senility, a question.

Most of us will slow down a bit, physically and mentally, as we get older ' but there's a big difference between occasional forgetfulness and senility, or senile dementia. Here's what to look for if you are concerned that someone in your family may be suffering from this condition, which is often connected with Alzheimer's disease.


Step 1

Consider the family history. Is there a background of senile dementia or Alzheimer's disease? There is often a genetic predisposition toward this condition in members of the same family.

Step 2

Look for signs of memory loss and language difficulties. Is the person losing words, or forgetting the names of common objects? Has he or she forgotten how to do simple mathematics?

Step 3

Watch out for confusion and loss of attention span. Is the person unable to focus on a normal conversation? Does he or she get mixed up when trying to perform basic tasks?

Step 4

Rule out undiagnosed hearing or vision loss. These may hinder a person's ability to communicate effectively, and can make someone seem more confused than he or she really is.

Step 5

Monitor inappropriate behavior and impaired judgment. If the person begins to act inappropriately or significantly out of character in social situations, he or she may be showing signs of senile dementia.

Step 6

Look out for mood changes, irritability or emotional agitation. Often, people in the early stages of senile dementia are aware that something is happening to them, and this can be both frightening and depressing.

Step 7

Watch for physical coordination problems and physical confusion. People with senile dementia often forget how to do simple learned tasks that have been part of their daily life for many years.

Step 8

Watch the person walk. Changes in gait are often symptomatic of senile dementia, although they can also be connected with other neurological conditions such as Parkinson's disease.

Tips & Warnings

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Be extra loving and patient with someone who may be showing symptoms of senile dementia, even if he or she is moody and irritable. The person may be frustrated with himself or herself, and will almost certainly be frightened by these symptoms.
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People suffering from senile dementia often retain memories from long ago, but lose more recent memories. Spend time talking with them about the things they do remember, and don't take it personally if they forget who you are, or where they are.
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Sometimes, symptoms of senile dementia can be caused by drug reactions; double-check with your doctor and pharmacist to find out if this is a possibility.
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Watch out for extremely aggressive behavior ' this symptom is exhibited by some, though not all, people suffering from senile dementia. If the person becomes dangerous to himself or herself or to you, seek professional help immediately.
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People who exhibit symptoms of senile dementia are often in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease, and should be taken to a doctor and a neurologist as soon as the symptoms become apparent.

There is normal age related cognitive decline, and this can be rather gradual over many years. It can affect immediate and short term memory as well as attention span, concentration, and retrieval memory.

...

Senility, or any of the dementias, is different than normal age related cognitive declines, and these changes are due to underlying neurological conditions and diseases. These declines are relentlessly progressive, destroying memory and intellectual functions, as well as the ability to care for oneself. Generally, these changes progress relatively rapidly once dementia has been recognized and diagnosed. It would not go on for years before you become more aware of it.

Also, mood disturbances, particularly depression, or masked depression, can mimic or intensify cognitive and personality problems, especially in older people. Older people are constantly dealing with loss, of friends and loved ones, as well as the loss of their former lifestyles or routines, like working or driving, and often the loss of their own abilities or feelings of usefulness and independence

...

Could this be the result of the gradual development of senility or just your becoming more aware of the same deficits that have always been present?

Studies have also shown that the B vitamins are also significant in Alzheimer's patients.

Vitamin B No Help for Alzheimer's
Reducing homocysteine levels doesn't slow cognitive decline, study find
October 14, 2008
By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, Oct. 14 (HealthDay News) -- Vitamin B supplements don't slow cognitive decline in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease, a new study finds.

The theory was that vitamin B might slow the progression of Alzheimer's symptoms because the nutrient lowers homocysteine levels, which are elevated in people with the disease. Homocysteine is an amino acid produced by the body and has also been linked to an increased risk of heart disease.

"The results of the study indicate that we were successful in lowering homocysteine levels, but this did not translate into cognitive or clinical benefits," said lead researcher Dr. Paul S. Aisen, a professor at the University of California, San Diego, Department of Neurosciences. "The disappointing conclusion is that high-dose B vitamin treatment is not helpful in Alzheimer's disease."

Aisen thinks this study clearly demonstrates that people should not be taking vitamin B thinking it will combat the disease.

"This treatment is not useful and should not be recommended," Aisen said. "Because Alzheimer's disease is one of the major health-care problems in this country and worldwide, and because our current treatments are not adequately effective, many people are seeking alternatives, and one alternative has been to use vitamin therapy."

The findings were published in the Oct. 15 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

For the study, Aisen's group randomly assigned 409 people with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease to high doses of folate, vitamin B6 and B12 or a placebo. The researchers then measured the rate of cognitive decline using the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale.

Over 18 months, they found that although vitamin B reduced homocysteine levels, there was no reduction in the rate of cognitive decline among patients taking the supplements. In fact, there was no significant difference in the scores on the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale among those taking supplements and those receiving a placebo.

Interestingly, the people taking high-dose vitamin B supplements had more symptoms of depression than those taking a placebo, the researchers noted.

Dr. Sam Gandy, chairman emeritus of the Alzheimer's Association Medical and Scientific Advisory Council, said this study should put an end to the idea that lowering homocysteine levels helps Alzheimer's patients.

"Since cerebrovascular disease pathogenesis and that of Alzheimer's disease bear some relationship to each other, the hypothesis was put forward that if people were given B vitamin supplements to control their blood homocysteine, then this might lower the incidence of both stroke and Alzheimer's disease," he said. "Sadly, for the latter at least, the hypothesis has been rejected: Even among those with elevated homocysteine levels that were normalized with B vitamins, there was no obvious benefit in terms of lowering the risk for Alzheimer disease."

Greg Cole, a professor of medicine and neurology at the University of California, Los Angeles, thinks that once Alzheimer's is diagnosed, treating risk factors may not help in slowing the disease's progression.

"Like similar studies with antioxidants, anti-inflammatory drugs and estrogen, this study suggests that treating the risk factors for Alzheimer's after the patients have established disease is not useful and may even be harmful," he said.

Pamela Mason, a spokeswoman for the Health Supplements Information Service, cautioned that vitamin B is a dietary supplement, not a drug, and shouldn't be expected to perform like a drug.

"This is yet another study attempting to use high-dose vitamin supplements like drugs in the treatment and prevention of disease," Mason said in a news release. "B vitamin supplements are not intended to be taken like drugs to prevent or treat Alzheimer's disease. People should not be taking them for this purpose. They are health supplements, and their role is in helping to maintain good health, particularly in those large numbers of adults whose dietary intake is low. This study, like many other recent studies evaluating vitamins, does not address the issue of health maintenance."
http://health.usnews.com/health-news/family-health/brain-and-behavior/articles/2008/10/14/vitamin-b-no-help-for-alzheimers.html