Childhood Dementia: Elders' Disease in Children
"Forgetting is a normal thing." "Forgetting makes us human." These kinds of phrases are often heard in both casual and formal conversation, especially when someone forgets something. Severe forgetfulness is called senility. Although it is commonly referred to as "the elders' disease," senility can also affect youth. It's known as childhood dementia.
What is dementia?
Forgetting is natural and humane. No matter how powerful the human brain is, it cannot remember all of the information offered. Some of their own memories can survive a long time—even a lifetime—while others do not. Have you ever gone completely blank when you wanted to call someone you met less than half an hour ago? That is typical forgetfulness.
If it worsens, forgetting can signify senility or dementia, a disorder in which the brain's nerve cells stop functioning. For example, something that used to be simple becomes complex because you have forgotten how to do it. Gradually, more and more are forgotten than remembered. Be cautious if you've reached this point!
In addition to memory loss and Alzheimer's disease, senility is characterized by diminished reasoning ability and logical thinking.
Dementia is frequently related to aging. It's not so weird, considering everyone experiences a decline in brain function as they age. This fact also contributes to dementia worsening rather than improving. But take note that dementia is not a normal part of the aging process.
What about childhood dementia, then? What was the cause?
Childhood dementia and its signs
Childhood dementia is caused by gradual brain nerve cell degeneration or by more than 70 rare genetic abnormalities. Childhood dementia is not contagious because it is a congenital condition.
Dementia in children, like dementia in adults, causes a set of symptoms related to diminished brain function, namely
- Memory loss.
- Confusion.
- Difficulty focusing, comprehending, learning, and communicating.Personality changes.
- Severe sleep disruption.
- Behavioral problems, such as hyperactivity.
- Emotional problems, such as anxiety and fear.
Other symptoms that can also be experienced are:
- Convulsions.
- Loss of sight and hearing.
- Loss of motor skills.
- Have problems with bones, joints, the cardiovascular system, or the digestive system.
The above symptoms can appear at various ages. Keep in mind that childhood dementia is not a cause of stupidity. This disease is the inability of a child to maximize his thinking power due to problems with the central nervous system.
Each case of childhood dementia is unique. In certain cases, symptoms begin in children as young as babies and then rapidly improve. In other cases, new symptoms emerge when youngsters reach their adolescent years. Either way, children have one major issue in common: dementia is progressive—it worsens with time.
It's painful to see an elderly man become dim with dementia, but it's much more heartbreaking to see a child lose skills they've delightfully developed, such as writing, reading, talking, walking, and playing. Their brains will gradually lose the ability to keep the body functioning properly and support their lives.
Diagnosis
According to www.childhooddementia.org, around 700,000 children worldwide suffer from dementia. This indicates that one out of every 2,800 babies is born with a disease that leads to childhood dementia. This figure is higher than for newborns born with cystic fibrosis, a disorder in which the body's mucus is thicker and stickier.
Childhood dementia is frequently linked to Batten's disease (NCL), an uncommon and lethal neurodegenerative condition. Your doctor may offer the following tests to see if your child is at risk of having NCL:
- Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
- Brain computed tomography (CT) scan
- Electroencephalogram (EEG)
- Genetic testing
- Skin biopsy
- Eye autofluorescence
Treatment
There is now no treatment or medication available to prevent or reduce the progression of dementia caused by neurodegenerative diseases (NCL).
The treatment available usually simply addresses the symptoms. For example, relax muscles to relieve muscle stiffness symptoms; use sleep treatment to treat insomnia or other sleep disorders; use anti-seizure medications to avoid epilepsy; and use antidepressants to address changes in behavior and personality.
Children with dementia may require care for the rest of their lives. During their treatment, they may receive physical therapy, occupational therapy, talk therapy, mental health therapy, and nutritional guidance.
Childhood dementia seems impossible to prevent. Even so, enriching knowledge will not be in vain or detrimental.
If you have questions regarding childhood dementia, click on WhatsApp.
