Illnesses causing dementia in the very elderly

Article Abstract:

Many individuals over 85 years old may suffer from dementia. Dementia is a mental disorder that is characterized by impairment of memory, judgement and abstract thinking. Alzheimer's disease is the most widely recognized cause of dementia. It can also be caused by other disorders such as vascular disease. A research study found that 30% of the individuals over 85 years old in Gothenburg, Sweden were suffering from dementia. Other studies have found that the incidence of dementia among individuals in this age group was much higher or much lower. These differences may be caused by the lack of a standard definition for dementia. It may also be difficult to distinguish dementia from the normal functional decline of aging. The incidence of vascular dementia was high among the Swedish individuals despite the low level of risk factors for vascular disease among this population. Vascular dementia may be more common among elderly individuals over 85 years old than those who are under 85 years old.

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A population-based study of dementia in 85-year-olds

Article Abstract:

A significant number of individuals over 85 years old may be suffering from dementia. Dementia is a mental disorder characterized by impaired memory, judgement and abstract thinking. Among 494 individuals over 85 years old who underwent a series of physical and psychological tests, 30% were suffering from dementia. Eight percent were suffering from mild dementia, 10% were suffering from moderate dementia and 11% were suffering from severe dementia. The incidence of dementia was similar among both men and women. Forty-seven percent of the individuals with dementia were suffering from vascular dementia, 44% from Alzheimer's disease and 10% from dementia with other causes. Sixty-seven percent of the individuals suffering from vascular dementia died within three years, compared with 42% of those with Alzheimer's disease and 23% of those without dementia.

Blood vessels

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Detection of preclinical Alzheimer's disease

Article Abstract:

Patients with the e4 allele of the apolipoprotein E gene, associated with Alzheimer's disease, appear to show increased mental activation during mental tasks when studied with functional magnetic resonance brain imaging. Identification of such functional differences in a larger group of patients, studied over a longer period, may improve the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease before symptoms develop.

Sweden, Physiological aspects, Development and progression, Alzheimer's disease, Amyloid beta-protein, Brain mapping

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