Difference Between Dilusions and Dementia

Delusions are false thoughts with no logical reason for their existence. The main feature of a delusion is the degree to which the person is convinced that the belief is true. Delusions are a symptom of either a medical, neurological or mental disorder. Some people with dementia have delusions.

Dementia is a term that describes a number of conditions that are caused by problems affecting the brain. The most common symptom with all dementias is short-term memory loss.

Types

• According to an article in "Psychiatry Research," there are two types of delusions that are recognized. Primary delusions arise suddenly with no connection to a person's normal thought process. Most delusions of this type are seen in conjunction with other "psychotic" symptoms like hallucinations or unintelligible speech. A delusion could be a part of a mental disorder such as manic depression, schizophrenia or generalized brain disorders like dementia. Secondary delusions are seen in people who have no psychiatric symptoms. They are influenced by the person's background (ethnic, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, superstitious) or a current stressful living situation. The person has delusions as part of a coping mechanism during a difficult time in his life. Secondary delusions may also be the result of physical illness, or a side effect of a drug.

  There are several types of dementia: Alzheimer's disease (most common), vascular dementia, frontotempotal and Lewy body dementia (least common).

Causes of Delusions

• According to the Merck Manual of Healthy Aging, serious physical illnesses such as a bad infection may cause secondary delusions. Brain abnormalities from dementia, a stroke or tumor, excessive consumption of alcohol or sleep deprivation can lead to primary delusions. A side effect associated with some drugs is experiencing delusions.

  According to Karl Jaspers, psychiatrist and philosopher, who is the first to define the three main criteria for a belief to be considered delusional, primary delusions (sometimes called true delusions) are described by listing several types. One type is called delusional intuition, where delusions have no outside cause or influence. Another type is delusional perception where a normal concert has a delusional meaning. There is also delusional atmosphere where the world seems evil and the delusional person can somehow get rid of the evilness by having this delusion. Another type, delusional memory, is where a delusional belief is based upon the recalling of a false memory of a past experience.

Causes of Dementia

• According to the Alzheimer's Association, dementia is an umbrella term used to describe a group of diseases that affect a persons memory and thinking skills. The causes of all types of dementia are not completely understood. Scientists know that the accumulation of abnormal protein that develops in the brains of many people with dementia affect the communication of one brain cell to another; however why these proteins develop in some people is still at question by the medical profession.

  In Alzheimer's disease, the formation and accumulation of abnormal proteins seem to be at the root of this disease. It is unclear why these abnormal proteins develop in the first place.

  In vascular dementia, the blood vessels in the brain become hard and inflexible because of high blood pressure, poor diet or smoking. This then causes poor blood flow in the brain leading to memory loss and confusion.

  In frontotemporal lobe dementia, abnormal proteins may form. This leads to confusion and bizarre behavior. The frontotemporal part of the brain is affected. This is the only clue that someone may have this disease, so functions that this part of the brain control such as personality, ability to concentrate, social skills, motivation and reasoning are abnormal.

  In Lewy Body dementia, abnormal structures called Lewy Bodies develop. This causes information going through the brain to be disrupted because nerve cells in the brain do not function correctly.
  There can be more than one type of dementia affecting a person at the same time.

Onset

• Delusions can develop slowly or rapidly depending on the cause. The rapid onset of delusions in a person with dementia often means that there is an underlying medical problem.

  According to the article, "Perspectives on the Onset of Delusions," in Clinical Psychology Psychotherapy, there are many descriptions in the research literature about the onset of delusions. It is still unclear whether there is one specific mechanism or several for a person to develop delusions. The role that social difficulties take remains questionable.

  Dementia itself has a slow onset with an uncertain starting point. Often a person may not realize he has dementia initially. It is only after his memory deteriorates over time that he realizes that something is wrong. A person should seek medical advice when his memory problems interfere with his daily life.

  The only accurate way to diagnose dementia is by doing an autopsy. Doctors have devised a few ways to help identify dementia with some degree of accuracy while the patient is still living. For the most part, doctors rule out treatable conditions by doing a physical, and neurological and neuropsychological exams, as well as run several blood tests and a brain scan.

Treatment

• According to the Merck Manual of Healthy Aging, treatment of delusions involves finding the root cause. If the cause is an underlying medical problem like a urinary tract infection, then treating the problem often eliminates the delusion. If the cause is some sort of a mental illness such as dementia then a health care worker, family and friends must reassure the person rather than confront him about his delusions. These individuals often get better if they take anti-psychotic drugs.

  According to the Alzheimer's Association, people with dementia can be treated with drugs classified as cholinesterase inhibitors These drugs slow the breakdown of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which is reduced in the brains of people with dementia. These drugs only prevent deterioration and do not cure the dementia. After about a year, drugs are less effective in slowing down the progression of dementia because even though the level of acetylcholine declines less than it would have without any medication, it reaches a level where brain cells cannot communicate with each other effectively. Sometimes it is necessary for a dementia victim to take drugs that control specific unwanted behavior symptoms. These drugs may be antidepressants, anti-anxiety or anti-psychotic medications.