Dementia
Dementia
Dementia is an umbrella term for a number of organic brain diseases that together affect approximately 940,000 people in the UK. Most diseases leading to dementia are characterized by processes that result in the abnormal build-up of proteins in the brain. The most common cause of dementia is Alzheimer's disease, but other important causes include vascular dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies and fronto-temporal dementia. The management of dementia largely focuses on helping patients and families to manage increasing care needs as the condition progresses, including the treatment of troublesome neuropsychiatric symptoms. Current pharmacological treatments are based on the neurochemical changes that are found in these diseases. Cholinesterase inhibitors and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonists offer a modest effect in ameliorating cognitive and neuropsychiatric symptoms in Alzheimer's disease. However, the treatment of neuropsychiatric symptoms in dementia is still largely empirical and is hampered by either limited efficacy of medication or troublesome adverse effects. Key potential future developments in dementia include anti-amyloid treatments for Alzheimer's disease and blood biomarkers to aid diagnosis.
Alzheimer's disease, cognitive impairment, dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies, fronto-temporal dementia, vascular dementia
518-521
Amin, Jay
692a8880-70ff-4b64-a7e9-7d0d53449a30
McCausland, Beth
32a3f962-f9f7-494b-acdb-b0dc867bf5fd
26 July 2024
Amin, Jay
692a8880-70ff-4b64-a7e9-7d0d53449a30
McCausland, Beth
32a3f962-f9f7-494b-acdb-b0dc867bf5fd
Abstract
Dementia is an umbrella term for a number of organic brain diseases that together affect approximately 940,000 people in the UK. Most diseases leading to dementia are characterized by processes that result in the abnormal build-up of proteins in the brain. The most common cause of dementia is Alzheimer's disease, but other important causes include vascular dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies and fronto-temporal dementia. The management of dementia largely focuses on helping patients and families to manage increasing care needs as the condition progresses, including the treatment of troublesome neuropsychiatric symptoms. Current pharmacological treatments are based on the neurochemical changes that are found in these diseases. Cholinesterase inhibitors and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonists offer a modest effect in ameliorating cognitive and neuropsychiatric symptoms in Alzheimer's disease. However, the treatment of neuropsychiatric symptoms in dementia is still largely empirical and is hampered by either limited efficacy of medication or troublesome adverse effects. Key potential future developments in dementia include anti-amyloid treatments for Alzheimer's disease and blood biomarkers to aid diagnosis.
Text
52-8-AminMcCausland accepted - for PURE
- Accepted Manuscript
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e-pub ahead of print date: 27 June 2024
Published date: 26 July 2024
Keywords:
Alzheimer's disease, cognitive impairment, dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies, fronto-temporal dementia, vascular dementia
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 504562
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/504562
ISSN: 1357-3039
PURE UUID: 93601f47-2606-45a8-9fb2-154b934830b0
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Date deposited: 15 Sep 2025 16:43
Last modified: 20 Sep 2025 01:55
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Author:
Beth McCausland
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