National Group Names California Advocate ‘Dementia Care Professional of the Year’
Visionary Leader Draws Inspiration from Personal Caregiving Experience

Cordula Dick-Muehlke, Ph.D., Executive Director, Alzheimer’s Family Services Center, Huntington Beach, CA

New York, NY (PRWEB) October 03, 2011

Cordula Dick Muehlke, Ph.D., of Santa Ana, CA has dedicated the last 25 years of her career to helping families who are facing Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia, including turning a truly grassroots effort into a state-of-the-art model as executive director of Alzheimer’s Family Services Center (AFSC) in Huntington Beach, CA since 1995.

In recognition of her outstanding achievements and dedication, Dementia Care Professionals of America (DCPA) announced today that it has named Dick-Muehlke the 2011 Dementia Care Professional of the Year.

DCPA, the professional membership and training division of the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA), has given the award annually since 2007 to someone “who demonstrates professional excellence in care, compassionate performance that exceeds expectations and a dedicated commitment to people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia.”

“Cordula is a remarkable and visionary leader in the dementia world, setting a new paradigm of care that preserves an individual’s personhood and dignity. Her ability to continuously think outside the box encourages others to think innovatively about the best way to provide care,” said Eric J. Hall, AFA’s president and CEO.

Dick-Muehlke’s compassion for individuals with dementia is borne out of her own personal experience in caring for her older brother who had Down syndrome and developed dementia later in his life.

“I deeply appreciate the recognition of my efforts to support the continued personhood of each individual with dementia,” said Dick-Muehlke, a licensed clinical psychologist. “For me, this award will always serve as an encouragement to strive to even higher levels of excellence, care and compassion, as I continue my commitment to improve the lives of people affected by dementia and their families.”

In nominating Dick-Muehlke, Anita Rodriguez-Lambert, AFSC’s director of development and communications, said, “Serving families facing Alzheimer’s disease is not just an academic or professional interest [for her]—it is a way of life…Dr. Dick-Muehlke’s efforts are helping transform dementia care—one family at a time.”

At AFSC specifically, she added, “From the design of AFSC’s dementia-specific facility to the development of high-quality programming, Cordula’s fingerprint is on all of the agency’s achievements.”

Throughout her career, the award winner has been an impassioned advocate for memory- impaired individuals and their right to access affordable dementia care services, especially adult day programs, and has championed a whole person approach to caring for individuals affected by Alzheimer’s disease.

Among her many accomplishments at AFSC, Dick-Muehlke and her staff developed “Memory Care Tools,” an innovative kit that includes various items for nurses and family caregivers to use as non-pharmacological strategies to handle difficult symptoms of dementia.

Affiliated with the Hoag Neurosciences Institute, Newport Beach, CA, AFSC is an independent nonprofit agency and is the only Alzheimer’s disease day care resource center in Orange County. The agency, which is one of AFA’s 1,600 member organizations, reaches more than 5,000 people annually through its adult day programs, caregiver support services and outreach efforts.

In addition to her position at AFSC, Dick-Muehlke has served as chair of the State of California Health and Human Services Agency’s Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders Advisory Committee, and president of the California Association of Adult Day Services. She holds an appointment as an associate specialist at the University of California, Irvine Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders.

DCPA accepts applications for its Dementia Care Professionals of the Year award until September 1 each year. Nominees do not have to be affiliated with DCPA or AFA in order to be considered.

Dementia Care Professionals of America, a division of the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA), is a membership organization for dementia care professionals that offers practical training, continuing education and qualification as AFA Dementia Care Providers and AFA Dementia Care Specialists. Its 5,500 members include social workers, nurses, home health aides, physicians and other healthcare professionals. For more information, visit http://www.careprofessionals.org or call 866-232-8484.    

The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, based in New York, is a national nonprofit organization that unites more than 1,600 member organizations nationwide with the goal of providing optimal care and services to individuals confronting dementia, and to their caregivers and families. Its services include counseling and referrals by licensed social workers via a toll-free hot line, e-mail, Skype, and live chat; educational materials; a free quarterly magazine for caregivers; and professional training. For more information about AFA, call toll-free 866-AFA-8484 or visit http://www.alzfdn.org.

Photo caption: Cordula Dick-Muehlke, Ph.D., 2011 Dementia Care Professional of the Year

###

©Copyright 1997-

, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.

Tags: Advocate, California, Care, Dementia, Group, Names, National, Professional

National Group Names California Advocate ‘Dementia Care Professional of the Year’
Visionary Leader Draws Inspiration from Personal Caregiving Experience

Cordula Dick-Muehlke, Ph.D., Executive Director, Alzheimer’s Family Services Center, Huntington Beach, CA

New York, NY (PRWEB) October 03, 2011

Cordula Dick Muehlke, Ph.D., of Santa Ana, CA has dedicated the last 25 years of her career to helping families who are facing Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia, including turning a truly grassroots effort into a state-of-the-art model as executive director of Alzheimer’s Family Services Center (AFSC) in Huntington Beach, CA since 1995.

In recognition of her outstanding achievements and dedication, Dementia Care Professionals of America (DCPA) announced today that it has named Dick-Muehlke the 2011 Dementia Care Professional of the Year.

DCPA, the professional membership and training division of the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA), has given the award annually since 2007 to someone “who demonstrates professional excellence in care, compassionate performance that exceeds expectations and a dedicated commitment to people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia.”

“Cordula is a remarkable and visionary leader in the dementia world, setting a new paradigm of care that preserves an individual’s personhood and dignity. Her ability to continuously think outside the box encourages others to think innovatively about the best way to provide care,” said Eric J. Hall, AFA’s president and CEO.

Dick-Muehlke’s compassion for individuals with dementia is borne out of her own personal experience in caring for her older brother who had Down syndrome and developed dementia later in his life.

“I deeply appreciate the recognition of my efforts to support the continued personhood of each individual with dementia,” said Dick-Muehlke, a licensed clinical psychologist. “For me, this award will always serve as an encouragement to strive to even higher levels of excellence, care and compassion, as I continue my commitment to improve the lives of people affected by dementia and their families.”

In nominating Dick-Muehlke, Anita Rodriguez-Lambert, AFSC’s director of development and communications, said, “Serving families facing Alzheimer’s disease is not just an academic or professional interest [for her]—it is a way of life…Dr. Dick-Muehlke’s efforts are helping transform dementia care—one family at a time.”

At AFSC specifically, she added, “From the design of AFSC’s dementia-specific facility to the development of high-quality programming, Cordula’s fingerprint is on all of the agency’s achievements.”

Throughout her career, the award winner has been an impassioned advocate for memory- impaired individuals and their right to access affordable dementia care services, especially adult day programs, and has championed a whole person approach to caring for individuals affected by Alzheimer’s disease.

Among her many accomplishments at AFSC, Dick-Muehlke and her staff developed “Memory Care Tools,” an innovative kit that includes various items for nurses and family caregivers to use as non-pharmacological strategies to handle difficult symptoms of dementia.

Affiliated with the Hoag Neurosciences Institute, Newport Beach, CA, AFSC is an independent nonprofit agency and is the only Alzheimer’s disease day care resource center in Orange County. The agency, which is one of AFA’s 1,600 member organizations, reaches more than 5,000 people annually through its adult day programs, caregiver support services and outreach efforts.

In addition to her position at AFSC, Dick-Muehlke has served as chair of the State of California Health and Human Services Agency’s Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders Advisory Committee, and president of the California Association of Adult Day Services. She holds an appointment as an associate specialist at the University of California, Irvine Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders.

DCPA accepts applications for its Dementia Care Professionals of the Year award until September 1 each year. Nominees do not have to be affiliated with DCPA or AFA in order to be considered.

Dementia Care Professionals of America, a division of the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA), is a membership organization for dementia care professionals that offers practical training, continuing education and qualification as AFA Dementia Care Providers and AFA Dementia Care Specialists. Its 5,500 members include social workers, nurses, home health aides, physicians and other healthcare professionals. For more information, visit http://www.careprofessionals.org or call 866-232-8484.    

The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, based in New York, is a national nonprofit organization that unites more than 1,600 member organizations nationwide with the goal of providing optimal care and services to individuals confronting dementia, and to their caregivers and families. Its services include counseling and referrals by licensed social workers via a toll-free hot line, e-mail, Skype, and live chat; educational materials; a free quarterly magazine for caregivers; and professional training. For more information about AFA, call toll-free 866-AFA-8484 or visit http://www.alzfdn.org.

Photo caption: Cordula Dick-Muehlke, Ph.D., 2011 Dementia Care Professional of the Year

###

©Copyright 1997-

, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.

Tags: Advocate, California, Care, Caregiving, Dementia, Draws, Experience, from, Group, Inspiration, Leader, Names, National, Personal, Professional, Year Visionary

Dementia, Alzheimers, stages, photos
Video Rating: 3 / 5

Tags: Dementia, Video

Diabetics at Increased Risk of Developing Alzheimer’s and Other Dementia as Reported by DiabeticLive.com

Diabetics at Increased Risk of Developing Alzheimer’s and Other Dementia

Tampa, FL (PRWEB) September 22, 2011

Diabetics at Increased Risk of Developing Alzheimer’s and Other Dementia: Recent results from a longitudinal study conducted in Japan have shown that adults with diabetes are more likely to experience dementia than those with normal glucose tolerance. The research team was headed by Yutaka Kiyohara, M.D., Ph.D., Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan. The team analyzed a sample group of 1,017 community-dwelling older diabetics; the findings of the study were published in the journal “Neurology.”

Sign up for a free glucose meter at DiabeticLive.com.

The study found that patients who had been diagnosed with diabetes had a 74% greater chance of developing dementia 15 years after the initiation of the study. None of the study participants had dementia when the investigation began, and they all took an oral glucose test at age 60 or older. Researchers followed up with the patients 15 years after the study was initiated to determine if any of them had developed dementia, such as Alzheimer’s disease.

Patients who had been living with diabetes were 2.05 times more likely to have developed Alzheimer’s than individuals with normal glucose tolerance; the researchers adjusted for confounding factors, including age and gender.

Richard Bergenstal, M.D., of the International Diabetes Center at Park Nicollet, Minneapolis, MN, commented that the study’s results were interesting in that post-load glucose levels were a statistically significant predictor of dementia status. Study participants who showed high blood glucose levels two hours after eating a meal were more likely to develop dementia later in life.

Patients who displayed a post-load glucose level of 7.8 to 11.0 mmol/L were 50% more likely to develop all-cause dementia, while those with a post-load glucose level of above 11.0 mmol/L were 2.47 times more likely to develop all-cause dementia and 3.42 times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s. Post-meal glucose levels therefore seemed to have a significant impact on risk of developing dementia and especially on the risk of Alzheimer’s.

The research group commented that “postprandial glucose regulation is critical to prevent future dementia.”

“Our findings emphasize the need to consider diabetes as a potential risk factor for all-cause dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and probably vascular dementia,” they added.

Bergenstal, who previously served as present of the American Diabetes Association, cautioned that the mechanisms behind high post-load glucose levels and increased risk of dementia were not yet fully understood, and further studies would need to be conducted before the findings could be incorporated into treatment of diabetics. “We need to understand it a lot better before we build this into our clinical practice. We don’t know yet from these studies how to intervene,” said Bergenstal.

###

©Copyright 1997-

, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.

Tags: Alzheimer's, Dementia, Developing, DiabeticLive.com, Diabetics, Increased, Reported, Risk

Diabetics at Increased Risk of Developing Alzheimer’s and Other Dementia as Reported by DiabeticLive.com

Diabetics at Increased Risk of Developing Alzheimer’s and Other Dementia

Tampa, FL (PRWEB) September 22, 2011

Diabetics at Increased Risk of Developing Alzheimer’s and Other Dementia: Recent results from a longitudinal study conducted in Japan have shown that adults with diabetes are more likely to experience dementia than those with normal glucose tolerance. The research team was headed by Yutaka Kiyohara, M.D., Ph.D., Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan. The team analyzed a sample group of 1,017 community-dwelling older diabetics; the findings of the study were published in the journal “Neurology.”

Sign up for a free glucose meter at DiabeticLive.com.

The study found that patients who had been diagnosed with diabetes had a 74% greater chance of developing dementia 15 years after the initiation of the study. None of the study participants had dementia when the investigation began, and they all took an oral glucose test at age 60 or older. Researchers followed up with the patients 15 years after the study was initiated to determine if any of them had developed dementia, such as Alzheimer’s disease.

Patients who had been living with diabetes were 2.05 times more likely to have developed Alzheimer’s than individuals with normal glucose tolerance; the researchers adjusted for confounding factors, including age and gender.

Richard Bergenstal, M.D., of the International Diabetes Center at Park Nicollet, Minneapolis, MN, commented that the study’s results were interesting in that post-load glucose levels were a statistically significant predictor of dementia status. Study participants who showed high blood glucose levels two hours after eating a meal were more likely to develop dementia later in life.

Patients who displayed a post-load glucose level of 7.8 to 11.0 mmol/L were 50% more likely to develop all-cause dementia, while those with a post-load glucose level of above 11.0 mmol/L were 2.47 times more likely to develop all-cause dementia and 3.42 times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s. Post-meal glucose levels therefore seemed to have a significant impact on risk of developing dementia and especially on the risk of Alzheimer’s.

The research group commented that “postprandial glucose regulation is critical to prevent future dementia.”

“Our findings emphasize the need to consider diabetes as a potential risk factor for all-cause dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and probably vascular dementia,” they added.

Bergenstal, who previously served as present of the American Diabetes Association, cautioned that the mechanisms behind high post-load glucose levels and increased risk of dementia were not yet fully understood, and further studies would need to be conducted before the findings could be incorporated into treatment of diabetics. “We need to understand it a lot better before we build this into our clinical practice. We don’t know yet from these studies how to intervene,” said Bergenstal.

###

©Copyright 1997-

, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.

Tags: Alzheimer's, Dementia, Developing, DiabeticLive.com, Diabetics, Increased, Reported, Risk

Andrew Steeves – Fear of Alzheimers
from Fear of Alzheimers
Price: USD 0
View Details about Andrew Steeves

Tags: Alzheimer's, Andrew, Fear, Steeves

Andrew Steeves – Fear of Alzheimers
from Fear of Alzheimers
Price: USD 0
View Details about Andrew Steeves

Tags: Alzheimer's, Andrew, Fear, Steeves

Alzheimers
Video Rating: 4 / 5

Tags: Alzheimer's

Dementia is a neurological disorder that affects your ability to think, speak, reason, remember and move. While Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia, many other conditions also cause these symptoms. Some of these disorders get worse with time and cannot be cured. Other types can be treated and reversed.

The three most common forms of dementia are Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia and Lewy body dementia. Sometimes, a person can have more than one of these problems at the same time.

Alzheimer’s disease involves a loss of nerve cells in the areas of the brain vital to memory and other mental functions. This loss is associated with the development of abnormal clumps and tangles of protein in brain cells. The first sign of Alzheimer’s disease is usually forgetfulness. As the disease progresses, it affects language, reasoning and understanding. Eventually, people with Alzheimer’s lose the ability to care for themselves. The precise cause of Alzheimer’s disease is unknown, but risk increases with age. Ten percent of the population over the age of 65 has Alzheimer’s, while nearly half of the population over 85 has the disease.

Another common form of dementia, vascular dementia occurs when arteries feeding the brain become narrowed or blocked. The onset of symptoms usually is abrupt, frequently occurring after a stroke. However, some forms of vascular dementia progress slowly, making them difficult to distinguish from Alzheimer’s disease. Some people have Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia at the same time. Vascular dementia often causes problems with thinking, language, walking, bladder control and vision. Preventing additional strokes by treating underlying diseases, such as high blood pressure, may halt the progression of vascular dementia.

Lewy body dementia: Has Alzheimer’s-like and Parkinson’s-like features. In this form of
dementia, abnormal round structures – Lewy bodies – develop within cells of the midbrain,
beneath the cerebral hemispheres. Lewy body dementia shares characteristics with both
Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. Like Alzheimer’s disease, it causes confusion and impaired memory and judgment. And it often produces two distinctive physical signs typical of Parkinson’s disease – a shuffling gait and flexed posture. Lewy body dementia can also cause hallucinations.

]]>

Lewy bodies contain a protein associated with Parkinson’s disease, and Lewy bodies often are found in the brains of people who have Parkinson’s disease or Alzheimer’s disease. This suggests that the three ailments are related, or that Lewy body dementia and Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease sometimes co-exist in the same person. Some people with Lewy body dementia have experienced dramatic improvements in symptoms when treated with Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s medications.

Several less common brain disorders also can result in dementia.
• Frontotemporal dementia. Because it affects the lobes of the brain that are responsible for
judgment and social behavior, frontotemporal dementia can result in impolite and socially
inappropriate behavior. Symptoms of this form of dementia usually appear between the
ages of 40 and 65. The disease seems to run in families.
• Huntington’s disease. Symptoms of this hereditary disorder typically begin between the ages of 30 and 50, starting with mild personality changes. As the disorder progresses, a person with Huntington’s develops involuntary jerky movements, muscle weakness and
clumsiness. Dementia commonly develops in the later stages of the disease.
• Parkinson’s disease. People with Parkinson’s disease may experience stiffness of limbs, shaking at rest (tremor), speech impairment and a shuffling gait. Some people with Parkinson’s develop dementia late in the disease.
• Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. This extremely rare and fatal brain disorder belongs to a family of human and animal diseases known as the transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. A
new variety of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease has emerged – particularly in Great Britain. It’s
believed to be linked to the human consumption of beef from cattle with mad cow disease
(bovine spongiform encephalopathy).

Many other conditions, some reversible, can cause dementia or dementia-like symptoms.
• Reactions to medications. Some medications have side effects that mimic the symptoms of
dementia. A single medicine may trigger such a reaction in an older person or in someone
whose liver fails to eliminate the drug properly. Interactions among two or more drugs
may lead to reversible symptoms of dementia as well.
• Metabolic abnormalities. Decreased thyroid function (hypothyroidism) can result in apathy,
depression or dementia. Hypoglycemia, a condition in which there isn’t enough sugar in
the bloodstream, can cause confusion or personality changes. Pernicious anemia – an
impaired ability to absorb vitamin B-12 – also can cause personality changes.
• Nutritional deficiencies. Chronic alcoholism can result in deficiencies of thiamin (vitamin B-
1), which can seriously impair mental abilities. Severe deficiency of vitamin B-6 may
lead to pellagra, a neurological illness with features of dementia. Dehydration also can
cause confusion that may resemble dementia.
• Emotional problems. The confusion, apathy and forgetfulness associated with depression are sometimes mistaken for dementia, particularly in older individuals.
• Infections. Meningitis and encephalitis, which are infections of the brain or the membrane that covers it, can cause confusion, memory loss or sudden dementia. Untreated syphilis can damage the brain and cause dementia. People in the advanced stages of AIDS also may develop a form of dementia.

Seek evaluation and treatment
Dementia isn’t always due to Alzheimer’s. Before you conclude that a loved one’s memory loss and confusion stem from an irreversible disease process, get a thorough medical evaluation. Even if the evaluation uncovers no underlying condition that, with treatment, can reverse dementia, options may be available for easing its symptoms. Knowing the likely cause of dementia, however, is the essential first step toward managing it.

Tags: Always, Alzheimer's, Dementia

Dementia is a neurological disorder that affects your ability to think, speak, reason, remember and move. While Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia, many other conditions also cause these symptoms. Some of these disorders get worse with time and cannot be cured. Other types can be treated and reversed.

The three most common forms of dementia are Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia and Lewy body dementia. Sometimes, a person can have more than one of these problems at the same time.

Alzheimer’s disease involves a loss of nerve cells in the areas of the brain vital to memory and other mental functions. This loss is associated with the development of abnormal clumps and tangles of protein in brain cells. The first sign of Alzheimer’s disease is usually forgetfulness. As the disease progresses, it affects language, reasoning and understanding. Eventually, people with Alzheimer’s lose the ability to care for themselves. The precise cause of Alzheimer’s disease is unknown, but risk increases with age. Ten percent of the population over the age of 65 has Alzheimer’s, while nearly half of the population over 85 has the disease.

Another common form of dementia, vascular dementia occurs when arteries feeding the brain become narrowed or blocked. The onset of symptoms usually is abrupt, frequently occurring after a stroke. However, some forms of vascular dementia progress slowly, making them difficult to distinguish from Alzheimer’s disease. Some people have Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia at the same time. Vascular dementia often causes problems with thinking, language, walking, bladder control and vision. Preventing additional strokes by treating underlying diseases, such as high blood pressure, may halt the progression of vascular dementia.

Lewy body dementia: Has Alzheimer’s-like and Parkinson’s-like features. In this form of
dementia, abnormal round structures – Lewy bodies – develop within cells of the midbrain,
beneath the cerebral hemispheres. Lewy body dementia shares characteristics with both
Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. Like Alzheimer’s disease, it causes confusion and impaired memory and judgment. And it often produces two distinctive physical signs typical of Parkinson’s disease – a shuffling gait and flexed posture. Lewy body dementia can also cause hallucinations.

]]>

Lewy bodies contain a protein associated with Parkinson’s disease, and Lewy bodies often are found in the brains of people who have Parkinson’s disease or Alzheimer’s disease. This suggests that the three ailments are related, or that Lewy body dementia and Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease sometimes co-exist in the same person. Some people with Lewy body dementia have experienced dramatic improvements in symptoms when treated with Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s medications.

Several less common brain disorders also can result in dementia.
• Frontotemporal dementia. Because it affects the lobes of the brain that are responsible for
judgment and social behavior, frontotemporal dementia can result in impolite and socially
inappropriate behavior. Symptoms of this form of dementia usually appear between the
ages of 40 and 65. The disease seems to run in families.
• Huntington’s disease. Symptoms of this hereditary disorder typically begin between the ages of 30 and 50, starting with mild personality changes. As the disorder progresses, a person with Huntington’s develops involuntary jerky movements, muscle weakness and
clumsiness. Dementia commonly develops in the later stages of the disease.
• Parkinson’s disease. People with Parkinson’s disease may experience stiffness of limbs, shaking at rest (tremor), speech impairment and a shuffling gait. Some people with Parkinson’s develop dementia late in the disease.
• Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. This extremely rare and fatal brain disorder belongs to a family of human and animal diseases known as the transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. A
new variety of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease has emerged – particularly in Great Britain. It’s
believed to be linked to the human consumption of beef from cattle with mad cow disease
(bovine spongiform encephalopathy).

Many other conditions, some reversible, can cause dementia or dementia-like symptoms.
• Reactions to medications. Some medications have side effects that mimic the symptoms of
dementia. A single medicine may trigger such a reaction in an older person or in someone
whose liver fails to eliminate the drug properly. Interactions among two or more drugs
may lead to reversible symptoms of dementia as well.
• Metabolic abnormalities. Decreased thyroid function (hypothyroidism) can result in apathy,
depression or dementia. Hypoglycemia, a condition in which there isn’t enough sugar in
the bloodstream, can cause confusion or personality changes. Pernicious anemia – an
impaired ability to absorb vitamin B-12 – also can cause personality changes.
• Nutritional deficiencies. Chronic alcoholism can result in deficiencies of thiamin (vitamin B-
1), which can seriously impair mental abilities. Severe deficiency of vitamin B-6 may
lead to pellagra, a neurological illness with features of dementia. Dehydration also can
cause confusion that may resemble dementia.
• Emotional problems. The confusion, apathy and forgetfulness associated with depression are sometimes mistaken for dementia, particularly in older individuals.
• Infections. Meningitis and encephalitis, which are infections of the brain or the membrane that covers it, can cause confusion, memory loss or sudden dementia. Untreated syphilis can damage the brain and cause dementia. People in the advanced stages of AIDS also may develop a form of dementia.

Seek evaluation and treatment
Dementia isn’t always due to Alzheimer’s. Before you conclude that a loved one’s memory loss and confusion stem from an irreversible disease process, get a thorough medical evaluation. Even if the evaluation uncovers no underlying condition that, with treatment, can reverse dementia, options may be available for easing its symptoms. Knowing the likely cause of dementia, however, is the essential first step toward managing it.

Tags: Always, Alzheimer's, Dementia