Questions in the Mental Health Forum have been answered by Roger L. Gould, M.D., affiliated with U.C.L.A. and by doctors from Henry Ford Health System.

Question Title: My mother recently diagnosed with dementia and depression

Forum: The Mental Health Forum
Topic: Dementia


On January 21 my mother was admitted to the hospital for 10 days, we had discovered she was in bed, not eating for several days, very dehydrated, incontinent; in the hospital she was diagnosed with dementia and depression and given IV fluids, and put on Zoloft; since she got out of the hospital she sits on the couch and does crossword puzzles, and nothing else; I have been preparing her meals and she will eat small amounts of soft, sweet food only , but has no interest in preparing the meals or doing anything else; could this dementia have been caused by the severe dehydration and possibly clear up in a while? Pat

Dear Pat,

Dementia affects more than 10 million people in the United States, especially in the older population. The most common cause of dementia is Alzheimer's Disease. Other causes include strokes, brain tumors, head trauma, thyroid deficiency, and vitamin B12 deficiency, to name a few. Memory impairment with a history of incontinence may be suggestive of normal pressure hydrocephalus, especially if associated with an abnormal gait, and can be confirmed with a CAT scan of the head. Dehydration alone does not cause dementia.

The general treatment approach to dementia is to provide supportive medical care(proper nutrition, exercise and supervision of daily activity), medications for specific symptoms, and emotional support for patients and their families. Dementia usually progresses slowly, or may improve if causes such as hydrocephalus, thyroid deficiency, or vitamin B12 deficiency are treated early. There are now medications such as Aricept that will help improve cognitive loss, especially in Alzheimer's Disease.

Depression is common in dementia, with symptoms such as changes in appetite, lack of motivation and loss of interest, all of which can be treated with medications such as Zoloft. Sometimes depression can mimic dementia, a condition termed pseudodementia. It is important in these cases to aggressively treat depression, and when treated successfully, the cognitive loss improves. Please see "Loss of Wife" under our Archive section for more information on depression.

I hope you find this information useful. It is provided for general medical educational purposes only, and should not replace consultation with a physician for diagnostic and treatment options. Henry Ford Behavioral Services provides a confidential Memory Clinic, and an Older Adult Partial Day Program, which are both available by calling Dr.Campbell at (248)-691-4865, or (248)-661-6100, or (313)-874-6677.

*Keywords: Alzheimer's disease, Aricept, CAT scan, dementia, depression, hydrocephalus, pseudodementia, Zoloft

 

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