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FYI: Disorders Causing Dementia






Please also read the Caregiving Tips, Support Groups and Education sections.

Degenerative diseases

:
  • Alzheimer's disease
  • Pick's disease
  • Huntington's disease
  • Progressive supranuclear palsy
  • Parkinson's disease (not all cases)
  • Cerebellar degenerations
  • Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) (not all cases)
  • Parkinson-ALS-dementia complex of Guam and other island areas
  • Rare genetic and metabolic diseases (Hallervorden-Spatz, Kufs', Wilson's, late-onset metachromatic leukodystrophy, adrenoleukodystrophy)

Vascular dementia

:
  • Multi-infarct dementia
  • Cortical micro-infarcts
  • Lacunar dementia (large infarcts)
  • Binswanger disease
  • Cerebral embolic disease (flat, air, thrombus fragments)

Anoxic dementia

:
  • Cardiac arrest
  • Cardiac failure (severe)
  • Carbon monoxide

Traumatic dementia

:
  • Dementia pugilistica (boxer's dementia)
  • Head injuries (open or closed)

Infectious dementia

:
  • Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS)
  • AIDS dementia
  • Opportunistic infections
  • Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (subacute spongiforn encephalopathy)
  • Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy
  • Post-encephalitic dementia
  • Behcet's syndrome
  • Herpes encephalitis
  • Fungal meningitis or encephalitis
  • Bacterial meningitis or encephalitis
  • Parasitic encephalitis
  • Brain abscess
  • Neurosyphilis (general paresis)

Normal pressure hydrocephalus (communicating hydrocephalus of adults) Space-occupying lesions

:
  • Chronic or acute subdural hematoma
  • Primary brain tumor
  • Metastatic tumor (carcinoma, leukemia, lymphoma, sarcoma)

Multiple sclerosis

(some cases)

Auto-immune disorders

:
  • Disseminated lupus erythematosis
  • Vasculitis

Toxic dementia

:
  • Alcoholic dementia
  • Metallic dementia (e.g., lead, mercury, arsenic, manganese)
  • Organic poisons (e.g., solvents, some insecticides)

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