Overview Of Subcortical Dementia
Subcortical dementia is a loss of mental functions that is severe enough to affect your daily life and activities.
These functions include:
- Memory
- Language skills
- Visual perception (your ability to make sense of what you see)
- Problem-solving
- The trouble with everyday tasks
- The ability to focus and pay attention
It is normal to become a bit more forgetful as you age. But subcortical dementia is not a normal part of aging. It is a serious disorder that interferes with your daily life. The most common types of dementia are known as neurodegenerative disorders. These are diseases in which the cells of the brain stop working or die. They include
Alzheimer’s disease, which is the most common form of dementia among older people. People with Alzheimer’s have plaques and tangles in their brains. These are abnormal buildups of different proteins. Beta-amyloid protein clumps up and forms plaques in between your brain cells. Tau protein builds up and forms tangles inside the nerve cells of your brain. There is also a loss of connection between nerve cells in the brain.
Lewy body dementia, which causes movement symptoms along withsubcortical dementia. Lewy bodies are abnormal deposits of a protein in the brain.
Frontotemporal disorders, which cause changes to certain parts of the brain:
- Changes in the frontal lobe lead to behavioral symptoms
- Changes in the temporal lobe lead to language and emotional disorders
- Vascular dementia, which involves changes to the brain’s blood supply. It is often caused by a stroke or atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) in the brain.
- Mixed dementia, which is a combination of two or more types of dementia. For example, some people have both Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia.
Other conditions can causesubcortical dementia or dementia-like symptoms, including
- Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, a rare brain disorder
- Huntington’s disease, an inherited, progressive brain disease
- Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), caused by repeated traumatic brain injury
- HIV-associated dementia (HAD)
Symptoms Of Subcortical Dementia
The symptoms of dementia can vary, depending on which parts of the brain are affected. Often, forgetfulness is the first symptom. Dementia also causes problems with the ability to think, problem-solve, and reason.
For example, people withsubcortical dementia may:
- Get lost in a familiar neighborhood
- Use unusual words to refer to familiar objects
- Forget the name of a close family member or friend
- Forget old memories
- Need help doing tasks that they used to do by themselves
- Some people with dementia cannot control their emotions and their personalities may change. They may become apathetic, meaning that they are no longer interested in normal daily activities or events. They may lose their inhibitions and stop caring about other peoples’ feelings.
Certain types of dementia can also cause problems with balance and movement.
The stages ofsubcortical dementia range from mild to severe. In the mildest stage, it is just beginning to affect a person’s functioning. In the most severe stage, the person is completely dependent on others for care.
Exams & Tests
To make a diagnosis, your health care provider:
- Will ask about your medical history
- Will do a physical exam
- Will check your thinking, memory, and language abilities
- May do tests, such as blood tests, genetic tests, and brain scans
- May do a mental health evaluation to see whether a mental disorder is contributing to your symptoms
Treatment Of Subcortical Dementia
There is no cure for most types of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia. Treatments may help to maintain mental function longer, manage behavioral symptoms, and slow down the symptoms of the disease.
They may include:
Medicines may temporarily improve memory and thinking or slow down their decline. They only work in some people. Other medicines can treat symptoms such as anxiety, depression, sleep problems, and muscle stiffness. Some of these medicines can cause strong side effects in people withsubcortical dementia. It is important to talk to your health care provider about which medicines will be safe for you.
Occupational therapy to help find ways to more easily do everyday activities
Speech therapy to help with swallowing difficulties and trouble to speak loudly and clearly
Mental health counseling to help people withsubcortical dementia and their families learn how to manage difficult emotions and behaviors. It can also help them plan for the future.
Music or art therapy to reduce anxiety and improve well-being.
