is senile, in the same way that it does not imply that it is Alzheimer’s”, confirms Sagrario Manzano, doctor and coordinator of the Behavior and Dementia Study Group of the Spanish Society of Neurology (SEN). Â
Alzheimer’s disease is the most frequent dementia. Still, it can appear at younger ages, and its symptoms worsen as the pathology progresses, implying, in some cases, the death of the patient, a factor that dementia does not have to entail.
According to Dr Manzano, both pathologies have characteristics that differentiate them.
Differences and similarities between dementia and Alzheimer’s
Both dementia and Alzheimer’s are included within the so-called neurological diseases, both irreversible and degenerative, implying that the patient’s damaged or lost organic functions cannot be regenerated.
The difference is that, in the case of Alzheimer’s, it degenerates to the point of causing the person’s death in most cases, while dementia is not a direct cause of death.
In addition, “a mild phase, both of dementia in general and of Alzheimer’s in particular, in which there is hardly any alteration, is not the same as a more advanced phase, in which other problems are added. Therefore, there is not a single disease, but an endless number of patients, each with their peculiarities”, says Manzano.
As for the causes, in the case of Alzheimer’s, these are unknown, but in dementia, it can be the sequel to infection, drug use, tumours, or other pathologies such as Parkinson’s or others of a degenerative nature.
In both cases, direct relative suffering from one of the two pathologies, maintaining high blood pressure levels or being a woman can be risk factors.
According to Manzano, “a low premorbid educational level, following a poorly cardio-healthy diet, the absence of a healthy lifestyle, such as regular physical exercise”, are also elements that increase the chances of suffering from Alzheimer’s.
On the other hand, both people with dementia and those with Alzheimer’s have the same perception of reality, and there are only differences in symptoms depending on the phase in which the patient is.
In conclusion, both are included within the term dementia depending on their evolution level. They have characteristics and symptoms that make them different diseases. Â
Tips for family members of patients
There are no preventive measures that can prevent the appearance of both conditions, apart from the measures that can be applied to daily life: following a healthy diet or performing routine exercise.
“Practically and understandably, the idea is to delay the dementia moment of the disease as much as possible so that dependency can be avoided,” explains the specialist.
To do this, it is necessary to involve the patient in a healthy lifestyle, control cardiovascular risk factors or promote their cognitive and motivational reserves.
At the time that the person suffers from dementia or Alzheimer’s, specialists should recommend that their relatives be, that they use clear and simple language and, above all, that they avoid criticising the sick person for their mistakes.
According to the expert, the main advice is that caregivers try to orient the patient to reality slowly and without forcing him through positive reinforcement and, if necessary, with the help of associations as a fundamental point of support. To deal with the disease.Â
Exercise and a Mediterranean diet are keys to the prevention of Alzheimer’s
Alzheimer’s is a degenerative disease that affects about 650,000 people in Spain. According to data from the Spanish Society of Neurology (SEN), exponential growth is expected in the next 30-40 years, so it is estimated that it could rise to a million or a million and a half Spaniards. On the occasion of the World Alzheimer’s Day celebration, the Confederation of Associations of Relatives of People with Alzheimer’s and other Dementias (Ceafa) has launched the campaign Advancing Together, an initiative to raise awareness in society about the need for early detection.
“We are making a great effort to raise social awareness to tell primary care physicians and families to bring patients in for a consultation in the milder phases; we still have about 30-40 per cent of cases without a diagnosis,” Sagrario Manzano, coordinator of the SEN Behavior and Dementia Study Group, told Diario Médico.
According to Pedro Gil, head of the Geriatrics Service at the San Carlos Clinical Hospital, “Alzheimer’s begins to develop between 30 and 35 years before the first symptoms appear; the way to approach the disease should not consist only of taking a drug”.
Gil and Manzano agree that leading a healthy lifestyle is one of the best ways to prevent disease development. The way to achieve this is based on two fundamental pillars: following a diet based on the Mediterranean diet and exercising regularly. Additionally, Manzano suggests carrying out cognitive stimulation: “The most dramatic thing in the population over 65 years of age is the biographical break when they stop working. It is a mistake, and we must try cognitive enhancement strategies -from painting courses to social relationships with other people- and maintain brain function according to age”.
The SEN expert also warns that cognitive failures around 50 should not go unnoticed: “In very early stages, even if there are no problems with autonomy, failures of memory, planning, orientation, behaviour, etc. of language, etc. Therefore, the patient must be evaluated in neurology to reach diagnostic certainty”.
Suppose the symptoms point to a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s. In that case, Gil proposes intensive treatment from the moment the first symptoms are detected, with continuous care of the patient, taking into account drugs, hygienic-dietary habits and the preparation of the family for the assistance of the affected.