ACCESS OHIO Mental Health Center of Excellence - Providing Results that Matter

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Addictions

ADHD/ADD

Anxiety Disorder

Autism

Bipolar Disorder

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Dementia/Alzheimer's

Depression

Access Ohio Mental Health Center of Excellence is accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations and licensed by the Ohio Department of Mental Health.

Insomnia

Obsessive Compulsive (OCD)

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Schizophrenia

Frequently Asked Questions

Dementia is a neurological disorder that affects memory and your ability to think, speak, reason, remember and move that are severe enough to interfere with a person's daily functioning. Dementia is not a disease itself, but rather a group of symptoms that are caused by various diseases or conditions. Symptoms can also include changes in personality, mood, and behavior. In some cases, the dementia can be treated and cured because the cause is treatable. Examples of this include dementia caused by substance abuse (illicit drugs and alcohol), combinations of prescription medications, and hormone or vitamin imbalances.

Dementia develops when the parts of the brain that are involved with learning, memory, decision-making, and language are affected by one or more of a variety of infections or diseases. The most common cause of dementia is Alzheimer's disease, but there are as many as 50 other known causes. Most of these causes are very rare.

Because some causes of dementia can be cured or partially treated, the medical team at Access Ohio perform thorough assessments when making the diagnosis, so as not to miss potentially treatable conditions.

Causes of Dementia

Diseases that cause degeneration or loss of nerve cells in the brain such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's.
Diseases that affect blood vessels, such as stroke, which can cause a disorder known as multi-infarct dementia.
Toxic reactions, like excessive alcohol or drug use.
Nutritional deficiencies, like vitamin B12 and folate deficiency.
Infections that affect the brain and spinal cord, such as AIDS dementia complex and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.
Certain types of hydrocephalus, an accumulation of fluid in the brain that can result from developmental abnormalities, infections, injury, or brain tumors.
Head injury -- either a single severe head injury or longer term smaller injuries, like in boxers.
Illness other than in the brain -- kidney, liver, and lung diseases can all lead to dementia.

Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's disease causes 50-60% of all dementias. Alzheimer's begins slowly. It first involves the parts of the brain that control thought, memory and language. People with Alzheimer's may have trouble remembering things that happened recently or names of people they know. Over time, symptoms get worse. People may not recognize family members or have trouble speaking, reading or writing. They may forget how to brush their teeth or comb their hair. Later on, they may become anxious or aggressive, or wander away from home. Eventually, they need total care. This can cause great stress for family members who must care for them.

Alzheimer's usually begins after age 60. The risk goes up as you get older. Your risk is also higher if a family member has had the disease. There is no cure for Alzheimer's but early diagnosis and treatment can delay onset and progression of the disease and may help keep symptoms from getting worse for a limited time.