Dementia and Stem Cell Therapy

stem cell bookDementia is a broad name that encompasses the brain diseases that causes a progressive decline in memory function, difficulties with daily activities, and inability to make the right decisions. Other symptoms associated with dementia include difficulty in communication, repetitive behavior, problems with speaking and so on.  Dementia can also be referred to as a neurocognitive disorder. There are so factors that increase the risk of having this disorder. Some of these disorders include the medical history of the family, hypertension, elevated amount of cholesterol, age and so on. It has been observed that old people are more prone to having dementia. Also, people whose family member has suffered from the disease, are more prone to having dementia. Hypertension and elevated level of cholesterol also increase the risk of having dementia.

What Are the Causes of Dementia?

Dementia has so many causes that range from infection, endocrine, nutrition and so on

  1. Neurological conditions: Some of the most common neurological diseases that cause dementia are Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease etc. These are progressive diseases, that initially present with mild symptoms, but the patient might end up having dementia, that might not be reversible, especially when the patient is old.
  2. Mechanical injuries: Injuries like road traffic accidents, domestic accidents and any form of injury to the head might lead to dementia.
  3. Infections: There are some infections that affect the central nervous system, impairing the function of the brain and spinal cord. Some of these types of infections are neurosyphilis and HIV.
  4. Smoking and alcohol: Individuals who consume a lot of alcohol, consistently over a long time have higher chances of dementia. In addition to this, chronic smokers also have higher risks of having dementia than non-smokers.
  5. Problems with the vasculature of the brain: There are some conditions that affect blood flow to the brain. Conditions such as ischemia if not promptly controlled can lead to dementia.
  6. Endocrine disorders: It has been shown that endocrine disorders such as hypothyroidism lead to the loss of memory. However, this kind of dementia is reversible.
  7. Nutrient deficiency: Vitamin deficiency, such as Cyanocobalamin can lead to the loss of memory. Although, just like endocrine disorders, it can be reversed as soon as the deficiency is corrected.
  8. Other conditions: Diseases such as hydrocephalus, which is associated with the accumulation of fluid in the brain can also lead to dementia.

Types of Dementia

Dementia can be divided into two parts, depending on which area of the brain is affected;

  1. Cortical dementia: Cortical dementia is the type that affects the cerebral cortex. The cerebrum is central to intelligence, memory, cognition, and Any problem with the cerebrum will affect these functions. Examples of this kind of dementia are Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and Alzheimer disease.
  2. Subcortical dementias: The subcortical part of the brain is the part below the cerebral cortex. Persons affected with subcortical dementia usually have a slow speed of thinking, and difficulty in initiating activities. Subcortical dementia doesn’t usually come with memory loss and language difficulties. Examples of diseases that can cause this type of dementia are Parkinson’s disease and HIV.

Dementia can also be divided based on what causes it;

  1. Alzheimer’s disease: Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia. According to statistics, this disease is responsible for more than fifty percent of dementia cases. Patients generally do have memory loss, alongside behavioral and mood changes. Also, they also have problems with cognition, thinking, intelligence and so on. The initial symptoms of the disease include repetitive behavior, difficulties performing simple tasks such as eating, forgetting to eat or taking their medications and so on. Brain parts usually affected by this disease include the hippocampus, temporal and parietal part lobes
  2. Dementia associated with vascular problems: This is caused by injuries or trauma to the vessels of the brain. A reduction in the supply of oxygen or nutrient to the brain can lead to dementia and other brain problems.
  3. Frontotemporal dementia: This has to do with the reduction in the size of the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain. Patients often have muscle rigidity apart from memory loss.
  4. Lewy body dementia
  5. Creutzfeldt-Jakob dementia

Signs and Symptoms of Dementia

The signs and symptoms of dementia depend on the type and stage of the disorder. The initial signs and symptoms of dementia are memory loss, difficulty doing simple things that the patient could do without stress before. In addition, because dementia affects the cerebrum, patients might have a hard time with language and speaking. Also, the disease might also affect their mood, mental state, and behavior as the disease progresses. The patient would have problems performing simple tasks such as taking a shower by themselves, eating, buttoning their shirt and so on. Memory loss could be so severe, that patients might even forget to eat. This leads to weight loss. In the final stage of dementia, they might not be able to identify people close to them, such as spouse, children and family members. Lastly, in the late stages of dementia, patients might forget how to walk, or even how to position themselves on a chair. Other symptoms associated with dementia are

  1. Insomnia and abnormal sleep patterns
  2. Hallucinations: They might have sudden fears that someone is coming to kill them or rob them of their properties
  3. Anxiety
  4. Depression
  5. Body tremors
  6. Speech slurring and problems with language.
  7. Memory loss

How is Dementia Currently Treated?

The management of dementia includes both medications, exercise, and psychological therapies. However, the first approach to treating this disease is to identify the cause and try to eliminate it. In cases where it’s caused by an infection, the infection is treated, before further management. Psychological therapies are given to help the patients live their lives comfortably. Patients that have lost the ability to walk are rehabilitated. Medications such as acetylcholinesterase inhibitors and antipsychotic medications are administered.

How Does Stem Cell Therapy Help?

Stem cells have shown a lot of potential in the repair of injured or damaged tissues. Stem cells are cells that can regenerate and also replace dead cells. These cells are capable of identifying dead cells in the body and migrating there to repair or replace. Mesenchymal stem cells are capable of differentiating into specialized cells, including the brain cells. Stem cells, when introduced into the body, can repair the damaged nerve fibers, or replace the dead ones. This therapy comes with no risk of rejection.

References

Duncan, T. and Valenzuela, M. (2017). Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and stem cell therapy. Stem Cell Research & Therapy, 8(1).

LaFerla, F. (2011). Neural Stem cell transplants. Alzheimer’s & Dementia, 7(4), p.S489.

Scerri, C., Abela, S. and Innes, A. (2009). Dementia in Malta: Experiences of dementia patients and their caregivers. Alzheimer’s & Dementia, 5(4), p.P234.

Sugaya, K. (2008). S4-04-03: Stem cell therapeutic strategies for Alzheimer’s. Alzheimer’s & Dementia, 4(4), p.T182.