Dementia is the loss of cognitive functioning. This includes thinking, remembering and reasoning. Memory loss is usually accompanied by at least one of the following symptoms: impaired movement, difficulty with language and the inability to plan and initiate appropriate social behavior. Dementia ranges in severity from mild problems in functioning to the most severe stage of complete dependence. There are several types of dementia. The most common form of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive and irreversible brain disease. It slows and destroys memory and thinking functions as well as the ability to complete even the simplest everyday tasks. Age related Alzheimer’s …show more content…
Changes within the thinking skills usually occur after strokes block the brain blood vessels. Some symptoms may be obvious after a major stroke which includes confusion, disorientation, trouble with speech and speaking and vision loss. Diagnosis with all forms of dementia are similar most of the time different forms are used for different types but most commonly used are going through family medical history, evaluation with functions, a neurological examination, laboratory tests of blood and brain testing. Certain drugs that may help Alzheimer’s have been linked to work with people with this specific form of dementia this is what study shows. Throughout each dementia scientists seem to have found links between all including with Vascular dementia and Dementia with Lewy …show more content…
This is a cognitive assessment tool, which establishes mental impairment. This test is designed to test a range of everyday skills. The maximum score on the MMSE is 30pts. A score of 20-24 suggests mild dementia, 13-20pts. suggests moderate dementia, and less than 12 indicates sever dementia. On average, the MMSE score of a person with Alzheimer’s declines about 2-4pts. each year. Another test that is commonly used to diagnose Alzheimer’s is the Mini-Cog Test. During this test, the examiner asks the patients to complete two tasks. First, the examiner asks the patient to remember names of 3 common objects and then repeat those object’s names a few minutes later. Second, the examiner asks the patient to draw a face of a clock with all 12 numbers in the right places and a specific time. The results of this test determine is further evaluation is needed to be performed (www.alz.org) . A mood assessment is also used in addition to mental status tests. This test evaluates the patient’s sense of well-being. It is used to detect depression or any other kind of mood disorder that may cause memory problems, loss of interest, and other symptoms that may overlap with