nvq unit306 dementia
Understand the neurology of Dementia
Describe a range of causes of dementia syndrome
Dementia syndrome is a combination of conditions, which are sometimes called a mixed dementia. Causes of dementia are:
• Specific diseases; Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease.
• Cerebral vascular accident such as stroke of the brain
• A group of conditions/brain disorders
Alzheimer’s is caused by broken signals within the brain leading to the death of brain cells, this can also lead to a shortage of some important chemicals, these chemicals control the transmitting of messages to the brain.
Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurological condition which occurs when the brains nerve cells that contain/produce dopamine die, without the chemical dopamine Parkinson sufferers will find their movements become slower as well as taking longer to do day to day activities
Vascular dementia is caused when the blood flow to the brain becomes blocked which often occurs when an individual has a stroke. If the vascular system becomes damaged and blood flow is unable to reach brain cells then the cells will eventually die leading to early onset vascular dementia.
Picks disease is a rare disorder that causes the frontal/temporal lobes of the brain to slow down, this is a direct result of protein in the affected areas of the brain.
Describe the types of memory impairment commonly experienced by individuals with dementia
• Frontal lobe: higher intellectual functioning, planning, judgement, controlling behaviour.
• Temporal lobe: auditory processing, language, words and memory
• Parietal lobe: body movement, language, words and memory.
• Occipital lobe: visual processing.
The brain is a complicated group of systems and if any one part of the brain is not functioning at an individual’s normal level this may cause: confusion, hallucinations, delusions, false beliefs or a false sense of reality.
Explain how other factors can cause changes in an individual’s condition that may not be
Describe a range of causes of dementia syndrome
Dementia syndrome is a combination of conditions, which are sometimes called a mixed dementia. Causes of dementia are:
• Specific diseases; Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease.
• Cerebral vascular accident such as stroke of the brain
• A group of conditions/brain disorders
Alzheimer’s is caused by broken signals within the brain leading to the death of brain cells, this can also lead to a shortage of some important chemicals, these chemicals control the transmitting of messages to the brain.
Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurological condition which occurs when the brains nerve cells that contain/produce dopamine die, without the chemical dopamine Parkinson sufferers will find their movements become slower as well as taking longer to do day to day activities
Vascular dementia is caused when the blood flow to the brain becomes blocked which often occurs when an individual has a stroke. If the vascular system becomes damaged and blood flow is unable to reach brain cells then the cells will eventually die leading to early onset vascular dementia.
Picks disease is a rare disorder that causes the frontal/temporal lobes of the brain to slow down, this is a direct result of protein in the affected areas of the brain.
Describe the types of memory impairment commonly experienced by individuals with dementia
• Frontal lobe: higher intellectual functioning, planning, judgement, controlling behaviour.
• Temporal lobe: auditory processing, language, words and memory
• Parietal lobe: body movement, language, words and memory.
• Occipital lobe: visual processing.
The brain is a complicated group of systems and if any one part of the brain is not functioning at an individual’s normal level this may cause: confusion, hallucinations, delusions, false beliefs or a false sense of reality.
Explain how other factors can cause changes in an individual’s condition that may not be