Psychologist clarifies ‘combined dementia’ false impression | EUROtoday

A psychologist has illuminated the that means of ‘combined dementia’ and dispelled frequent misconceptions. Dr Kelynn Lee, CEO of the Dementia Care Hub and a researcher targeted on cognitive decline, lately responded to a follower’s query on TikTok.

The follower lately realized that their mom was identified with combined dementia and mistakenly thought this meant docs have been uncertain concerning the actual sort of dementia she had. However, Dr Lee clarified that this was not the case in any respect.

She stated beforehand: “No. So, a mixed dementia is when a person has more than one type of dementia. Ok, so rather than just having Alzheimer’s disease, they will have Alzheimer’s disease plus vascular dementia, as an example.

“That’s most likely the commonest one after we are speaking about combined dementias. So, no, it isn’t that they aren’t certain what it’s, it’s the truth that it’s two varieties of dementia.”

Dementia is an umbrella term that encompasses various conditions, such as Alzheimer’s disease, all marked by a gradual decline in brain function. According to the NHS, over 944,000 people in the UK live with dementia, and the Alzheimer’s Society reports that one in 10 individuals has mixed dementia.

Mixed dementia, involving different forms of the condition, lacks a specific set of symptoms. Caregivers should familiarise themselves with the warning signs of each type, although the symptoms of one type are usually more noticeable than those of the others.

Official advice at Alzheimer’s Society adds: “Alzheimer’s illness with vascular dementia. This is the most typical sort of combined dementia. It’s brought on by an individual creating Alzheimer’s illness and on the similar time having diseased or broken blood vessels supplying their mind.

“The two different types of disease combine to make symptoms worse than they would be on their own.” Currently, there is no treatment out there for combined dementia, although remedies exist to ease its signs, which may embody confusion, reminiscence loss, and difficulties with speech, amongst different points.

Anyone who suspects that they or a liked one is likely to be displaying indicators of dementia ought to seek the advice of their GP for steering.

Potential early warning signs of dementia

Dementia signs differ relying on the particular sort. However, within the early phases, frequent indicators typically embody:

• Mood modifications
• Difficulty concentrating
• Finding it exhausting to hold out acquainted every day duties, similar to getting confused over the proper change when purchasing
• Memory loss
• Struggling to comply with a dialog or discover the precise phrase
• Being confused about time and place

NHS steering provides: “These symptoms are often mild and may get worse only very gradually. It’s often termed ‘mild cognitive impairment’ (MCI) as the symptoms are not severe enough to be diagnosed as dementia.

“You may not discover these signs in case you have them, and household and buddies could not discover or take them severely for a while. In some folks, these signs will stay the identical and never worsen. But some folks with MCI will go on to develop dementia.

“Dementia is not a natural part of ageing. This is why it’s important to talk to a GP sooner rather than later if you’re worried about memory problems or other symptoms.”

Visit the NHS web site for extra data.