What Is Parkinson’s Dementia?

Posted on Oct 29, 2019 in Dementia Care

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Parkinson’s dementia is used to refer to the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease pertaining to impaired thought processes, memory and overall mental function.

While you’d perhaps normally associate Parkinson’s disease (PD) with movement issues, it can also affect the memory, attention span and general thinking skills.

Dementia is an umbrella term for a series of progressive conditions that affect the brain.

Before we delve down into Parkinson’s dementia specifically, we’ll take a quick glimpse at the multiple stages of the debilitating progressive disease that is Parkinson’s to put things into general context.

 

The 5 Stages of Parkinson’s Disease

If your doctor diagnoses you with Parkinson’s disease, there’s a sliding scale used to rate the stage of the disease. Your progress can then be tracked by assessing motor symptoms like movement or tremors along with non-motor signs like a loss of smell.

Here’s a quick summary of the 5 stages of Parkinson’s disease.

• Stage 1: At the earliest stage, you might notice some mild symptoms like tremors across one side of your body. While these symptoms might not be severe enough to interfere with your daily routine, it’s quite likely your loved ones will pick up on small changes in the way you walk and hold yourself, often even your facial expressions will be slightly altered.
• Stage 2: At stage 2 of the disease, both sides of the body suffer from worsened tremors and further rigidity. Problems with posture and walking will become more evident. While some everyday activities will become tougher, you’ll likely still be able to do most things for yourself.
• Stage 3: Motor symptoms worsen at this stage while you might also notice a loss of balance that can lead to falls. Movement becomes much slower. You might still be able to live independently but you’ll find some activities like eating, bathing and dressing tough.
• Stage 4: At this later stage of PD, symptoms start to impact daily living severely. Standing unassisted could be possible but your movement will be dramatically impaired. You’ll need outside help at this stage to cope with everyday activities.

• Stage 5: At the most advanced stage, standing and walking will be problematic. You’ll need help in almost all areas of life with your motor skills being badly impaired. Hallucinations can kick in at the final stage of Parkinson’s.

Parkinson’s disease is a relatively common disorder affecting around 2% of the over 65’s.

With 60,000 Americans each year being diagnosed with PD, roughly 70% of these will go on to experience some form of dementia within 10 years of diagnosis, so what actually causes Parkinson’s dementia?

 

What Causes Parkinson’s Disease Dementia?

The problems related to thinking and memory brought about by Parkinson’s disease are caused by changes in the chemistry and structure of the brain.

While researchers are still trying to establish how the brain becomes damaged in the lead-up to dementia, it’s believed that Parkinson’s dementia results from tiny deposits known as Lewy bodies.

These microscopic Lewy bodies are found in the nerve cells of the brain stem. When PD starts progressing, Lewy bodies spread out from the brain stem into other segments of the brain. This brings about dementia.

Is there any difference at all between this type of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, then?

 

How Does Parkinson’s Dementia Differ From Alzheimer’s?

Where dementia is a staple of Alzheimer’s, dementia doesn’t occur in fully 30% of cases of Parkinson’s disease so this is the major difference.

On the downside, Parkinson’s dementia tends to have a greater impact on overall social functioning than in those with Alzheimer’s due to the way both motor and cognitive function is impaired.

A number of symptoms overlap but there are also more differences. Where Alzheimer’s normally impacts memory and language, Parkinson’s generally affects executive function – problem solving – memory, speed of thinking and mood.

We’ll take a look now at some of the risk factors for developing dementia…

 

The Risk Factors For Dementia

While none of the following risk factors are the direct cause of dementia, the more factors that are in place, the greater the chance is for dementia to be presented.

• Normal aging process
• Advanced stage PD
• Older when diagnosed with PD
• Severe motor symptoms
• Family history of dementia
• Being male
• Experiencing visual hallucinations

To reiterate, none of these factors alone will assuredly lead to Parkinson’s dementia so don’t panic just because you’re advancing in years.

Here are some of the symptoms of dementia to keep an eye out for…

 

Symptoms of Dementia

• Problems with focus
• Memory issues
• Difficulty coping with new things
• Snags with problem solving
• Confusion
• Disorientation

If you think that you could be suffering from the onset of Parkinson’s dementia, what can you do about it?

 

Treating Dementia

Before anything else, make an appointment with your doctor. If possible, get a referral so you can see a movement disorders specialist or a neurologist.

There’s currently no way that the progress of Parkinson’s or Parkinson’s dementia can be stopped but that’s not to say it’s not possible to manage the symptoms.

Medication, especially a drug called Rivastigmine, can be effective. Counseling and therapy can also be of some use so it’s not a hopeless cause even if there’s no cure on the horizon.

To round out, what can you do to help out if a family member is diagnosed with Parkinson’s dementia?

 

Helpful Hints for Caregivers Dealing with Dementia

If one of your parents or other elderly relatives is suffering from dementia, this can be hard to handle as the lines between fact and fantasy become blurred.

It’s often unwise to leave those with later stage Parkinson’s alone, especially if they’re exhibiting signs of dementia.

If you find your loved one becoming agitated, confused or upset, here are some simple pointers to help them calm down…

• Routine is key. Make sure there’s a structured schedule in place to minimize general confusion
• Show clearly how much you love and care for the person in distress
• Keep the décor simple so there are fewer potential distractions
• Use nightlights to lessen the chance of visual misperception after dark
• Keep a close eye on a patient with dementia after any operation as they’re likely to be sensitive to medication
• Try to stay calm at all times when dealing with your loved one. This sense of calm should spill over into your loved one

 

What To Do Next

If you have any further concerns about Parkinson’s dementia, don’t hesitate to contact us. Here at Landmark Senior Living and we’ll do what we can to set your mind at rest.