Symptoms and signs of senile dementia at different stages of the disease. Senile insanity: symptoms, treatment, how to stop personality decay, how long they live

Senile dementia is a disease that can appear in a person in old age. Dementia is popularly called senile dementia. The disease develops as a consequence of atrophic processes occurring in the brain.

In old age, most people begin to experience irreversible processes and malfunctions in all organs and systems. Mental activity is also impaired; deviations in this area are divided into emotional, behavioral and cognitive. Dementia is associated with many disorders, but is closely associated with cognitive impairment. To put it simply, against this background, patients have reduced emotionality, frequent causeless depression appears, and gradually the personality begins to degrade.

Manifestations of senile dementia

When does senile dementia begin to appear? Symptoms, as a rule, are detected in old age. The disease affects such psychological processes as memory, speech, attention, and thinking. Already at the most early stages The occurrence of vascular dementia disorders manifest themselves quite significantly, which cannot but affect the quality of life. A person begins to forget about acquired skills, and he is simply unable to master new ones. Such patients are forced to leave their professional career; they need constant care from household members.

Stages of disease development

Senile dementia begins to manifest itself gradually. Mental activity deteriorates, the patient loses his individual characteristics that were inherent to him. If the disease progresses, it takes on a total form.

Initially, others may not even notice that an elderly person suffers from senile dementia. Personality changes come gradually. Negative character traits may be perceived by loved ones as features of old age. An elderly person may show conservatism in conversation, stinginess, selfishness, and a desire to teach others. After all, this may not always indicate that senile dementia has set in. What should others and loved ones do? Carefully monitor the intellectual condition of your elderly relatives. As the disease progresses, thought processes and attention deteriorate. The patient begins to poorly generalize information, draw conclusions, and adequately analyze the situation.

Gradually, the personality becomes coarser, senile traits appear: callousness, stinginess, embitterment, interests narrow, views turn into stereotypes. It also happens that the patient becomes complacent and completely careless, he loses moral skills and does not adhere to moral standards. With features in sexual attraction some kind of sexual perversion may even arise.

As for the memory of patients, incredible things happen here. A person often forgets what happened to him yesterday, but clearly remembers pictures of the distant past. Therefore, many people suffering from senile dementia live in the past, remember themselves as young, consider themselves young, call others by names from the past, and often get ready to travel somewhere.

External forms of behavior often do not change, gestures remain the same, familiar, characteristic of this person, he uses expressions characteristic of him. Therefore, relatives do not notice that an elderly person is developing senile dementia; treatment, they believe, is not required.

Three degrees of disease

Depending on the social adaptation of the individual, there are three distinct degrees of the disease.

1. Mild senile dementia. Professional skills are degraded, the patient’s social activity decreases, and interest in entertainment and favorite activities weakens. At the same time, orientation in the surrounding space is not lost; the person independently ensures his life activities.
2. Average or moderate degree dementia does not allow leaving the patient without additional supervision. At this stage, the ability to use is lost. household appliances. Often a person is not able to open even the door lock on his own. In common parlance, this degree of severity is referred to as “senile insanity.” In everyday life, patients require constant assistance, but from the point of view of personal hygiene, they take care of themselves quite well.
3. Severe degree. Senile dementia can lead to complete maladaptation and personality degradation. The disease at this stage is characterized by the fact that the patient needs constant care and cannot care for himself. Those close to him have to dress him, feed him, wash him, and so on.

Forms of dementia

There are two main forms of senile dementia - lacunar (partial or dysmnestic) and total.

With lacunar dementia, serious deviations in short term memory, emotional changes in this case (sensitivity, tearfulness) are not sharply expressed.

Total senile dementia, the symptoms of which are more pronounced, has a complex form. A person’s criticism sharply decreases, reactions are lost, and personality is leveled. Personal degradation occurs, emotional-volitional activity changes radically. A person loses feelings of duty, shame, and at the same time loses spiritual and life values.

Types of senile dementia

Depending on the signs of senile dementia, experts divide the disease into several types:

Partial dementia. In this case, memory disorders are clearly expressed, emotional state. Increased weakness and fatigue appear. The mood is mostly low.

Epileptic dementia. This type develops gradually and does not appear immediately. A person is prone to minute details of events, to vindictiveness, becomes vindictive and pedantic. The individual’s horizons decrease, and most often their speech becomes poor. The main signs of epilepsy often appear.

Schizophrenic dementia. With this type of dementia, it is better to hospitalize the patient immediately in order to prevent a complete change in personality. Signs of the condition are complete isolation, emotional coldness, loss of connection with the outside world, decreased activity, and isolation from reality.

Medical classification of types of dementia

• Dementia of atrophic type. These include Pick's and Alzheimer's diseases. Often, diseases arise against the background of initial degenerative reactions that occur in the cells of the central nervous system.
• Vascular dementia (hypertension, atherosclerosis). The disease develops due to pathologies that arise in the cerebral vascular system and blood circulation.
• Dementia of mixed type. The mechanism of occurrence is similar to both vascular and atrophic dementias.

Who might get the disease?

Why does senile dementia occur? Doctors still cannot name the causes of the disease. Many agree that the development of the disease plays an important role. hereditary predisposition. This theory is confirmed by the presence of cases of “familial dementia”. A large role is played by atrophic processes of the brain, which can progress under the influence of certain factors. After a severe stroke, senile dementia may appear. Symptoms (treatment requires a long time) constantly accompany the disease.

It happens that dementia can develop after pathologies that lead to the death of brain cells, due to skull injuries, tumors in the brain, multiple sclerosis, and alcoholism.

Older people who are active, healthy image life, both mentally and physically, are much less likely to encounter this disease. Often, senile dementia manifests itself in those who are more often in a depressed mood, have weak immunity, and poor living conditions.

Senile dementia: symptoms, treatment

For any type of dementia, the following signs are relevant:

• Emotionally-volitional. They manifest themselves in causeless aggression, apathy, and tearfulness.
• Intelligent. Attention, thinking, speech are impaired, up to the collapse of the personality.

Often, a doctor diagnoses dementia when cognitive impairment occurs after a stroke or heart attack. Decreased attention can be considered a harbinger of the development of the disease. The patient begins to complain that he cannot clearly concentrate his attention on anything or concentrate.

TO characteristic symptoms include a shaky, shuffling gait, changes in voice timbre, and articulation. Swallowing dysfunction is sometimes observed. Alarm signal Slow intellectual processes can also be a factor; a person slowly analyzes the information received and finds it difficult to organize his activities. Over time they appear physical signs: muscles weaken, pupils narrow, hands tremble, skin becomes very dry, and sometimes the functions of internal organs are impaired. As the disease progresses, hallucinations and delusions appear.

This is how senile dementia manifests itself. How long do people live with this disease? This question interests many. The answer to this cannot be unambiguous. Dementia is not a cause of death. Sometimes any manifestations of illness (inattention, loss of orientation) can lead an elderly person to an accident.

When diagnosing dementia, the doctor conducts testing, during which the patient is given tasks that he must complete within a certain time.

Vascular dementia

When it comes to vascular dementia, it is worth noting that memory impairments do not manifest themselves as significantly. But the emotional state requires increased attention. All patients are susceptible permanent shift moods. Laughing until they cry, they can immediately sob bitterly. Very often they are visited by hallucinations, they show apathy towards everything that surrounds them. Sometimes they suffer from epileptic seizures. With vascular dementia, motor activity, gestures, and facial expressions become poor. Urinary disturbances occur. Such patients are characterized by sloppiness and indifference to personal hygiene.

Senile dementia: treatment, drugs

At therapeutic treatment There are no template, standard methods for dementia. Each case is individual and is considered by the doctor separately. This is due to a huge number of pathogenic mechanisms that preceded the disease. It is worth noting that it is impossible to completely cure dementia; disorders caused by brain damage are irreversible.

What drugs are most often used for senile dementia? Neuroprotectors are used for treatment; they have a positive effect on the brain, improving metabolism in tissues. A major role in therapy is played by the direct treatment of precisely those diseases that led to dementia.

For cognitive processes, calcium antagonists are used, these include Cerebrolysin, as well as nootropic drugs. If a patient has prolonged depression, the doctor prescribes antidepressants. To avoid cerebral infarction, it is recommended to take anticoagulants and antiplatelet agents.

Particular attention should be paid to a healthy lifestyle. In old age, it is simply necessary to completely give up alcohol and smoking, too salty and fatty foods. It is recommended to spend more time outdoors and move.

Medications are used primarily to relieve certain symptoms. Psychotropic medications are prescribed for periodic anxiety, sleep disturbances, manifestations of delirium, and hallucinations. The doctor tries to prescribe drugs that do not cause side effects, including weaknesses.

At an early stage, stop the progression of the disease, slow down pathological process Nootropics help, as well as metabolic drugs. Only the attending physician can determine the treatment regimen. The funds are selected strictly individually; templates are unacceptable here.

Disease prevention

Medical statistics state that about 35.5 million people suffer from senile dementia. At the same time, doctors give disappointing forecasts. Is it possible to prevent senile dementia? In some cases, it will help prevent the development of the disease newest drug"Brain Booster" This dietary supplement fills the diet with the necessary amount of nutrients, macro- and microelements, and vitamins. Satisfies all the body's needs for necessary substances. The drug is necessary for the effective prevention of senile dementia; it also helps in initial stages diseases to normalize the activity of cerebral vessels.

The drug "Brain Booster" has been tested in practice by traditional medicine. The necessary plant components were used to create it. The drug stimulates processes in the brain, improves blood circulation, and cleanses blood vessels. Allows you to cope with depressive conditions, improves memory, makes a person more efficient and focused.

No person wants to eventually acquire senile dementia, live with this illness, or create unbearable conditions for their loved ones to live together. You need to start preventing the disease when you are still of sound mind and understand the need and importance of preventive measures.

Treatment and prevention with folk remedies

In order to stop and correct the development of senile dementia, you can use folk remedies.

• When treating atherosclerosis, take decoctions and tinctures of hawthorn fruit, anise lofanthus, and Caucasian dioscorea.
• Constantly take B vitamins and folic acid. Eat fresh blueberries, make them in winter dried berries decoctions.
• In the initial stages of the disease, a tincture of elecampane root will help. Drops should be taken 3-4 times a day before meals.
• Mild signs of dementia are well corrected by gingko biloba extract. The drug can be bought at any pharmacy.

It should be noted that those suffering from dementia are most often sloppy. They require constant care. If loved ones cannot cope with this, then it is better to hire a professional nurse or send the patient to a specialized institution - a boarding school, where patients with senile dementia are monitored. How long do people live with this disease? With advanced vascular dementia, according to doctors, life expectancy is about five years.

All older people are encouraged to lead an active, healthy lifestyle. Walk more, breathe fresh air. Do not become limp, do not fall into depression, develop your mind and intellect, and then with high probability the disease will pass you by.

Mental disorders leading to insanity are represented by a whole group mental illness late age, which are united by a number of common characteristics. Pathological changes in the brain are caused internal reasons(including hereditary predisposition), and external influences play a provoking or aggravating role.

In most cases, the onset of the disease is slow and unnoticeable to others. The course is chronic, with a constant increase in symptoms and irreversible. Characteristic clinical symptom is the development of dementia from almost imperceptible changes in intelligence to complete dementia. General state A patient with marasmus is characterized by severe physical exhaustion, disturbances in the nutrition of skin tissue, the development of dystrophy of internal organs, and increased fragility of bones.

Senile dementia

Senile dementia(senile dementia) characterized by progressive decay mental activity and the development of complete dementia due to organic brain disease. Women predominate among the patients. The average duration of the disease is from 5 to 8 years. Senile dementia begins unnoticed by the people around the patient. In some cases, increased manifestations of the disease contribute to infectious diseases, previous operations, cardiac dysfunction, serious mental trauma.

Noteworthy is the exacerbation of personal characteristics characteristic of the patient, and (or) the presence of signs of senile personality restructuring, which is expressed in the coarsening of personality, narrowing of horizons and interests, increasing signs of egocentrism, gloominess, grumpiness of the patient, a tendency to suspicion and minor conflicts. At the same time, patients often become gullible - they easily succumb to the influence of others, even to the detriment of their interests. Characteristic manifestations of the disease include disinhibition of lower drives (gluttony, desire for vagrancy, sexual perversion, collecting unnecessary things).

Gradually, patients stop using the old vocabulary, the level of judgments and inferences is significantly reduced. At the beginning of the disease, memory impairment is not clearly expressed (new material is not fully consolidated and is quickly forgotten), later fixation amnesia is noted. In this case, the patient becomes disoriented in time, surroundings and in his own personality.

Progressive memory decay occurs in the opposite sequence to the acquisition of knowledge over the entire previous life. Adequate perception is disrupted, which is often accompanied by the symptom of “living in the past”: in those around patients, patients see people who have already died, consider themselves schoolchildren, can perceive their children as brothers and sisters, and brothers and sisters as parents. A characteristic manifestation senile dementia is the so-called senile delirium, which differs from the true one in that the cause of impaired cognition of reality is not hallucinations, but defects in perception and orientation.

This is often associated with a desire for pseudo-activity, when the patient’s behavior is characterized by increased efficiency that does not bring a specific result. If the initial period of the disease is characterized by gloominess, depression, and reluctance to live, then subsequently shades of complacency, euphoria, carelessness and, finally, complete indifference begin to predominate in the mood. The patient's behavior, as signs of dementia increase, undergoes significant changes: at the stage of insanity, patients become helpless, lie in the fetal position and lead a plant-based lifestyle. Distinctive feature This disease is due to the fact that even in the stage of insanity there are no neurological disorders. Night sleep often superficial and intermittent, and during the day there is marked drowsiness. Senile dementia is characterized by increased speech readiness, and in later stages - meaningless talkativeness.

Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease is a disease that occurs in pre-senile age.

The average duration of the disease is 8-9 years with manifestation (clear manifestation) at the age of 50-60 years. The disease progresses rapidly and is characterized by the development of dementia and the early onset of focal symptoms. A significant place in the manifestations of the disease is given to the decay of memory: amnestic disorientation and complete loss of experience acquired in life quickly sets in. Amnestic syndrome is rarely accompanied by a revival of past experiences; senile delirium usually does not occur. Disorders of perception, comprehension and attention appear early and quickly progress. At the beginning of the disease, patients are often aware of the changes that have occurred to them; at the later stages, complacency and dull euphoria prevail.

A characteristic symptom of Alzheimer's disease- early development of dementia components into neurological disorders. At the same time, patients lose their usual skills and stupidly perform well-known work. Subsequently, this symptom turns into persistent apraxia.

The manifestation of Alzheimer's disease is a progressive weakness of optical attention and instability of visual attitudes towards surrounding objects. Changes in the early stages are characterized by efficiency and fussiness, and then give way to monotonous, simple rhythmic movements. The collapse of higher cortical functions in Alzheimer's disease is accompanied by disturbances in speech understanding: the stage of limited understanding is replaced by total sensory aphasia. This disease is characterized by logorrhea (uncontrollable eruption of words), pathological illiteracy, and word formation disorder. Various automatisms (forms of violent speech) occupy a large place. Pseudo-stuttering is often encountered, when varying degrees of impairment are noted: from the initial stumble on the first letters or syllables to the constant repetition of sounds or “shards” of words.

Violations writing usually appear in the early stages of the disease and often precede the decay oral speech. Psychotic disorders personalities are common and can be represented by paranoid states, psychotic episodes scattered delusional ideas of damage, poisoning or persecution, auditory and visual hallucinations, states of confusion, mental and motor agitation caused by the acceleration of the atrophic process in the brain. In Alzheimer's disease, epileptic seizures are also recorded, which usually occur in the later stages of the disease (seizures are often single). Frequently manifested symptoms of the disease are subcortical disorders: stiffness in movement, isolated gait disorders, choreo-like and myoclonic hyperkinesis. At the last stage of the disease, against the background of complete collapse of mental activity and complete helplessness of the patient, sharp increase muscle tone with a forced fetal position, cachexia with bulimia, endocrine disorders, violent grimaces of crying and laughter, oral and grasping automatisms. Electroencephalogram detects common abnormalities electrical activity brain and other characteristic changes.

Pick's disease

The disease relates to system atrophies with the preferential presence of atrophic changes in certain brain systems, characterized by the gradual development of complete dementia, impairment of higher cortical functions and neurological disorders. In this disease, a distinction is made between the main localization of the process in certain lobes or areas of the cerebral cortex and voluntary localization. This disease is 4 times less common than Alzheimer's disease. Pick's disease is most often recorded at the age of 55-56 years, and after 60 years it occurs much less frequently. The ratio of women to men is 1.7:1, respectively. Characteristically slow onset, but acute onset possible obvious manifestations diseases. A distinctive feature of Pick's disease from other atrophic diseases is the predominance of deep personality changes in the early stages, and some functions of the intellect (memorization, reproductive memory, attention, orientation, sensory cognition) and automated forms of mental activity (counting) suffer less. Personality changes depend on the localization of the pathological process. When the frontal lobes are damaged, inactivity, lethargy, apathy, indifference, dulling of emotions, impoverishment of mental, speech and motor activity. Damage to the basal cortex is accompanied by pseudoparalytic syndrome, euphoria, impulsivity, gross disturbances of conceptual thinking (generalization, understanding of proverbs, etc.), patients lose their sense of tact, and lower drives are disinhibited. With atrophy of the temporal lobes, stereotypes of speech, actions, and movements are identified.

Asthenic manifestations, initial psychotic disorders, focal changes, early manifestations of memory disorders. In the early stages of Pick's disease, severe memory impairment is not typical, but there is a violation of complex and various types mental activity (the ability to abstract, generalize, integrate, flexibility and productivity of thinking, criticism and level of judgment. In the later stages of the disease, against the background of dementia, some types of elementary orientation and remnants of the ability to remember are often preserved; pronounced oral and grasping automatisms usually do not occur. With Pick's disease involves a gradual disintegration of speech with complete destruction of speech functions and the development of total aphasia. Loss of speech functions begins with the formation of speech stereotypes and “reluctance” to speak. Damage to the frontotemporal region can manifest as speech impairment. Written speech disorders are characterized by “stereotypic writing.” Mental disorders with Pick's diseases are rare and can be represented by paranoid syndromes, paranoid and hallucinatory-paranoid states. Some patients experience states of muscle relaxation without complete loss of consciousness. With a frequency of 25-30%, organic neurological disorders develop in the form of Parkinson-like syndrome and extrapyramidal hyperkinesis. On late stages the patient's condition with Pick's disease is characterized by complete dementia with complete collapse speech, action and recognition, the development of insanity and complete helplessness. The electroencephalogram reveals smoothed “linear” curves and a general decrease in bioelectrical activity.

Huntington's chorea

Huntington's chorea is hereditary form atrophic-degenerative disease of the brain. The first signs of the disease are most often recorded in middle and old age, manifested by widespread choreatic hyperkinesis and other neurological disorders and are accompanied by various mental disorders.

The average age is 44-47 years, total duration illness - up to 12-15 years. In most cases, the characteristic symptom complex of the disease is preceded by a period when psychopathic abnormalities can be identified in the patient: delay mental development, inferiority of motor functions (clumsiness, lack of coordination of movements, poor handwriting, etc.). Mental disorders with Huntington's chorea, they can occur at various times after the onset of involuntary movements, simultaneously with them or precede them.

Psychopathic deviations are divided into 3 types of personality anomalies: excitable (angry, explosive), hysterical (capricious, prone to demonstrative behavior), closed, emotionally cold individuals.

In later stages of the disease, personality traits are erased, and pronounced emotional dullness with elements of a euphoric mood begins to predominate. Dementia with Huntington's chorea is characterized by the fact that, with a slow course of the pathological (atrophic) process, it does not always carry full character. Some patients can perform simple work that is familiar to them, but get lost in an unfamiliar environment.

A characteristic feature of dementia with Huntington's chorea is a pronounced unevenness of mental performance (spasmodic thinking). There are no obvious violations of higher cortical functions. Speech disorder in most cases is caused by a contraction of the speech muscles. Signs of speech impoverishment gradually increase, speech spontaneity and “reluctance” to speak develop. Psychotic disorders in the early stages of the disease are usually represented by mental disorders (unwillingness to live), delusional disorders (delusional ideas of jealousy, persecution, poisoning). At later stages, delusional disorders occur (paralysis-like, absurd delusions of grandeur). It is possible to transition from one delusional disorder to another. Hallucinatory episodes and hallucinatory-paranoid states are much less common. Neurological changes in Huntington's chorea are represented by generalized choreatic hyperkinesis, which have a slow pace of choreatic twitching with small amplitude and relatively long intervals with a relatively low severity of decreased muscle tone. In most cases, Huntington's chorea leads patients to death in a state of complete dementia and insanity, and involuntary movements at this point decrease or completely stop.

Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease develops mainly in late age (50-60 years) and is caused by degenerative-atrophic damage to the extrapyramidal system of the brain. The disease is chronic. The clinical picture is dominated by neurological disorders in the form of characteristic movements, hypertensive-akinetic syndrome (increased muscle tone, stiffness, poor movements, gait disturbance) and disorders of peripheral nerve centers. Mental changes are rarely observed. First stage The disease is characterized by the presence of irritability, affective instability, suspicion and importunity.

Depression can result in a suicide attempt. In the later stages of the disease, patients experience symptoms of organic decline in mental activity, states of confusion and other psychotic disorders. This period is characterized by an increase in apathy and indifference (“psychomotor narrowing of the personality”). Severe dementia develops, the manifestations of which resemble senile dementia. In the majority of patients suffering from Parkinson's disease, mental disorders occupy a secondary place, which is due to the local nature of atrophic changes.

The body ages, and the brain ages along with it, although old age is not at all synonymous with dementia. Many people in our country, even in old age, retain vigor, a clear mind, sanity and good memory. One of my patients, aged 78, taught at a university and was loved by her students for her sense of humor and optimistic attitude towards life. However, more often in old age people’s character deteriorates, irritability, outbursts of anger are observed, and memory deteriorates. Many relatives, noticing loved one forgetfulness, untidiness, loss of interest in life, people decide that this is aging, natural changes in the body, so a person with insanity consults a doctor only when disorders in his behavior make the life of his relatives unbearable.

What is senile insanity

Senility(dimentia, dementia) is a breakdown of personality, mental disorder, which over time leads to the loss of opportunities for any contact with others, to the loss of basic behavioral skills in all spheres of life. This disease causes mental changes that occur in the brain; treatment is often ineffective; it is an irreversible process of atrophy.

The diagnosis of “senile insanity” can only be made by a psychiatrist, and timely treatment can delay the inevitable onset of unpleasant consequences of the disease for many years.

Severity of senile insanity

• Disease dementia (dementia), as a rule, occurs in older people; at least 5% of patients over 65 years of age suffer from it. They can no longer acquire new skills, and previously acquired knowledge is lost. Although senile insanity is, by definition, a severe disorder, in medicine, depending on the manifestations of the symptoms of the disease, three degrees of severity of dementia are distinguished.
• Mild dementia- the first manifestations of the disease, which lead to a decrease in the patient’s social activity, reluctance to communicate with family, colleagues and friends, and loss of the patient’s professional skills. He loses interest in the outside world, gives up his favorite hobbies and leisure activities. With mild symptoms of senile insanity, the patient can still take care of himself, he can normally navigate within the confines of the house.
• Moderate dementia- in everyday life, this stage of the disease is called senile insanity; the patient becomes a heavy burden for the people close to him. A person forgets how to use the stove, telephone, TV remote control, he will not be able to open the door lock himself, he can no longer be left alone for a long time. The patient needs constant prompting from relatives, but he still retains self-care and personal hygiene skills. It is necessary to treat marasmus even at this stage of the disease.
• Severe dementia (senile dementia)- characterized by the patient’s constant and complete dependence on the help of outsiders; a person cannot cope with even the most difficult problems on his own; simple actions, he cannot dress, eat, or maintain hygiene.

The first symptoms of senile insanity

What symptoms in the behavior of an elderly person are considered sufficient reason to consult a doctor about the likelihood of senile insanity?

• Memory- a person remembers information about everyday events worse than before, while information about events from his past remains intact. A person with dementia forgets what happened yesterday, but perfectly remembers events from his youth.
• Behavior- the first symptom of the onset of senile insanity is signs of negligence and sloppiness. A person gradually loses interest in hobbies that were interesting to him before, especially activities that require effort, he gives up difficult types of daily activities, and he begins to experience everyday difficulties. A person is still able to take care of himself, but he needs constant reminders about this.
• Orientation- a person has become poorly oriented in time, but at the same time he understands well where he is. Problems with orientation may arise in an unfamiliar place.
• Thinking- slight difficulties appear when trying to solve simple everyday problems, slower than earlier the selection occurs required option actions.
• Communication- close people begin to notice that a person in old age gradually begins to feel burdened by communication, he loses independence in performing his usual duties.

Causes of senile insanity

The main cause of the disease is the death of brain neurons, which can be caused by toxic deposits in the brain or insufficient brain nutrition blood vessels. This is primary dementia and accounts for about 90% of all cases of senile dementia. Sometimes deterioration of brain function occurs as a result of another disease, the course of which impedes the normal functioning of the nervous system. This is secondary dementia and accounts for about 10% of cases.

Treatment of senile insanity

For some reason, the population has a strong opinion that senile insanity is incurable, age-related changes in the body of an old person cannot be corrected by any medicine. Such ideas are fundamentally wrong; treatment of senile dementia is possible and often simply necessary.

Not all types of senile insanity are irreversible; often the disease recedes after its cause is eliminated. Even if dementia occurs as a result of an incurable disease, modern anti-dementia drugs can slow down the rate of development of negative symptoms of senile insanity. Consult a psychiatrist only after objective research and interviewing the patient, he will be able to diagnose the presence of atrophic processes in the brain. You can additionally conduct electroencephalography and computed tomography brain Only a qualified specialist can prescribe treatment for a diagnosis of senile insanity.

The main thing is to consult a doctor at the first symptoms of senile dementia, but if we are talking about a severe form of senile dementia, then today there is no effective treatment method, however, with symptomatic treatment of senile dementia, the fate of the patient can be seriously alleviated.

For successful treatment, it is better for the patient to be at home. Provide the patient with maximum activity, involve him in performing simple household chores, this will slow down the course of the disease. For insomnia or hallucinations, the doctor may prescribe psychotropic drugs; in the early stages of treating senile insanity, nootropics are prescribed, and later tranquilizers are added.

Treatment will help the patient maintain contact with others and take care of himself for several years longer. With the help of timely treatment, the time of live communication between the family and their loved one is extended, and part of the burden of care is removed from close relatives.

How to deal with senile insanity

Take vitamin B12. Insufficient amounts of this vitamin are one of the most common causes of brain dysfunction in old age. Studies have shown that 20% of people over sixty years of age and 40% of people over eighty years of age may develop “pseudosenility” for health reasons. This is a condition when the body produces less gastric juice, food is poorly digested, and the body does not receive enough vitamin B12 and other B vitamins.

Take vitamin B6 and folic acid. Lack of folic acid in the body leads to depression, brain dysfunction and senile insanity.

Eat tomatoes and watermelons. Elderly people with high level Antioxidant lycopene in the blood, which is found in tomato juice, tomatoes and watermelons, are able to take care of themselves longer.

Ginkgo extract. This drug plant origin stimulates blood circulation in the smallest vessels brain, dramatically improves memory and mental abilities of older people.

Garlic. The substances included in its composition act as growth stimulants on the branches of nerve cells and restore mental functions, including memory.

Gymnastics. Even a little regular physical activity slows down the onset of symptoms of senility.

Disease prevention

• eat a balanced diet, healthy eating prevents the development of cardiovascular diseases and increased blood pressure;
• get rid of bad habits, especially from smoking and regular alcohol abuse;
• support physical activity, walk in the fresh air;
• maintain constant mental activity and education. Mind games compensate for the loss of neurons;

A person who did not start a family medical statistics, is twice as likely to suffer from senile insanity.

You can find symptoms of all diseases on our website in the section

Senile dementia (senile dementia) is age-related disease, which is characterized by deterioration of cognitive abilities, decline of psycho-emotional activity and general exhaustion of the body. This disease People who have suffered or have cardiovascular diseases are more susceptible, however, there are no exact reasons for the development of this disease. It should be noted that in most cases this is an irreversible pathological process, which is most often diagnosed in people after 65 years of age. Premature marasmus also occurs, which can be caused by certain pathological processes or injuries to the head and central nervous system. Treatment of senile insanity should only be prescribed by a doctor; the issue of hospitalization is decided individually.

Etiology

The exact cause of senile dementia has not been identified, but clinicians identify predisposing primary and secondary factors for development. The first group includes the following:

• Pick's disease;

Genetic predisposition is also no exception. Secondary etiological processes include the following:

• previous autoimmune diseases;
• cardiovascular pathologies, including those of a congenital nature;
• oncological processes in the brain;
• damage to the central nervous system;
• severe, including alcohol poisoning;
• infectious diseases;
• head injuries;
• frequent stressful situations, constant nervous tension.

It should be noted that senile dementia can be caused by several causes. You need to understand that none of the above provoking factors should be regarded as a 100% predisposition to the development of senile insanity. In this case, much depends on the characteristics of the body and the person’s life history.

Classification

As the pathological process develops, three stages of development of senile insanity are distinguished:

• first or initial - intellectual abilities deteriorate, but the person retains basic skills, there are no problems with long-term memory;
• second - intellectual abilities disappear, increase depressive state, there may be memory problems. Hygienic skills are maintained;
• the third is complete insanity, the patient cannot take care of himself, and there are problems with long-term memory.

In most cases, at the third stage of development of senile insanity, there is depletion of the body. In this case, any third-party disease can lead to fatal outcome, because the immune system very weakened, and metabolic processes in the body are disrupted.

Symptoms

The initial signs of senile insanity, as a rule, are not clearly expressed and can manifest themselves in the form of a slight deterioration in memory, absent-mindedness, which can be attributed to natural physiological changes due to age. As the pathological process worsens, the following symptoms of senile insanity may occur:

• memory disorders - in the initial stage, the patient may forget events that occurred recently. As the disease worsens, problems with long-term memory begin;
• changes in the behavior and psychotype of the individual - the patient develops character traits that were not previously characteristic of him;
• violation of logical thinking;
• problems with orientation in space and time;
• speech dysfunction;
• , increased anxiety, tearfulness, for no apparent reason;
• visual and auditory hallucinations.

If you have such symptoms, you need to seek help from a doctor, in this case a neuropsychiatrist.

Ignoring this symptom or not correct treatment can lead to complications and even death. Therefore, complex therapy is required. In most cases, treatment is palliative, since this pathological process is irreversible.

Diagnostics

In the presence of the above clinical picture you should contact a neuropsychiatrist. As a rule, additional consultation with a psychiatrist is required.

The diagnostic program may include the following:

• psychological tests;
• electroencephalography;
• Ultrasound of cerebral vessels;
• CT and MRI of the brain.

It should be noted that in most cases this disease is diagnosed already in the second or third stage of development.

Treatment

In this case, we are talking only about maintenance therapy, since it is impossible to completely cure this disease. All medical measures are aimed at inhibiting the development of death of brain neurons and improving the patient’s quality of life. If your health condition allows, treatment can take place at home. However, you need to understand that such patients need almost constant care and supervision.

Drug therapy may include taking the following drugs:

• nootropic (in the initial stages of disease development);
• antidepressants;
• small doses of tranquilizers;
• sleeping pills.
• sedatives.

The dosage and regimen of taking such medications can only be prescribed by the attending physician. Unauthorized use of such drugs is strictly prohibited.

In addition to taking certain medications, general recommendations should be followed:

• All dangerous objects should be removed from the patient’s access;
• Whenever possible, the patient should be involved in physical exercise, communication with relatives and close people;
• Every day, especially before going to bed, you should take walks in the fresh air.

You should also pay attention to the patient's nutrition. The diet in this case implies the following:

• Heavy foods should be excluded from the diet - fatty, fried, overly seasoned;
• nutrition should be balanced;
• food consumption should be frequent (at least 4 times a day), but in small portions and with an interval of 3 hours between meals;
• if the patient has signs of cachexia, then the consistency of the food should be liquid or puree.

What is senile insanity and how to treat it correctly, only a neuropsychiatrist or psychiatrist can say. It should also be understood that it is important not only to comply with all the doctor’s recommendations, but also to the psycho-emotional situation of the patient.

Depending on the stage of development of the disease, the attending physician may prescribe a course of psychotherapy, which will help the patient restore or form certain behavioral reactions. However, at the third stage of development of the disease, this is no longer advisable.

Prevention

As such, there is no prevention of senile marasmus, since the exact etiological factors of this disorder have not been established. You can reduce the risk of developing this disease by practicing the following:

• elimination of stress, psycho-emotional stress;
• prevention of cardiovascular pathologies;
• proper, nutritious nutrition;
• sufficient rest, moderate physical and mental stress;
• timely and correct treatment of all diseases;
• avoiding excessive alcohol consumption.

In addition, you need to systematically undergo preventive medical examinations and apply for medical care if you feel unwell, rather than carry out therapy at your own discretion.

Cognitive abilities human brain They go through several stages throughout life. These periods are reflected in the behavior of the individual and his life as a whole:

• in childhood there is an active development of thought processes, expansion of functions, active accumulation of knowledge, skills and abilities;
• in youth and adulthood, a person goes through a period of blossoming mental and mental capabilities, reaches peaks in everyday and professional activities;
• As we age, things begin to happen in the brain. involutionary processes, which slow down development and limit forward movement.

The period of stagnation (sustainability) is quite long - the loss of acquired knowledge most often begins only in the 7th or 8th decade. At this time, signs of dementia appear, called senile dementia.

All mental and physical processes are controlled by the brain. Its successful activity depends on sufficient blood supply, the absence of toxic effects, foci of inflammation, injuries and their consequences.

Throughout life, changes occur in the human body that negatively affect the functioning of the brain and lead to a decrease in cognitive functions:

• atherosclerosis - narrowing of the lumen of blood vessels due to the damaging effect of sugars and deposition on the walls of the lipid layer, as well as the appearance of protein plaques, which significantly reduces the elasticity and transport capabilities of arteries, veins and capillaries, and impoverishes the blood supply to the brain;
• brain injuries - lead to the severing of neural connections, which are not always fully restored, and connective tissue is formed at the site of damage instead of nervous tissue;
• necrotic phenomena in the brain after hemorrhage or cerebral infarction (ischemic death of a separate area due to cessation of blood supply) form specific reactions of brain tissue, often perverting the original direction of actions;
• atrophic phenomena in the brain, as in all other organs, with a decrease in volumes, and therefore functions.

Whatever the reasons for the decline brain activity, they happen to everyone in old age and old age. But not everyone suffers from full-blown dementia. For some, the process of involution occurs very slowly, and is considered an inevitable manifestation of old age.

Important! In approximately 10% of the population aged 70 years and 50% after 80 years, senile dementia is severe. Its demonstrative manifestations are growing dynamically and inevitably attract attention.

Signs of dementia in the elderly

Mental degradation occurs gradually. Unfortunately, the first signs are not always perceived by the elderly person himself and his immediate environment as a symptom of trouble. Most often, the disease becomes obvious to relatives and strangers in advanced cases. Among the striking manifestations of the disease, doctors name the following changes:

• memory;
• mental abilities;
• emotional manifestations;
• physical capabilities;
• behavioral reactions and communication connections;
• worldview in general.

Amnestic phenomena

Memory impairment manifests itself in many ways. The first “bells” appear in fully capable people who are still far from old age: who is not familiar with the phenomenon when you forget why you came to some room in the house or cannot remember where you saw a person! Such moments cause bewilderment, annoyance, laughter - anything but concern about your health, and rarely prompt you to visit a doctor.

Difficulties with memories are as follows:

• events that recently happened are forgotten, tasks posed in a conversation do not remain in memory, scheduled meetings are missed, etc. - at the same time, “deeds of bygone days” are remembered perfectly, which gives a wrong reason to be proud of one’s own memory;
• time orientation suffers - the patient does not always remember the current date, forgets when certain events occurred, or believes that long-ago phenomena are the present;
• spatial disorientation - a person temporarily ceases to recognize (remember) familiar places, especially outside the place of permanent residence, for example, the courtyard of a house and its surroundings;
• Memory for faces suffers - first, an elderly person stops recognizing distant acquaintances, then friends, then relatives, and in the end does not identify his own reflection in the mirror.

These manifestations brain disorders Once they appear, they constantly increase and gradually lead to complete self-isolation of the patient from others. It's just a matter of time - with a slow progression, the disease reaches its peak after 15-20 years, and with the use of memory enhancing drugs, even later. But often the rapid development of the disease, which makes a completely disabled person completely disabled.

Important! All other manifestations of dementia are in one way or another associated with memory impairment.

Decreased mental activity

Loss of mental functions also occurs gradually. Its manifestations are no less diverse and revealing:

• decreased attention and, as a result, loss of information from view;
• loss of the ability to learn new things, first in depth, and then superficially - memory fails, there is not enough attention, conscious assimilation does not occur;
• gradual loss of acquired knowledge and skills - at first automated actions remain, then they disappear (reading, writing, counting, the ability to extract information from different sources, ability to use household appliances);
• irreversible loss of interest in the profession and the disappearance of qualifying skills - primarily mental, and mechanical ones remain for some time at an elementary level, if the physical condition of the body allows, but the connection between the work performed is no longer traceable.

A decrease in the depth of thought processes initially discourages the patient himself. In this case, he tries to veil his incompetence and turns the conversation to a topic that is still familiar. Such communication gives the impression of a certain absent-mindedness, but does not suggest an organic pathology of the brain, and does not become a reason for consulting a doctor.

Emotional manifestations of dementia

The first signs of mental aging do not escape the attention of the bearer of these signs. At first, emotional changes are not associated with organics, but rather with the awareness of the inevitability of pathological phenomena. Therefore, a change in the psyche is often preceded by a decadent mood.

Important! Even before a deep organic change in the emotional state, depression can develop - the result of awareness of the inevitability of the disease.

As the disease progresses, depression goes away, emotions become not as complex as before, and they are caused by superficial phenomena. At this time the following appear:

• instability of mood - easy change from laughter to tears, fun to gloominess, calmness to irritability and vice versa;
• simplification of emotions - flat humor, superficial sadness, lack of feelings where before there would have been plenty of them - indifference;
• reduction of moral and ethical requirements - demonstration of a clear interest in non-social aspects of life - sex, for example, as well as a lack of desire to follow norms of behavior;
• exacerbation of character traits to the point of absurdity - sociability turns into talkativeness, modesty into avoiding any contact, frugality into hoarding and collecting unnecessary things, thriftiness into stinginess, caring for loved ones into authoritarianism and mentoring, criticality into grumpiness, shamelessness and aggression.

Important! Emotionally, a person gradually ceases to be a member of the team, does not notice the affection and love of loved ones, which makes communication with him difficult.

Physical side of life

Often, senile dementia also changes the ability of a person to move. With the onset of brain changes, movements become not as coordinated as before, endurance decreases, and the person becomes weaker (in rare cases, attacks of increased strength are possible).

The physical side suffers especially in Parkinson's disease, a frequent companion of senile dementia. In this case, the following symptoms appear:

• tremor (shaking) of parts of the body - first of one of the arms, then gradually moving to all limbs, including involuntary movements of the head;
• muscle rigidity (stiffness) – disappearance of facial expressions, preservation of the given body position;
• problems with movement - gait becomes unnatural, movement is difficult, assistance is often required.

Communication and attitude to life

The behavior, communication characteristics, and worldview of old people affected by dementia also change.

The surrounding world gradually ceases to exist - the patient himself becomes the center of the universe. Everything that happens outside of his senses is not perceived at all.

Therefore, communication skills are gradually, and sometimes very quickly, reduced to nothing. If the patient is active and says something, this does not mean that he is trying to communicate something - he expresses himself this way, regardless of the interest of others. The object of his communication is fictional characters or himself.

Important! The instincts of self-preservation disappear quite early - a person becomes dangerous to himself.

Treatment of senile dementia

Unfortunately, it is impossible to influence a clearly developed disease - this is one of the signs of a person’s inevitable decline, an option for leaving this world.

It is possible to somewhat delay the onset of the disease if you begin early observation by a neurologist. At the first signs of memory deterioration, medications are prescribed to improve blood supply to the brain and enhance brain activity. Strengthening blood vessels preventive actions, detoxification (if necessary, for example, alcoholism or drug addiction, renal failure) and treatment chronic diseases, of which old age accumulates enough, can extend the light period of life.

Treatment of dementia. Rice. 1
Treatment of dementia. Rice. 2
Treatment of dementia. Rice. 3

Elderly care

Relatives are responsible for organizing care for the patient at all stages.

The stages of the disease are presented in the table.

Stage	Signs	Communication opportunities
Lightweight	Self-service is preserved, coordination of movements is quite good, orientation in time and space is good. Noticeable apathy, decreased interest in events, depressive symptoms	There is contact, but at times there is isolation, taciturnity, and a desire to be alone
Average	Significant impairments in memory and thinking, unconscious-automatic actions, high risk of causing harm to oneself and one’s home	Contacts are gradually broken off, constant supervision and control is required, as well as daily assistance
Heavy	Active actions and their awareness are absent	There is no communication, assistance consists of sanitary and hygienic care

Actions for loved ones with mild dementia

In the first, mild stage of dementia, when communication is possible, it is necessary to surround the family member with love and demonstrate your willingness to help. However, one should not emphasize the patient’s failure in certain matters or make a diagnosis publicly. Delicacy and tact are what is needed to ensure that an elderly family member avoids depression.

Recommendations for caring for patients with dementia. Rice. 1
Recommendations for caring for patients with dementia. Rice. 2
Recommendations for caring for patients with dementia. Rice. 3

At this time, it is necessary to create situations where the patient is included in the life of the family, entrust him with feasible tasks, emphasize their importance - let the person feel needed.

Very useful cognitive activity– organize reading and discussion of what has been read, or watching a film with an exchange of opinions, solving crossword puzzles.

Active participation in family life can stop the progression of the disease no worse than symptomatic treatment.

Recommendations for caring for patients with dementia. Rice. 4
Recommendations for caring for patients with dementia. Rice. 5
Recommendations for caring for patients with dementia. Rice. 6

Important! At this stage, old people develop good contact with children - to mutual pleasure. This should be welcomed and used.

Further care

The following stages require constant supervision. Even with reduced communication, an elderly person still feels long time presence of relatives. And no matter how he behaves, it is necessary to eliminate all dangers that could cause harm.

Bathing and hygiene of the patient
Keeping people with dementia safe
Communication with a person with dementia