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Dementia is challenging to cope with as it gradually diminishes your memory and ability to think and take care of yourself. Whether you or a loved one faces dementia, you can depend on the caring, holistic support available at New England Institute for Neurology and Headache in Stamford, Connecticut. The team provides exceptional care that improves every aspect of life, including medication, nutritional guidance, and behavioral therapy. You also have the choice of in-office, telemedicine, and home visits. Call New England Institute for Neurology and Headache today or use online booking to request a dementia consultation.
What is dementia?
Dementia is changes in brain function and memory that are severe enough to interfere with your daily life. While some memory loss is expected as you get older, it doesn’t mean you have dementia.
Typical age-related changes like struggling to find a word and remembering it later don’t stop you from taking care of everyday tasks and enjoying life.
What types of dementia are there?
Dementia includes several conditions that fall into two categories:
Progressive dementias
Dementias that cause progressive brain damage include:
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Lewy body dementia
- Frontotemporal dementia
- Vascular dementia
The first three conditions develop as proteins accumulate around and damage nerves in your brain. Vascular dementia is clogged arteries restricting blood flow to the brain, resulting in dementia.
Neurological conditions
Neurological conditions that can cause dementia include:
- Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE): caused by repeated traumatic brain injuries
- Huntington’s disease: an inherited, progressive brain disease
- HIV-associated dementia: human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) destroys brain cells
- Secondary dementias: arise from various neurological conditions
Brain tumors, multiple sclerosis (MS), and Parkinson’s disease are other neurological conditions that can result in dementia.
What symptoms does dementia cause?
Dementia causes a range of symptoms, including:
- Losing your memory
- Struggling to communicate
- Difficulty concentrating and organizing
- Not understanding directions
- Repeating comments or questions
- Getting lost in familiar places
- Being confused about time or place
- Having problems with balance and movement
- Developing personality, mood, or behavioral problems
- Being unable to take care of daily tasks (cooking, driving, hygiene, and others)
The first signs of dementia depend on the brain area initially damaged. One of the earliest signs of Alzheimer’s disease is memory loss. The first symptoms of frontotemporal dementia are personality and behavioral changes.
How is dementia treated?
New England Institute for Neurology and Headache specializes in compassionate and holistic care for people with dementia. They treat underlying conditions, prescribe the most advanced medicines, offer behavioral therapy, and provide nutritional counseling and physical therapy.
As a concierge practice, they also make house calls. You or your loved one with dementia can get the full scope of services in the comfort of your home.
The team also participates in ongoing dementia research, keeping them on the cutting edge of new dementia treatments and allowing patients to participate in clinical trials.
Call New England Institute for Neurology and Headache today or connect online to request an in-person, telemedicine, or at-home appointment.