Dementia: Alzheimer's, Huntington's, and Parkinson's

Dementia is a general term given to someone suffering a progressive decline in cognitive ability (thinking, reasoning, etc). This occurs because of some kind of damage of the brain, usually caused by disease. Two common types of dementia are Huntington's and Parkinson's.

Alzheimer's is a disease that usually strikes the elderly. The cause is unknown, and there are no known cures. It is considered as a type of senile dementia and it is the most common form. If one lives long enough, they will have a 50% chance of being victims to Alzheimer's.

To further explain, it is a degenerative disease of the brain, specifically the hippocampus. This degeneration is not reversible. It occurs as the nerves become infected with plaque. With Alzheimer's one can expect forgetfulness, paranoia, depression, mood wings, and fatigue. These symptoms only get worse with time. Speech and communication will also be affected. Eventually the patient will die from organ failure. From diagnosis, the patient can live up to 20 years, but can progress very quickly in some people.

Although there is no proven cure, experts believe that keeping the brain active and challenged may assist in prolonging, and even managing, the disease. It is also important to note that most people experience short term memory loss. This is a normal part of aging, and should not, without professional diagnosis, lead to labeling the person as an Alzheimer's victim.

Huntington's disease results in abnormal and involuntary body movements, and lack of coordination. In some people the symptoms start slowly then progress, but in others they may appear quite suddenly. Eventually, cognitive function (thinking, memory) is also affected. Despite the great deal of research there is no cure for Huntington's. Predisposition to the disease is a large determinant in who will become victim to this disease.

Parkinson's, similar to other such diseases, is degenerative. If affects the central nervous system (CNS), causing problems with speech, motor skills, muscle rigidity, and tremors. In some cases it results in loss of all body movement. The disease usually does not cause death directly, but can result in complications, e.g. pneumonia which can lead to death.