Dementia is a mental disorder that includes memory impairment and at least one of the following: difficulty speaking, impaired movement, and inability to plan and initiate appropriate behaviors socially or at work. Dementia usually occurs in elderly people. It is rare in children. Approximately 2 to 4 percent of the population over age 65 has dementia caused by Alzheimer’s disease.

Signs and Symptoms of Dementia

- Memory impairment
- Language problems
- Motor skills impairment (such as balance and walking)
- Impaired ability to recognize objects
- Inability to think abstractly
- Spatial disorientation (e.g., judging distances)
- Depression and suicidal behavior
- Uninhibited behavior
- Anxiety, mood, and sleep problems
- Hallucinations

What Causes Dementia?

Alzheimer’s disease accounts for half to two thirds of all dementia cases. Other causes of dementia are listed below.

- Vascular disease
- General medical conditions, like traumatic brain injury
- Parkinson’s, Huntington’s, Creutzfeldt-Jakob, and other diseases
- Brain tumor
- Vitamin B deficiencies
- Drug or alcohol abuse, medications, or exposure to toxic substances

What to Expect at Your Provider’s Office for Dementia

Your health care provider will go over your Dementia symptoms and will do a physical examination. However, since there is no definitive test for dementia, your provider will rely greatly on interviews with you and your family, especially to discover noticeable declines in mental and physical abilities.

Treatment Options for Dementia

Treatment Plan for Dementia

The goal of treatment of Dementia is to reverse or lessen symptoms. Your health care provider will closely evaluate your current medications for drug sensitivities that could be making the dementia worse. He or she possibly may prescribe some other drugs for your Dementia symptoms. Psychiatric and behavioral therapies can help you to cope with the disease. It is important to have a safe and predictable living environment. Exercise, both physical and mental, can slow the progress of the dementia.

Drug Therapies for Dementia

Prescriptions for Dementia

- Acetycholinesterase inhibitors—help to reduce dementia
- Neuroleptics—help behavioral problems that arise from having dementia
- Benzodiazepines—reduce agitation
- Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)—relieve depression that comes with dementia
- Estrogen therapy—may help reduce Alzheimer’s disease in postmenopausal women

Over the Counter

N/A

Complementary and Alternative Therapies for Dementia

Alternative therapies may offer great promise in treating dementia without the side effects of pharmaceuticals. Treatment with nutrition can provide rapid results in some people with nutritional deficiencies. Herbal treatment is widely used in Europe with promising results.

Nutrition for Dementia

- Antioxidants are key—vitamin E (400 to 800 IU per day), vitamin C (1,000 mg three times per day), and coenzyme Q10 (10 to 50 mg three times per day)
- Vitamins: biotin (300 mcg); B1 (50 to 100 mg), B2 (50 mg), B6 (50 to 100 mg), B12 (100 to 1,000 mcg). B12 may need to be administered through injection for best results.
- Minerals: calcium and magnesium (1,000 and 500 mg per day, respectively), zinc (30 to 50 mg per day); excess of manganese and copper can increase the risk for dementia
- Intravenous chelating agents such as ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) may help restore normal circulation in the brain.
- Essential fatty acids regulate certain types of blood cells, stabilize arterial walls and have anti-inflammatory properties. Dietary changes include reducing intake of animal fats and increasing that of fish.

Herbal Remedies for Dementia

Herbs may be used as dried extracts (capsules, powders, teas), glycerites (glycerine extracts), or tinctures (alcohol extracts). Unless otherwise indicated, teas should be made with 1 tsp. herb per cup of hot water. Steep covered 5 to 10 minutes for leaf or flowers, and 10 to 20 minutes for roots. Drink 2 to 4 cups per day.

Choose four to six herbs from the most appropriate category and use one cup or 30 to 60 drops three times per day.

- Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) is specific for preventing and treating Alzheimer’s and senile dementia. May be taken in a standardized extract of 40 to 50 mg three times per day. If you are taking an anticoagulant drug, use ginkgo only under the supervision of your provider.
- Hawthorn (Crataegus oxyacantha) is a circulatory stimulant .
- Rosemary (Rosemarinus officinalis) stimulates circulation, improves digestion, relieves depression.
- Siberian ginseng (Eleuthrococcus senticosus) increases endurance and increases cerebral circulation. Use this herb with caution if you have high blood pressure.
- Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) reduces spasms and anxiety .
- Ginger (Zingiber officinale) helps with general weakness.
- St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum) helps relieve depression and anxiety.

Homeopathy Treatment for Dementia

Some of the most common remedies used for dementia are listed below. Usually, the dose is 12X to 30C every one to four hours until your symptoms improve.

- Alumina for dullness of mind, vagueness, slow answers to questions
- Argentum nitricum for dementia with irritability, especially with lack of control over impulses
- Cicuta for dementia after head injuries, especially with convulsions
- Helleborus for stupefaction, when a person answers questions slowly and stares vacantly
- Silica for mental deterioration with anxiety over small details

Following Up on Dementia

Someone with dementia probably will require continuous care and monitoring by both your health care provider and family members.

Special Considerations

Caregiver and patient education focusing on knowledge of the disease, health, and the patient’s well-being results in better patient care. Caregivers must also closely monitor patients to make sure they are taking medications appropriately.

Supporting Research on Dementia

American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 4th ed. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association; 1994.

Bartram T. Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine. Dorset, England: Grace Publishers; 1995:214, 376.

Blumenthal M, ed. The Complete German Commission E Monographs. Boston, Mass: Integrative Medicine Communications; 1998:136, 138, 197.

Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Jaenicke C et al, eds. PDR for Herbal Medicines. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company; 1998:967–968, 1101–1102, 1219–1220, 1229–1230.

Hofferberth B. The efficacy of EGb 761 in patients with senile dementia of the Alzheimer type; A double-blind, placebo-controlled study on different levels of investigation. Hum Psychopharmacol. 1994;9:215–222.

Kanowski S, Hermann WM, Stephan K, Wierich W, Horr R. Proof of efficacy of the Ginkgo biloba special extract EGb 761 in outpatients suffering from mild to moderate dementia of the Alzheimer’s type or multi-infarct dementia. Pharmacopsychiatry. 1996;29:47–56.

Le Bars, et al. A placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized trial of an extract of Gingko biloba for dementia. JAMA. 1997;278:1327–1332.

Maurer K. et al. Clinical efficacy of Gingko biloba special extract EGb 761 in dementia of the Alzheimer type. J Psychiatr Res. 1997;31:645–655.

Morrison R. Desktop Guide to Keynotes and Confirmatory Symptoms. Albany, Calif: Hahnemann Clinic Publishing; 1993:17–17, 32–33, 124–125, 176–177, 248–249.

Morris JC, ed. Handbook of Dementing Illnesses. New York, NY: Marcel Dekker Inc; 1994.

National Institutes of Health. Available at http://text.nlm.nih.gov/.

Perry EK, Pickering AT, Wang WW, Houghton P, Perry NS. Medicinal plants and Alzheimer’s disease: Integrating ethnobotanical and contemporary scientific evidence. J Altern Complement Med. 1998;4:419–428.

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Rakel RE. Conn’s Current Therapy 1997: Latest Approved Methods of Treatment for the Practicing Physician. Philadelphia, Pa: WB Saunders; 1997.

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