1. Katie Vetch
Cognitive Development in
Late Adulthood
Presentation 4

2. DEMENTIA
Organic mental disease marked by:
•Confusion, disorientation, stupor
•Impairment of memory, judgment, and
impulses
•Deterioration of mental capacity and
function
•Personality Changes

3. MAIN TYPES OF DEMENTIA
• Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) (50% of
cases)
• Strokes
• Subcortical dementias such as
Parkinson’s Disease
• Lewy Body Disease

4. ALZHEIMER’S STAGES P. 1
1. Mild dementia changes– may be confused
with normal aging
2. Generalized confusion, deficits in shortterm memory, personality changes
Away from Her (2007 Film)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ux0bEY
wAq2E

5. ALZHEIMER’S STAGES P. 2
3. Memory loss becomes dangerous
4. Full-time care needed; failure to recognize
loved-ones
5. Almost completely unresponsive; death
occurs
* The course of AD is usually 7-15 years

6. ALZEIMER’S AND THE BRAIN
*Autopsy is the
most conclusive
way to diagnose
AD
•
• Tangled nerve fibers and plaques build up
• What are the Pros and cons of autopsy?

7. ALZHIMER’S CAUSES
• Genes (currently only found in 1%
to 5% of cases)
• Chemical
• Secondary health issues, such as
autoimmune or viral
• Blood vessel defects
• Head trauma
* While several genes are linked with AD, no known
links exist yet with other proposed causes

8. OTHER ORGANIC DEMENTIAS
• Strokes—Blood vessel obstruction
in brain
• Parkinson’s Disease—Degenerative
Neurological Disorder
• Lewy Body Disease—Deposits of
proteins in neurons

9. DEALING WITH DEMENTIA
The Alzheimer's Caregiver
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_ZtZXahdjU
• How may loved-ones cope with changes
and challenges?