| There are many types of brain dementia to be | | | | with the body, not just the brain. The general |
| worried about. From Alzheimer's to Parkinson's, | | | | problem is something occurs that decreases or stops |
| dementia is becoming a bigger problem for many. | | | | the flow of blood to an area. In the case of Vascular |
| A question that often comes up is what exactly is | | | | Dementia, this refers to sections of the brain. When |
| the worst brain disorder to get diagnosed with? Well, | | | | blood flow slows or stops, the cells in the affected |
| cancer is the worst, but what about with dementia? | | | | areas die and the patient suffers a host of dementia |
| Is it Alzheimer's? Parkinson's? All are horrible, but the | | | | symptoms. |
| answer is quickly becoming a diagnosis of mixed | | | | As you can probably imagine, the combination of |
| dementia. | | | | Alzheimer's and vascular dementia is unfortunately a |
| What is mixed dementia? It is a condition where | | | | powerful one. The double attack can lead a patient |
| Alzheimer's and Vascular Dementia occur in tandem. | | | | down a slippery slope with dementia symptoms in a |
| Essentially, a person diagnosed with mixed dementia | | | | relatively short period of time. |
| gets the worst of both problems. These problems | | | | Is there any cure for mixed dementia? The sad |
| tend to "team up" and cause more damage than | | | | answer is there is not. The medical field is still trying |
| they would independent. As much as 45 percent of | | | | to get its hands around the individual disorders much |
| all dementia sufferers may have mixed dementia | | | | less their combination. That being said, galantamine |
| even it they are diagnosed with only Alzheimer's or | | | | (Razadyne) and rivastigmine (Exelon) have been |
| Vascular Dementia. | | | | tested and shown to offer modest benefit |
| So, just what are these two brain disorders? | | | | specifically in mixed dementia. |
| Alzheimer's is the best known. It is a molecular | | | | As strange as it sounds, the medical research being |
| breakdown of parts of the cells in the brain. A cell | | | | conducted on dementia is a relatively new focus. |
| works like a machine. If one part doesn't function, | | | | Although Alzheimer's was discovered in the early 20th |
| the machine doesn't function. This is essentially what | | | | century, it was never really considered a big medical |
| occurs with Alzheimer's. When enough cells are | | | | issue until we started living longer lives. While |
| impacted, the individual begins to have problems with | | | | relatively little has been done in regard to finding a |
| movement, memory, smell and other associated brain | | | | cure, the silver lining is that research being conducted |
| activities. | | | | now may find major breakthroughs in treating |
| Vascular dementia is an entirely different beast. | | | | dementia. |
| There are many vascular health problems associated | | | | |