MS and dementia

Cognitive impairment Multiple sclerosis.. Up to 60% of people with multiple sclerosis have some type of cognitive function symptom, including:

• Ambiguous thoughts, or “brain fog”
• Loss of memory or recall, inability to come up with the correct words in conversation, or forgetting past events
• Problems with multitasking, planning, or absorbing new information
• Change VisionIt’s like you can’t tell how far or deep things are
• Lost attention

Is Occasional Memory Loss a Sign of the Beginning? dementia With MS? Is there an increased risk of dementia if I have been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis? Although these two conditions can overlap in some people, cognitive impairment in MS is not the same as dementia, a more severe cognitive state found in people with Alzheimer’s disease.

Most people with multiple sclerosis with altered cognitive function do not have the more serious loss of mental function or control that occurs with dementia, such as Alzheimer’s disease. However, these symptoms can still affect your quality of life and your daily activities at home and at work.

What is dementia?

Dementia is not a single illness. This is a general term for the serious loss of mental function. Dementia means a serious loss of ability to think, reason, plan, or remember. It interferes with your daily life and your ability to live independently. Dementia can also cause serious emotional symptoms and personality changes.

Dementia Your brain Because of many different illnesses. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia. About 60% to 80% of people with dementia have Alzheimer’s disease.

Lewy body dementia, Frontotemporal dementia, Vascular dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and Huntington’s disease are other diseases that cause dementia. Others may have mixed dementia, or dementia caused by multiple illnesses.

Risk factors for MS cognitive impairment

Your level of cognitive impairment is not related to how long you have multiple sclerosis or the degree of disability you have. You and your family may first notice that you cannot come up with a phrase, or that you lose concentration shortly after or years after being diagnosed with MS.

Changes in cognitive function usually affect people after years of MS. Previous changes in cognitive function in MS are not a sign of worsening disability, such as being unable to walk or take care of yourself.

People with advanced multiple sclerosis, such as primary progressive multiple sclerosis and secondary progressive multiple sclerosis, have a slightly higher risk of cognitive symptoms than people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. ..

People with multiple sclerosis who have no physical symptoms or have very mild disabilities rarely develop severe or impaired cognitive changes.In that case, the doctor will tell you some form of dementia, infection, or Metabolic disorders It affects the brain.

Why MS Affects Thinking and Memory

Cause of MS inflammation Attack and wear Myelin, A protective tissue that wraps your nerves.Over time, your myelin and nerve endings signal back and forth within you Brain and nervous system It will be damaged.

Scar tissue or lesions can occur in areas of the brain. The cognitive symptoms of MS are caused by this damage to the brain and nerves. Your cognitive dysfunction is associated with these lesions, such as the number of lesions you have and where they are in the white or gray matter of the brain. Changes in brain structure due to MS, or brain atrophy, also cause these cognitive declines.

MS Cognitive Disorder: Is this Dementia?

Cognitive impairment in MS is not the same as the more severe dementia in Alzheimer’s disease. It’s like a change in your mental function. Most people with multiple sclerosis have mild cognitive changes, or one or two cognitive symptoms.

Mild cognitive impairment in MS is when changes in mental function or mood are not noticeable when going through conversations with people such as clerk or delivery clerk. Your family, close friends, and colleagues who meet you often are more likely to notice a change in your thinking. FeelingOr memory.

MS is unlikely to cause more serious cognitive changes, such as loss of your intellect, long-term memory, ability to speak, or ability to understand what you read.

Cognitive impairment and quality of life in MS

The cognitive symptoms of multiple sclerosis can affect quality of life, self-esteem, and mood. These changes affect the ability to work, have conversations, enjoy social activities such as parties and sports, and pay attention to and focus on work at home, in the office, or in the yard. There is a possibility.

Are there risk factors for more serious cognitive changes due to MS?

In people with multiple sclerosis, severe cognitive impairment that looks like dementia is rare. Especially if you don’t have any serious physical problems.

One important risk factor for severe cognitive impairment in MS smoking..Many people with multiple sclerosis who develop more severe cognitive changes are either present or former tobacco smoker. Smoking also increases the risk of cerebral atrophy, one of the causes of cognitive impairment in MS.

People with Primary Progressive MS (PPMS) may have Progressive amnesia Mild to moderate loss of attention and concentration that looks like dementia. These may be due to lesions, blood It flows not only in the white matter, but also in areas of the brain such as the frontal and temporal lobes. PPMS can be mistaken for dementia.

Dementia is more serious

Mild cognitive impairment in multiple sclerosis is not the same as more severe dementia.

Dementia is caused by damage to nerve cells in the brain. Dementia has more nerve cell damage and mental decline that is seen in normal aging.

Dementia can cause these symptoms:

• profound amnesia
• confusion
• Impaired judgment
• Get lost in a familiar neighborhood
• Problems with understanding speech, reading, writing, or conversation
• Use the wrong word for a simple object
• Loss of interest in life or loss of interest in others

Symptoms of dementia worsen over time. Cognitive changes such as memory loss may be mild at first, but usually worsen in just a few years.

People with multiple sclerosis often show cognitive symptoms when the disease recurs. This is also called exacerbation or recurrence. In MS, changes in cognitive function tend to progress slowly and slowly. Cognitive deficits usually do not make it so bad or cause dramatic changes in thinking, reaction, or function.

Multiple sclerosis and dementia depression

Dementia and multiple sclerosis can cause similar mood problems. depression And loneliness. People with multiple sclerosis who have cognitive impairment have a higher incidence of depression.

Depression in multiple sclerosis can be strongly associated with memory and thinking difficulties. In MS Brain lesionsIn particular, in the temporal lobe, it causes cognitive and mood changes. People with MS who have brain lesions are more likely to have depression than people who have spinal cord lesions. inflammation The main cause in the brain is Clinical depression And MS.

Depression and dementia may also be associated with physical changes. In people with dementia, depression is a change in blood flow in the brain, atrophy of the brain, inflammation, Nerve injury, And lesions called amyloid plaques that can accumulate in your brain. People diagnosed with depression early in life may be at twice the risk of developing dementia later in life.

Slip and Falls

People with dementia and MS are more likely to slip and fall. Impaired vision, unsteady gait, delayed reaction time, and imbalance are common symptoms of dementia and multiple sclerosis that can slip, fall, or even hurt yourself. It will be higher.

People with dementia may have poor gait due to poor cognitive function. They may walk more slowly or stop. Often they need more help from others to avoid.

Cognitive impairment in MS, along with vision problems, is one of many risk factors for falls and is called loss of balance. Ataxia, MalaiseDizziness, and Muscle cramps And weakness.

In multiple sclerosis, a decline in cognitive function does not necessarily increase the risk of falls. People with multiple sclerosis who do not use mobility aids such as canes, pedestrians, and scooters are more likely to fall.People with advanced multiple sclerosis tend to have more falls, and these accidents can be a sign of them. Symptoms of MS Deterioration.

A sprain, a hump, or a fall BruiseBut they can also be a serious cause Head injury Or painful, debilitating fracture For people with MS or dementia.

What can I do about cognitive impairment?

You may be able to manage mild cognitive impairment in MS with a memory and thought hack: important, giving yourself enough time to do the task so you don’t get confused by multiple tasks Repeat the information, make a to-do list, plan your activity, set a reminder on your smartphone calendar. New, disease-modifying MS medicine Symptoms of cognitive impairment may also improve.

If you or your loved one suffers from dementia, they may be able to delay some cognitive decline in these steps:

• Eat a healthy diet.
• Be physically active and continue to engage in social life.
• Maintain a positive outlook and attitude.
• Avoid cigarettes alcohol..
• To keep up with your medical care vaccination To prevent infection.

MS and Dementia: Can You Have Both?

Yes, it can lead to more severe dementia such as multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer’s disease. Brain changes can be caused by both MS and Alzheimer’s disease.

People with relapsing-remitting MS, primary advanced MS, secondary advanced MS, and even very mild MS can develop Alzheimer’s disease. One of the reasons for this may be that advances in treatment help all people with multiple sclerosis live longer. Dementia is common to everyone in old age.

Severe cognitive changes in people with both Alzheimer’s disease and dementia such as MS are probably due to their Alzheimer’s disease, but progressive MS can also play a role.

MS usually causes mild cognitive impairment, so if you have memory loss or thought changes, do not assume that you have early dementia.Talk to your doctor about the tests that can be done to measure changes in cognitive function to screen for early-stage Alzheimer’s disease and other symptoms. Types of dementia..