What causes dementia?
Patient: MY 77 YEAR OLD BOYFRIEND HAS DEMENTIA WHICH I BELIEVE IS NOT AGE-RELATED BUT RATHER DUE TO SOMETHING EITHER LIMITING BLOOD FLOW TO BRAIN, A VITAMIN DEFICIENCY, OR SOME OTHER CONDITION THAT CAN BE CORRECTED.  WHAT TEST(S) WOULD DETERMINE WHAT IS CAUSING HIS PROBLEM?  IT STARTED WHEN HE HIT HIS HEAD WHEN HE FELL DUE TO LOW ELECTROLYTES, HE WAS INA-FIB WHEN THE MEDICS ARRIVED.  THE HOSPITAL SAID HE DID NOT HAVE A STROKE, BUT I WITNESSED A SLIGHT SEIZURE.  EVER SINCE HE HAS DEMENTIA.  I DON'T WANT TO IGNORE DOING SOMETHING THAT MIGHT RESTORE HIS COGNITION AND MEMORY.  PERHAPS BLOCKED CAROTID ARTERIES.  WHERE SHOULD I GO AND WHAT SHOULD I DO?  HE WAS ALSO EXAMINED BY A HEART SPECIALIST AND EVERYTHING SEEMED FINE.  I GIVE HIM COCONUT OIL AND ASTAXANTHIN, VIT. B 12 AND D 3 PLUS OMEGA 3 FISH OIL. PLEASE HELP ME.  I AM DESPERATE. Doctor: Hello thanks for asking from HCM for your health related queriesI can understand your concern. He has developed dementia. There are a lot of causes for dementia at this age. They are Age related dementia, Alzheimer's disease, Deficiency of Vitamin B12, Niacin deficiency, Vascular dementia or Multi-infarct dementia, Dementia due to some infections etc. In my opinion if you don't think he has age related dementia he should be investigated accordingly to the causes I have mentioned. His brain scan would rule out any evidence of vascular damage to brain and vascular dementia can be ruled out. He should undergo MMSE test (Mini Mental Status Examination) to find out extent of dementia. This would help to judge improvement also. You are already giving him supplements. He should get proper benefit with drugs like Donepezil, Memantin etc. These drugs would help to reduce the progression of dementia.Brain stimulation games like Sudoku, Crossword, Chess etc also helps to reduce the damage.Thanks, I hope this helps you. Take care.