Friday, December 6, 2013

Do Genes Play A Role In The Spread Of Dementia?

By Jack Morgan


Is dementia hereditary? Well this is the perspective most dementia sufferers have about their condition. Before understanding whether it is hereditary it is necessary to understand what it is about. It refers to the loss of cognitive ability resulting from global brain injury or a disease that causes memory loss.

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.

More than 80 families in the world have this APP gene mutation process on their chromosome 21. This is a rare condition that may happen in some families worldwide. This condition leads to the accumulation of protein amyloid on your brain. This amyloid can result on the dementia problem.

Parents can contract dementia as a result of gene combination as well as lifestyle factors. A child born to them is unlikely to inherit all the genes susceptible to the disease. Despite this fact, such children have a higher to contract the disease as compared to those without a dementia relative.

Some families may suffer from early onset dementia problem because they have mutation on their PSEN-2 gene on their chromosome 1. This is another cause of familial dementia problems. Some people may suffer from this disease because they have these mutated genes in their body. This is the most uncommon dementia problem in the world.

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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