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Friday, 29 November 2013

Is Dementia Hereditary

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By Jack Morgan


In most cases, people who have been diagnosed with dementia presume that the disease may have possibly been inherited. They then believe that there is a high chance of passing it to their children. There is no need to go by this believe even after many family members with dementia still take it as something that their kin and most of their family members will develop.

In Latin, dementia literally means madness since the condition affects the parts of the brain that are concerned with attention, memory and language. The condition requires about six months before it can be diagnosed. The symptoms become incurable as the disease advances. There are several causes that have linked with causing dementia. They include brain tumors, strokes, mental deterioration and head injuries.

In addition to these causes, genes also play a major role in developing dementia. However, the effects of genes do vary considerably. Gene transmission is commonly based on the different variations of the condition occurring from attack by different diseases. Some forms of dementia such as fronto-temporal and those resulting from Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease have a higher risk of transmitting dementia from parent to child through genes.

It is rare because Huntington's disease is considered to be 'autosomal dominant'. This scientifically refers to a condition whereby dementia disease can only be inherited if there is an existence of a single gene that is faulty.

In most cases, dementia signals as a signal to Alzheimer's disease. Most Alzheimer's sufferers experience vascular dementia which is one of the forms of dementia associated with occurrence of strokes. There are four genes that have been identified and connected with the development of the disease. Three of them affect younger people while one affects older people. People with these genes resulting from family members with an early onset are highly susceptible to developing the condition in their late ages. However, these genes are rare and are transmitted from the parent to their children on a 50 percent basis. This means probably half of the children in a family could have the condition.

They are several types of early onset dementia problems. All of them are caused by mutated genes in certain families. These diseases can be called as hereditary situation. It means that you are able to get these diseases from your parents. All early onset dementia problems are caused by mutated genes.

The best step people should take is to know about their family history even after understanding that it is not mandatory hereditary. If you have a clue about your family history, you will be in a position to predict what may happen in future. Research done at various institutions has been able to establish if the right family history is analysed, a doctor can be able to inform you about the chances of inheriting or passing it to your children.

Secondary dementia can also occur in people having problems with their movement. Primary dementia has a connection with movement problems which are not very clear. Additionally, poisoning and infections can cause dementia in people of all ages. Some infections that occur uniquely in children are also likely to cause the condition. Some of the diseases that are prevalent in children and cause dementia include Niemann-Pick and Batten disease which are hereditary.

Most forms of this condition cannot actually be cured. However, taking the recommended medication and making the right lifestyle choices can greatly slow down the process. Families with a dementia history should have their family members regularly screened to ensure early diagnosis. Doctors can advise patients on the best prescription drugs according to their conditions. Eating right and exercises have a great influence on slowing down the progress of dementia.




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