How does dementia progress?
Symptoms tend to develop slowly, often over several years. In the early stages of the disease many people with mild dementia cope with just a small amount of support and care. As the disease progresses more care is usually needed.
A 'typical' person with Alzheimer's disease takes about 8-10 years to go from the first signs of memory problems, to being severely affected, and ultimately to die due to frailty of body and mind.
However, the speed of progression of symptoms can vary greatly between different people and between the different types of dementia.
How is dementia diagnosed?
Dementia is suspected by the typical symptoms which are usually reported by a relative or friend. A doctor can do a standard 'memory test' to confirm the diagnosis. There is no other routine test that can confirm Alzheimer's disease.
However, some other conditions (sometimes treatable) can have similar symptoms to dementia. For example, depression in older people can sometimes cause memory problems. A person who reports a failing memory themselves, rather than a relative or friend, is just as likely to have depression as dementia. Depression is often treatable. Also, not all 'confusion' is due to dementia. Some physical problems such as thyroid disorders, liver and kidney disorders, and brain tumours may cause 'confusion' in an older person and mimic dementia.
Therefore, some tests are commonly done to 'rule out' other conditions or to detect treatable causes of dementia. For example, a blood test may be taken to check for kidney, thyroid and liver conditions, and for certain other conditions. A brain scan is often done. Other more sophisticated tests may be done if an unusual cause of dementia is suspected.
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