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Symptoms could include:
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Personality Change
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Unable to Stand
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Unable to Speak
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Writhing Movements
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Additional symptoms that may be associated with this disease:.Once symptoms appear, the disorder progresses rapidly and may be confused with other types of dementia-- like Alzheimer's disease. Both forms of CJD, however, are distinguished by extre...
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Balance and coordination disturbance(ataxia) is common in CJD and is more pronounced in nvCJD. Stiffness, difficulty moving, and other features characteristic of Parkinson's disease may develop and can progress to akinetic mutism, or a state of be...
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All forms of CJD are caused by the presence of a faulty protein in the brain, called prion. Prions occur in both a normal form, which is a harmless protein found in the body's cells, and in an infectious form, which causes disease.
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Dementia is a loss of brain function that occurs with certain diseases.Chronic brain syndrome; Lewy body dementia; DLB; Vascular dementia.The two major causes of non-reversible(degenerative) dementia are:.Alzheimer''s disease Loss of brain function...
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This report is an important reference tool for patients and caregivers alike. Offers information on the symptoms, causes, and treatments for this debilitating condition, as well as caregiving tips.
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As we age, we face an increased risk of diminished mental capacity. But a combination of continued mental stimulation, proper diet and attention to health matters, and physical activity can help ward off mental problems.
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Second-generation antipsychotic drugs are sometimes being used to treat dementia in the elderly, but the potential side effects and other risks outweight the benefits in many instances.
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Many older adults are healthy, active, and alert. But sometimes older people become confused and forgetful. They can also seem anxious, depressed, or withdrawn. These changes may be the result of a primary dementia.
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HDL, the "good" cholesterol, helps prevent heart disease, but there is some evidence that suggests it may also help protect against strokes, and possibly dementia as well.
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Research suggests that people with more active brains are less susceptible to dementia. It may be that their brains perform mental tasks more efficiently, thus creating a reserve of brain capacity.
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Dementia is a condition characterized by a progressive, irreversible decline in mental ability, accompanied by changes in behavior and personality. There is commonly a loss of memory and skills that are required to carry out activities of daily li...
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The term dementia refers to symptoms, including changes in memory, personality, and behavior, that result from a change in the functioning of the brain. These declining changes are severe enough to impair the ability of a person to perform a funct...
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Dementia is not a specific disorder or disease. It is a syndrome(group of symptoms) associated with a progressive loss of memory and other intellectual functions that is serious enough to interfere with performing the tasks of daily life.
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Dementia is a loss of mental ability severe enough to interfere with normal activities of daily living, lasting more than six months, not present since birth, and not associated with a loss or alteration of consciousness.Dementia is a group of sym...
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Dementia is not a specific disorder or disease. It is a syndrome(group of symptoms) associated with a progressive loss of memory and other intellectual functions that is serious enough to interfere with the tasks of daily life.
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Dementia is not a specific disorder or disease. It is a syndrome(group of symptoms) associated with a progressive loss of memory and other intellectual functions that is serious enough to interfere with the tasks of daily life.
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Dementia is a loss of mental ability severe enough to interfere with normal activities of daily living, lasting more than six months, not present since birth, and not associated with a loss or alteration of consciousness.Dementia is a group of sym...
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Dementia is a condition characterized by a chronic decline in cognitive functions contrasted with a person''s usual state of functioning. It is seen most often in people sixty-five years and older, and the incidence increases with age.
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Confusion is the inability to think with your usual speed or clarity, including feeling disoriented and having difficulty paying attention, remembering, and making decisions.Disorientation; Thinking- unclear; Thoughts- cloudy.Confusion may come on...
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Delirium is sudden severe confusion and rapid changes in brain function that occur with physical or mental illness.Delirium is most often caused by physical or mental illness and is usually temporary and reversible. Many disorders cause delirium, ...
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This patient summary on delirium is adapted from a summary written for health professionals by cancer experts. This and other credible information about cancer treatment, screening, prevention, supportive care, and ongoing clinical trials, is available from the National Cancer Institute. Delirium and similar disorders occur in about 15% to 20% of hospitalized cancer patients and in over 75% of terminally ill cancer patients. This brief summary describes delirium experienced by cancer patients, its causes and treatment.
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Delirium is usually temporary, but older people who experience delirium may suffer permanent damage. It is believed that delirium is linked to dementia, but more research must be done before any conclusions can be made.
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Delirium is a state of mental confusion that develops quickly and usually fluctuates in intensity.Delirium is a syndrome, or group of symptoms, caused by a disturbance in the normal functioning of the brain. The delirious patient has a reduced awa...
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Delirium is a medical condition characterized by a vascillating general disorientation, which is accompanied by cognitive impairment, mood shift, self-awareness, and inability to attend(the inability to focus and maintain attention). The change oc...
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Delirium is a transient, abrupt, usually reversible syndrome characterized by a disturbance that impairs consciousness, cognition(ability to think), and perception.The word delirium is derived from the Latin delirare which literally translates"to ...
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Disorientation, the lack of being able to correctly identify oneself, one's location, or the date and time, is a sign of an altered mental status. An alteration in mental status is often an indication of a serious medical problem, requiring prompt medical attention.
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Personality changes are alterations in the behavior, thinking and interactions of a person from their established character. These changes may be indicative of chemical dependencies, psychiatric illness, dementia, trauma, illness, altered body chemistry or temperature, or poisoning.
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Speech and language impairment may be any of several problems that make it difficult to communicate.Language impairment; Impairment of speech; Inability to speak; Aphasia; Dysarthria; Slurred speech; Dysphonia voice disorders.
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Dysarthria is a speech diagnostic term that can be used to classify various types of neuromuscular speech disturbances. Dysarthria results from notable degrees of one or more abnormalities involving speech musculature, including weakness, paralysi...
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Dysarthria is a speech problem caused by a lack of control over muscles in the face and mouth. This problem may occur if the brain is damaged. A person who has dysarthria knows which words to use, but may not be able to make the right sounds.
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Dysarthria is a group of speech impairments due to weakness, incoordination, spasticity, rigidity, or irregular movements caused by damage to the nervous system.Speech abilities depend on the coordinated function of muscles of respiration, phonati...
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Dysarthria occurs when the part of the brain that controls speech production is damaged. When this happens, the muscles needed to make certain sounds can't be used fully. A speech therapist (an expert trained in speech rehabilitation) will find out how dysarthria is affecting the patient's speech. Then rehabilitation (rehab) can focus on improving those speech problems.
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Muscle atrophy is the wasting or loss of muscle tissue.
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Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder that causes excessive sleepiness and frequent daytime sleep attacks.Narcolepsy is a neurological disorder, not a mental illness. The exact cause is unknown.
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When drowsiness occurs most of the time or causes a person to fall asleep at inappropriate times, quality of life and performance can be affected.
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Narcolepsy is a neurological disorder characterized by uncontrollable episodes of sleepiness during the day. Episodes can last from a few seconds to more than an hour and can significantly interfere with daily activities.People with narcolepsy oft...
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Narcolepsy is a disorder marked by excessive daytime sleepiness, uncontrollable sleep attacks, and cataplexy(a sudden loss of muscle tone, usually lasting up to half an hour).Narcolepsy is the second-leading cause of excessive daytime sleepiness(a...
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Narcolepsy is a disorder of the nervous system marked by excessive daytime sleepiness, uncontrollable sleep attacks, and cataplexy(a sudden loss of muscle tone, usually lasting up to half an hour). The American Psychiatric Association(APA) classif...
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Narcolepsy is a disorder marked by excessive daytime sleepiness, uncontrollable sleep attacks, and cataplexy(a sudden loss of muscle tone, usually lasting up to half an hour).Narcolepsy is the second-leading cause of excessive daytime sleepiness(a...
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Narcolepsy is a disorder marked by excessive daytime sleepiness, uncontrollable sleep attacks, and cataplexy(a sudden loss of muscle tone, usually lasting up to half an hour).Narcolepsy is the second-leading cause of excessive daytime sleepiness(a...
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Narcolepsy is a disorder marked by excessive daytime sleepiness, uncontrollable sleep attacks, and cataplexy(a sudden loss of muscle tone, usually lasting up to half an hour).Narcolepsy is the second-leading cause of excessive daytime sleepiness(a...
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Narcolepsy is a disorder marked by excessive daytime sleepiness, uncontrollable sleep attacks, and cataplexy(a sudden loss of muscle tone, usually lasting up to half an hour).Narcolepsy is the second-leading cause of excessive daytime sleepiness(a...
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Visual impairment or low vision is a severe reduction in vision that can''t be corrected with standard glasses or contact lenses and reduces a person''s ability to function at certain or all tasks. Legal blindness(which is actually a severe visual i...
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When you have low vision, you need more than glasses or contact lenses to see well enough to get around and do day-to-day tasks. Your central or side vision, or both, may be reduced.
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If you have low-vision symptoms, talk to your eye-care professional, who can help you find resources and visual devices to make the most of your remaining vision.
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Detailed information on problems with vision in children Eye disorders that affect vision can be divided into two groups, including the following:
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Detailed information on problems with vision in children There are many problems that can affect your child's vision that require clinical care by a physician or other healthcare professional. Listed in the directory below are some, for which we have provided a brief overview.
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Using vision aids can help you do the things you need and want to do. There are many kinds of vision aids. Low-vision centers and some doctors sell these aids. They also train you to use your aids. And they will talk with you about proper lighting.
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The number of people losing their vision is growing, yet experts say much of this vision loss could be prevented.
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Detailed information on correcting or improving vision problems With today's advanced technology, there are many different approaches now available to help correct or improve a variety of vision problems. Listed below are some, for which we have provided a brief overview.
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Have you noticed the sudden onset of any of these symptoms: vision loss, seeing double, the feeling of a shade over the eye, lights are surrounded by halos, or light sensitivity?
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Reports of a rare eye condition developing in men after use of Viagra are a reminder that erectile dysfunction medications should be used with the same caution given to other prescription drugs.
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Speech disorders treated by speech-language pathologists include voice disorders(abnormalities in pitch, volume, vocal quality, or resonance or duration of sounds), articulation disorders(problems producing speech sounds), and fluency disorders(im...
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Detailed information on speech and voice disorders, including spasmodic dysphonia and stuttering
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The field of speech pathology, formerly known as speech therapy, is concerned with disorders of speech and language. A speech-language pathologist is a professional trained to diagnose and treat language and speech disorders.Speech pathology addre...
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A speech disorder is a communication disorder characterized by an impaired ability to produce speech sounds or normal voice, or to speak fluently.Speech disorders belong to a broad category of disorders called communication disorders that also inc...
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Speech-language pathology is the treatment for the improvement or cure of communication disorders, including speech, language, and swallowing disorders. The term used to describe professionals in this discipline is speech and language pathologist(...
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Speech disorders are characterized by a difficulty in producing normal speech patterns.Children go through many stages of speech production while they are learning to communicate. What is normal in the speech of a child of one age may be a sign of...
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According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association(ASHA), a language disorder is an impairment in comprehension use of the spoken, written, or other symbol system.Speech disorders affect the language and mechanics, the content of speech...
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Walking abnormalities are unusual and uncontrollable walk patterns, usually caused by diseases or injuries to the legs, feet, brain, spine, or inner ear.The pattern of how a person walks is called their gait. Many different types of walking a...
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Muscle twitches are fine movements of a small area of muscle.Muscle twitching is caused by minor muscle contractions in the area, or the uncontrollable twitching of a muscle group that is served by a single motor nerve fiber or filament.Muscle twi...
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Uncoordinated movement is muscle control problem or an inability to finely coordinate movements, which results in a jerky, unsteady, to-and-fro motion of the middle of the body(trunk) and unsteady gait(walking style). The condition is called ataxi...
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Ataxia, a medical term originated from the Greek language meaning"without order," refers to disturbances in the control of body posture, motor coordination, speech control, and eye movements. Several brain areas, including the cerebellum and the s...
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Detailed information on ataxia, including sporadic ataxia and the hereditary ataxias
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Ataxia, an extreme lack of coordination of the muscles, is a symptom of damage to the central nervous system. People with ataxia typically stand with feet planted far apart, and sway while standing, struggling to maintain balance.
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Developmental coordination disorder is diagnosed when children do not develop normal motor coordination(coordination of movements involving the voluntary muscles).Developmental coordination disorder has been known by many other names, some of whic...
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Myoclonus is a brief, rapid, shock-like jerking movement.Myoclonus can be a symptom of a separate disorder, or can be the only or primary neurological finding, in which case it is termed"essential myoclonus." Myoclonus may occur in epilepsy, or fo...
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Falls are a common source of injury, particularly in the elderly population. They are more likely to occur if impairments in balance, strength, perception, joint range of motion, postural function or coordination are present.
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Aimed at older adults, this report provides practical advice on how to avoid common and often deadly accidents at home.
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Detailed information on preventing falls in children and the elderly More than 2.5 million emergency room visits each year are related to childhood falls, while more than 1.6 million adults ages 65 and over sustain injuries in falls each year. Most falls are not age-related and can often be prevented, however, age does tend to play a role in the type of fall. For instance, infants are more likely to fall from furniture, while older adults tend to fall more often due to tripping. Consider the following facts:
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Many older people fall because of unsafe surroundings at home. Use these suggestions to safeguard against some likely household hazards.
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Although it's impossible to prevent all falls, you can help keep yourself safe by improving your balance and employing "fall-proofing" behaviors.
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As we get older, our balance tends to diminish. Exercise, in addition to its many other benefits, can help regain or maintain balance and control.
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Hallucinations involve sensing things that aren''t there while a person is awake and conscious.Feeling a crawling sensation on the skin Hearing voices when no one has spoken Seeing patterns, lights, beings, or objects that aren''t there.Many recreat...
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A hallucination is a false perception occurring without any identifiable external stimulus and indicates an abnormality in perception. The false perceptions can occur in any of the five sensory modalities.
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Hallucinations are false or distorted sensory experiences that appear to be real perceptions. These sensory impressions are generated by the mind rather than by any external stimuli, and may be seen, heard, felt, and even smelled or tasted.A hallu...
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Unsteady gait is a symptom of instability while walking. Problems with walking can be due to disease or injury to the legs, feet, spine, or brain.
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Gait and balance problems exist when a disease process, trauma, or aging result in the inability to control one''s center of gravity(COG) over the base of support(BOS) in static or dynamic tasks and environments.Any number of factors may contribute...
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Gait or walking is a coordinated action of the neuromuscular and musculoskeletal systems. The coordination of muscle contraction, joint movement, and sensory perception allows the human body to move in the environment.
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Gait training refers to helping a patient relearn to walk safely and efficiently. Gait training is usually done by rehabilitation specialists who evaluate the abnormalities in the person''s gait and employ such treatments as strengthening and balan...
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Visual disturbances are abnormalities of sight. Visual disturbances associated with neurological disorders often include double vision(diplopia), moving or blurred vision due to nystagmus(involuntary rapid movements of the eyes), reduced visual ac...
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Hazy vision, cloudy vision, blurred vision are all problems with seeing clearly. Any change in your normal vision is cause for concern and is a good reason to call a doctor for an examination.
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