Reversible dementia is a type of dementia where it is often a side effect or a symptom of the underlying disease. The International Journal of Neuroscience. Sometimes, they may have problems doing things they used to do, such as getting dressed for a party or preparing their food. [7] So someone can have thyroid dysfunctions while having a kind of dementia. Other hormone-related conditions that can cause dementia-like symptoms include hypopituitarism (underactive pituitary gland), porphyria (lack of haem, an iron-containing compound), and Cushings syndrome (too much cortisol hormones). Worth noting is that depression can be one of the signs of dementia. In the later stages of the disease, people with dementia may benefit from care at a memory care community. I use Natur-Throid along with Lugols Iodine. These drugs and their side effects can cause dementia-like symptoms in people without previous cognitive issues. 6. The former is a condition where the thyroid gland produces low levels of thyroid hormones, while the latter shows excessive thyroid hormone levels. Delirium may be mistaken for dementia in some people. Niacin (B3) deficiency is a known cause of pellagra, a disease characterized by symptoms of dementia, diarrhea, and dermatitis that can be resolved through niacin supplementation. Commonly prescribed medications may cause symptoms that mimic dementia. Hormonal disorders, nutritional deficiencies, anemia, infections, alcoholism and even atherosclerosis are just a few examples of other underlying conditions that can alter one's mental state. This fungal infection can also lead to the formation of abnormal structures in the brain, very similar to that of Alzheimers disease. As POA for my dad, I have a huge decision: Surgery or pain management? Some medications have even been linked to cognitive decline. Its important to note that an actual dementia diagnosis cannot be reversed, even when it coincides with a reversible condition with dementia-like symptoms. The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user. [6] However, it is also important to note that thyroid dysfunctions are associated with a very specific kind of dementia-- Alzheimers dementia. She focuses on life enrichment opportunities and memory care. Some of these potential conditions can include the following: Over time, regular, excessive consumption of alcohol can cause memory, orientation, and attention span to deteriorate. Cognitive impairment in patients with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus. Flavoring water with fruit like lemon, or using smaller, less daunting glasses, might help. The information contained in this article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to constitute medical, legal or financial advice or create a professional relationship between A Place for Mom and the reader. Your email address will not be published. Other symptoms of a vitamin deficiency include diarrhea, shortness of breath, muscle weakness, and impaired vision. Your email address will not be published. Inflammation is one of the triggers that helps push people towards Alzheimers disease and dementia. It is important to have a full thyroid panel done to show T3, T4 and free and total levels as well. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Altered mental status generally refers to the change in cognition or level of consciousness, as we have mentioned earlier. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan-. These people may also have anemia, extreme fatigue, intolerance to cold, dry skin, a hoarse voice, weight gain, slow heart rate, and constipationall things are often viewed as normal for an aging person. B vitamin deficiencies, especially B12, often manifest in brain function problems, or nerve dysfunction, such as numbness and tingling in feet and hands. Many patients have recovered mental function when they followed gluten-free diets. Dementia: A person's level of alertness is typically not affected until the late stages of Alzheimer's, whereas memory is significantly affected throughout the disease. Two common examples are dementia caused by vitamin B12 deficiency or an underactive thyroid . The most common irreversible types of dementia are as follows: Alzheimer's disease Vascular dementia Lewy body dementia Parkinson's disease Frontotemporal dementia Huntington's disease Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease Chronic traumatic encephalopathy Pick's disease Prevalence of potentially reversible dementias in a dementia outpatient clinic of a tertiary university-affiliated hospital in Brasil. What is a reversible condition which could be mistaken for dementia? Aspiration pneumonia may also happen when food enters the wrong track, as may happen with older adults who have less control of their laryngeal muscles. Symptoms include sleeping problems, lack of interest in past hobbies, memory loss, feelings of disorientation, and lack of self-care. The gradual progression of hypothyroidism can make it hard to distinguish from primary dementia. Learn more about some of the most common reversible conditions, their symptoms, and how to treat them in order to hopefully reverse the dementia symptoms below. [04]Acetylcholine naturally decreases during the aging process, so anticholinergic medications are especially dangerous for an elderly persons cognitive health. General hypothyroidism can be tested by a simple TSH test, but this should not be the only test performed. Additionally, there are cases when a patient has both depression and dementia, but the former tends to appear first before the latter develops. Staying tuned in to your health and that of your loved ones will help you be aware of any of these reversible conditions, so that you can stop the damage and restore brain health to live a long, healthy and happy life. They can manifest as memory loss, general sluggishness, a flitting attention span, and depressed or apathetic mood. Head injuries, even ones that seem minor, can cause significant cognitive problems. Keep in mind it may sometimes take 6 months or more for the body to fully recover from the inflammation and chronic reactions from gluten. Delirium may cause dementia-like symptoms such as confusion, memory problems, and personality changes. Your blog is one of the best Ive read, do well researched and informative. Many frequently prescribed medications have anticholinergic properties or properties that block the effect of acetylcholine, a chemical messenger important for muscle control, learning, memory, and attention. Problems with thinking clearly, loss of memory, brain fog With this procedure, dementia can be controlled or reversed. Intravenous fluids can often reverse cognitive problems caused by severe dehydration. This Common Condition Can Easily Be Mistaken for Dementia, Experts Say. 3 . BrightFocus Foundation. Vegans cannot get B12 from their diets, and so are often deficient in B12, as well as people who take metformin for diabetes. immune system may not be as strong as it used to be, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557444/. Medications are also common culprits in mental decline and dementia. Treatment and controlling for depression through lifestyle or other changes can help improve symptoms. Low levels of vitamin B12 can cause various symptoms to appear over time. Among the different infections, 55% had pneumonia and 27% had urinary tract infections. Toxic mold based illness is actually a very common, but un-diagnosed condition that can show up in many different ways, including serious brain fog, confusion, memory loss and even depression/anxiety. Gogia B, Fang X. Differentiating Delirium Versus Dementia in the Elderly. Sometimes its hard for them to communicate that theres something wrong. Lovering, N. & Wade, Danielle. What is a reversible condition? Early diagnosis and treatment for these conditions may help alleviate and potentially even reverse your loved ones cognitive symptoms. Infections that can cause dementia. (2021, June 16). Dementia Dementia is a general term that represents a group of diseases and illnesses that affect your thinking, memory, reasoning, personality, mood and behavior. If you think your loved one is experiencing dementia symptoms due to one of the conditions above, talk to their doctor. Per the Alzheimers Association, most Alzheimers patients are at least 65 years old. Dementia, on the other hand, isnt a specific disease. I was not expecting that there would be so many celiac disease patients with cognitive decline, he said. delirium & depression can be mistaken for false dementia (pseudodementia) delirium is usually temporary or reversible, it occurs w/ physical & mental illness. Infections are a bit tricky in the elderly. Most diets are lacking in B vitamins in sufficient quantities to supply what is needed. 6 Potentially Reversible Conditions That Can Mimic Dementia by Carol Bradley Bursack Writer June 30, 2016 When dementia symptoms appear it's natural to fear that the person affected has an. The following symptoms are considered hallmarks of normal pressure hydrocephalus: Difficulty walking that's sometimes compared to the way a person walks "on a boat," with the body bent forward, legs held wide apart and feet moving as if they're "glued to the deck." Mild dementia that involves loss of interest in daily activities . Vitamin B12 deficiency also may result in transcobalamin deficiency (a disorder that impairs the transport of vitamin B12) and malabsorption and metabolic disorders, which can cause neuronal degeneration. Infection C. Medication Interactions D. Thyroid problems E. All of the above. Most cases of dementia are not reversible, but there are treatment options that may slow progression. Delirium Delirium happens when there is a sudden change in the brain that causes emotional disruption and mental confusion. No wonder i had health issues! Your email address will not be published. What is a reversible form of dementia? Some types of drugs such as opioids for pain; benzodiazepines for anxiety or stress; antimuscarinics for urinary incontinence; and muscle relaxers for muscle tightness could cause memory loss and side effects that could be mistake for Alzheimer's disease. Strong odor to the urine. In: Bello VME, Schultz RR. We sometimes jump to the conclusion that we are getting dementia or have Alzheimers disease. Caregivers can attest that the decline in their thinking, remembering, reasoning, and communication skills is so significant that it interferes with their daily affairs. Whereas delirium is considered an acute confusional state that comes and goes, often starting just a few days or weeks ago. Some types of dementia are reversible Normal pressure hydrocephalus, caused by excess cerebrospinal fluid, can be helped by surgical intervention. Other times they might not notice it. This impaired thinking may also affect verbal skills. Of course, just because you have these symptoms doesnt mean its dementia. A physician who suspects other causes for dementia-like symptoms might order tests such as: The doctor may find other causes for symptoms. The decreasing prevalence of reversible dementias. Depression is a mental illness that causes people to experience continuous low moods and a loss of interest in daily life. They can be treated as long as the underlying cause is appropriately identified. Mold allergies and mold toxicity, however, are two different things and you do not have to be allergic to mold to react negatively to toxins in the mold. By: Cat Ebeling, RN, MSN-PHN,co-author of the best-sellers: The Fat Burning Kitchen,The Top 101 Foods , I am sorry that you did not mention Fibromyalgia myalgia in you list of possible causes of dementia It is well known that fibromyalgia causes a condition known as fibrofogwhere you cant remember names or cant think of a subject that is under under discussion ,etc. Alzheimers itself does not have a specific test to determine its presence; doctors merely rely on a cluster of symptoms to recognize it. As people age, the ability to absorb B12 declines. The link was the strongest in women who inherited the APOE4 gene and area more susceptible to Alzheimers disease. Sleep problems can cause dementia-like symptoms such as trouble focusing, mental fatigue, confusion, and irritability. Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine. The decline in mental function interferes with your daily life and activities. [4], Especially in the elderly, delirium may be triggered by several problems. Ellison, J. M. (2021, July 6). Medical conditions, disorders, and medication side effects can often cause impairments in memory that can sometimes be misdiagnosed as dementia. -25% of patients with this disease has dementia-difficult to distinguish from AD-usually a history of tremors prior to onset of dementia. Severe dehydration has been linked to decreased cognitive performance, especially in older adults.[17]. Can dementia get worse suddenly? The classic symptoms of gluten sensitivity show up as bloating, diarrhea, weight loss, cramping and nutrient deficiencies. Fast heart rate infection. Other times they might not notice it. NPH normally occurs spontaneously, but it can also result from head trauma, brain hemorrhage, or meningitis. In these cases of dementia, it is possible to improve memory outcomes by treating . Poor . A few of these molds can be very toxic to humans. What's especially frightening about the new case report is that the . 60(3), 225-231. Unable to complete simple tasks they could do before While frequent urination and blood in the urine are common signs, UTI can cause increased agitation, confusion, and even withdrawal. (2022, May 4). Delirium is a reversible condition if the underlying cause is properly diagnosed and treated. In the literature, the most frequently observed potentially reversible conditions identified in patients with cognitive impairment or dementia are depression, adverse effects of drugs, drug or alcohol abuse, space-occupying lesions, normal pressure hydrocephalus, and metabolic conditions land endocrinal conditions like hypothyroidism and Other symptoms include: Restlessness loss of sense of direction Yeast overgrowth in the gut can result from a diet high in carbohydrates, sugars, processed foods and gluten. Their immune system may not be as strong as it used to be. By utilizing MRI and PET scan imaging technology, the researchers were able to show how people taking anti-cholinergic drugs experienced lower brain metabolism and higher brain atrophy.