It is said that 10.33% of the population aged 65 and over have dementia… .
Today (October 22, Friday) in EBS ‘Myung’ <열 명 중 한 명은 치매, 혹시 나도?> Through this episode, we will learn about the world’s saddest disease, from diagnosis to prevention.
Dementia in which various cognitive functions necessary for survival are reduced. It is a sad disease that gradually makes me forget precious times and myself from recent memories to past memories.
In the early stage, the memory is at a level of flickering, but in the middle stage, it is difficult to handle objects and delusions or hallucinations may occur. In later stages, independent daily life becomes impossible.
Dementia is known to be difficult to cure, but early treatment can slow the progression. Therefore, early detection and accurate diagnosis are of the utmost importance.
Recently, aducanumab, which removes the causative agent of Alzheimer’s disease, has appeared, raising expectations for the treatment of dementia.
On this day, EBS’s ‘One in ten people has dementia, maybe me?’ In the part, we will take a closer look at the diagnosis and symptoms of dementia with Professor So-Young Moon, a neurologist, and aducanumab, a dementia treatment that has recently become an issue.
◆ “Where am I?” Mother repeats the same question over and over again
A female patient in her 80s who developed dementia after a car accident 2 years ago. He was healthy until three years ago, but now only his children barely recognize him. Even when he goes to his son’s house, he repeats the words of returning to his hometown without remembering why he came here or where he came from. Worried about his mother’s condition, his son went to the hospital to be tested. The result of the test was middle stage Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s disease accounts for the largest share of many types of dementia.
Meanwhile, a female patient in her 60s who developed frontotemporal dementia at an early age of 61. The husband thought it strange that his wife was crying like a child or acting inconsiderately, so she came to the hospital. The hippocampus and frontal lobe are normal in size. There was no cerebrovascular disease, so he was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia based on his symptoms. Fortunately, as the abnormal behavior decreased with medication, I started going to the day care center three months ago. Through various cases, we will learn about the characteristics of dementia by stage and type, and introduce appropriate management methods for symptoms.
◆ Risk factors for dementia
There are many different causes of dementia. Various factors that make up daily life, such as eating habits, lifestyle, and lifestyle, can act as risk factors that increase the probability of dementia. As is commonly known, adult diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, and obesity are important risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia. We will investigate whether various other risk factors can be managed and, if possible, how much it can affect the prevalence of dementia.
◆ Is dementia an incurable disease? There are also types that can be treated.
A woman in her 70s and her daughter who came to the hospital with repeated phone calls and severe lameness in one leg. The behaviors that my mother thought were only because of her old age and loneliness were all symptoms of vascular dementia. Although it was not revealed much on the outside, he had already had several cerebral infarctions, and dementia was caused by damaged brain tissue. However, now, 8 months after diagnosis, he has quickly improved and recovered to a state almost similar to that before the onset of the disease.
Dementia can be treated in some cases, so it is important to determine the cause. The dementia test is based on a cognitive test to check the overall cognitive ability. Parental interviews are also conducted to ensure an accurate examination. After that, MRI scans can confirm the presence of cerebrovascular diseases such as cerebral infarction and cerebral hemorrhage, and the deformation of the brain structure due to dementia such as brain atrophy.
The amyloid PET test, which was first introduced in Korea in 2016, improved the accuracy of Alzheimer’s diagnosis. This is because it is possible to check whether amyloid protein, the substance that causes Alzheimer’s, is accumulated, and in which part of the brain the function is impaired. There are cases of dementia that can be treated if an accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment methods are applied.
◆ Dementia can be prevented by prevention?
A male patient in his mid-70s who was first diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment 13 years ago. Although the test showed positive amyloid and atrophy of the hippocampus, cognitive function is not different from that of ordinary elderly people. People with mild cognitive impairment are 10 times more likely to develop dementia within 1 year than those without. How was he able to maintain his cognitive function?
Aducanumab, a dementia treatment that has recently been attracting much attention, is raising great expectations for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. Will EBS be possible from prevention to treatment? <명의-열 명 중 한 명은 치매, 혹시 나도?>find out in
EBS 1TV, a program designed to contribute to creating a healthy individual and a healthy society by telling more people through the media about the intense efforts of the best doctors in each field, information about the disease, and insight on the disease My Name’ airs every Friday at 9:50 PM.
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