Q: Outline the risk factors for the most common causes of dementia
A: The medical model characterises dementia by global cognitive impairment, which is associated with deterioration in functioning and, in many people, behavioural and psychiatric disturbances.
Although most prevalent in people over 65, [ [ [ [ the condition can develop in younger people. There may be differences in aetiology and other characteristics between these two groups, and it is
important to recognise this because patients may benefit from different approaches (Harvey et al, 2003).
There are four main types of dementia:
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Alzheimer?s disease (AD) accounts for 60% of all cases and is characterised by ?plaques? and ?tangles? in brain structures that lead to the death of brain cells. It is progressive, affecting more parts of the brain over time;
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Vascular dementia (VaD) accounts for 15?20% of all cases and is caused by a problem in the supply of blood in the brain;
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Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) accounts for 15?20% of all cases and is caused by small protein deposits in nerve cells that block chemical messages in the brain;
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Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) accounts for 5% of all cases and is a progressive degeneration of the frontal lobes of the brain.
Many people, especially older people, will present with a ?mixed dementia?, which is a combination of two or more of the above types. source: - ] ] ] ]
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