Possible senile dementia in a 81 years old man

Dear Ask The Doctor: My Father-in-law has had episodes where he is fine then all of sudden he can't speak, is disoriented, and his words make no sense. The episodes last about 5 minutes. During his last one, 5 days ago, he stated that he couldn't momentarily see. All of the tests the Dr has performed show nothing. Today they placed a scope up through his groin, to the heart and on up through his neck. Nothing. He repeats things constantly and talks constantly. A CAT and MRI have shown nothing. We are thinking the onset of Dementia but have said nothing to his wife or the Dr about that. What are your suggestions? He is 81 years old.

Dear Kevin: According to your description of the episodes and the age of your father in law this might be an onset of Senile Dementia. There are many types of Dementia, the most common is Alzheimer’s disease in people aged 65 and older. Research studies show that up to 4 million people in the United States are currently living with the disease: one in ten people over the age of 65 and nearly half of those over 85 have Alzheimer's disease. At the onset we can see memory impairment, lapses of judgment and subtle personality changes, as the disease progresses the memory and language problem are worse, is more difficult to perform daily living activities, and may become disoriented about place and time, also become hostile, agitated and depressed. The other causes of Dementia in older people are: Vascular (caused by a stroke or cardiovascular problems), dementia associated to HIV, chronic traumatic encephalopathy (Boxer’s Syndrome), and some other types very uncommon. It is important to rule out any treatable condition as depression, normal pressure hydrocephalus, vitamin B12 deficiency before to make a Senile Dementia diagnosis. Besides the physical exam, neurologic exam (including the Mini mental state examination), Brain scans, lab tests, a psychiatric evaluation must be done. Regarding the treatment, there are medications currently available that improve the symptoms and slow the progress of the disease, but they do not halt the disease or reverse the existing brain damage.