It wears out over the years. This manifests itself in diseases of bones and joints, and in the occurrence of dysfunctions internal organs, and, what is especially terrible, in the death of brain cells.

Symptoms of a person falling into insanity

In fact, not every person loses mental clarity with age. There are also well-known honored workers of research institutes over the age of 80, and teachers of complex disciplines in universities who have long since retired. However, insanity is not so rare disease, and the signs that it is just around the corner are worth talking about separately.

It happens that an elderly person gradually becomes grumpy, irritable, unkempt in clothes and forgetful. Often, relatives and friends treat this as an inevitable deterioration in character that occurs as a result of natural causes. Considering behavior to be a type of norm, they waste precious time and turn to only when deviations in the behavior of an elderly relative become impossible to tolerate.

It should be understood that senile insanity, also known as dementia, is a disease, and only a qualified psychiatrist can make such a diagnosis. If you suspect that one of your relatives is experiencing age-related personality decline, then by any means arrange a face-to-face consultation with a practicing specialist.

Clear signs of senile insanity

Most clear symptom The onset of dementia is sloppiness and untidiness. He also has difficulty performing normal daily activities, such as going to the store or cleaning. At this stage, a person is still able to take care of himself, but he needs someone from his family to remind him of this.

Another sign of the initial stage of senile insanity is a deterioration in a person’s memory along with a violation of the concept of time. Moreover, in unfamiliar places a person may lose orientation.

Finally, one of the first “bells” that may indicate the onset of insanity is a person’s reluctance to communicate with others. This craving for solitude is especially strange for the loved ones of those who have always been extroverts.

If there are two or more signs that may indicate the onset of dementia, it is better to consult a doctor so as not to trigger a possible disease.

This disease is quite common in old age, so when communicating with patients, you need to know everything about marasmus in order to take into account the peculiarities of its manifestation and impact on a person’s character.

Marasmus is a specific condition characteristic of old age, which consists of a decline in psychophysical activity caused by depletion and destruction of the cerebral cortex.

Premature marasmus can be caused by early destruction of brain tissue as a result of illness or injury.

Causes of insanity

Marasmus can develop even in childhood due to poor feeding, acute infectious diseases affecting the central nervous system, congenital syphilis, suppuration.

The causes of marasmus in adulthood are the same infectious diseases, injuries, mercury poisoning, complicated gastrointestinal diseases accompanied by metabolic disorders.

At the same time, in our time there is such a reason as atrophic change cerebral cortex, which currently remains poorly understood. We should not forget about the presence genetic predisposition, and also that insanity in old age it is essentially a genetically programmed process.

Symptoms of insanity

The first signs of this disease can manifest themselves at the age of 40, and at 60 it develops fully. It has now been proven that a decrease in mental and intellectual abilities in middle age is the onset of the disease.

Outwardly, insanity manifests itself by weight loss, dry skin and a change in its shade to earthy gray. A weakening of strength and “decrepancy” sets in; the patient’s appetite is disturbed and the work of the heart is markedly weakened, which in some cases in rare cases ends with his death. The patient suffers from blindness, deafness, and hair tends to become brittle and fall out.

The first symptoms of insanity are also noticeable in changes in the patient’s judgment and an exacerbation of his reluctance to change. Elderly man adheres to a strictly defined habitual way of life for himself, reacts aggressively to any changes in it and to the appearance of dissidents in his environment, showing intolerance towards them.

Such patients are characterized by nostalgia for their past, even though it could be extremely pale and meager. The course of the disease itself is so slow and sluggish that for a long time remains unnoticed, but the symptoms are constantly increasing.

Among clinical symptoms characterized by dementia, up to absolute. IN physical condition exhaustion, high fragility of bones and degeneration of internal organs are observed. Average duration The course of the disease is 5-8 years, while it can be weakened by the risk of infectious diseases, previous operations, and weakening of the heart.

Signs of insanity also include an exacerbation of certain personality traits: gloominess, grumpiness, constant anxiety, a tendency to conflict and self-centeredness appear. Characteristic is a tendency to lower instincts - collecting unnecessary things, vagrancy, gluttony.

Gradually, the level of judgment and thinking decreases in patients, memory and vocabulary. Initially, the disease manifests itself as severe depression and depression, accompanied by a lack of desires and grumpiness. Later, a state of peculiar euphoria develops, with periods of complacency, carelessness and indifference.

About senile insanity

Nowadays, quite a lot is known about senile insanity. It has been established that the most common cause of the disease is problems vascular diseases, especially hypertension. Despite the fact that this disease Women are most likely to be prone to this; obese men also have increased risk.

Also, one of the factors provoking senile insanity in the future is. Do not forget about various intoxications, viral diseases, long-term use certain medications, such as barbiturates or tranquilizers.

If we talk about the symptoms of senile insanity itself, then it is worth noting bright and pronounced changes in personality: if the patient was previously thrifty, then he becomes greedy, sociable turns into obsessive, energetic becomes fussy. Old people develop selfishness, resentment, excessive suspicion and distrust even of their family.

To prevent the development of senile insanity decisive role play intellectual and physical development, which have a positive effect on exchange and active processes in the cerebral cortex, prevent further atrophy. Vitamin therapy is also recommended. It is necessary to know everything about marasmus, since in some cases patients retain part of their consciousness and can hide their illness, while normally the patient does not lose critical thinking regarding yourself.

Treatment of senile insanity is based on psychosocial therapy and the use of some drug therapy. The patient needs family support and help; if possible, he should not be sent to specialized hospitals, since a change of environment can only aggravate the course of the disease.

Treatment of insanity

The possibility of using drug therapy in the case of marasmus is very limited. The priority is supervision and care of the sick, as they quickly lose the ability to perform everyday self-care.

In some cases, due to mental disinhibition, patients can pose a danger both to themselves and to others.

It is necessary to try to give the patient the most active daily routine, which will help prevent pulmonary pathology, weakening of the heart, loss of appetite and the appearance of bedsores. Insomnia is usually eliminated by normalizing the daily schedule, walking fresh air. Vitamin therapy is prescribed, sometimes nootropics that improve metabolic processes in the brain. Treatment of marasmus can be improved by controlling the symptoms of vascular diseases.

Memory, intelligence and speech, provoked by changes in molecular exchange between cells in the cerebral cortex caused by for various reasons. And the more pronounced these changes are, the more severe senile dementia, called dementia in medicine, occurs. In this case, an elderly person loses not only his existing knowledge, experience, and ability to learn, but also his own personality.

About what causes dementia, how many years people live with this diagnosis, and what they look like different types we will discuss this pathology later in the article.

Classification of dementia

Noticing that the habits, character and communication abilities of an elderly person living nearby are changing, relatives begin to worry, fearing the worst case scenario - total dementia, which, as a rule, turns out to be a harbinger of imminent death loved one. Is this true? How quickly does the brain age?

To understand this, you need to determine what type of dementia you have encountered. In medicine there are different classifications of this pathology. And since she is not independent disease, then, depending on the main problem that caused it, they divide following types dementia:

• An atrophic type of disease (provoked by Alzheimer's or Pick's disease), which occurs against the background of initial degenerative reactions occurring in the cells of the central nervous system.
• Vascular, caused by atherosclerosis and hypertension. It occurs due to impaired blood circulation in the brain.
• Mixed type - the development of this pathology has mechanisms similar to both the atrophic type and the vascular one.

Causes of dementia

The described problems can begin their destructive effect both as a result of the natural aging process of the body, and as a result of diseases of internal organs, ailments thyroid gland, neurological and vascular pathologies(such as ischemia, arterial hypertension, atherosclerosis, etc.).

Intoxication with alcohol or drugs can also push the body to pathological changes. Has a destructive effect chronic poisoning poisonous chemical compounds in production.

Strokes, tumors and head injuries can also sever neural connections which will ultimately lead to dementia.

True, cases have been recorded when the causes of dementia lie not in the process of natural aging or the listed diseases, but in taking medicines. In such cases, the process is reversible if the amount of such drugs is limited or discontinued.

Dementia due to Alzheimer's disease

Most often the reasons causing development hidden in organic damage those areas of the brain that are responsible for human thinking and memory. And the most common among them is Alzheimer's dementia, that is, dementia resulting from degenerative processes in neurons and destruction of synaptic connections.

During this illness nerve cells In the patient's brain, amyloid (protein) plaques are formed, as well as neurofibrillary tangles, which ultimately causes the death of these cells. Pathological areas atrophy as a result of these processes, and damage over time affects the entire brain, and this process, alas, is irreversible.

How does Alzheimer's dementia develop?

All cases of Alzheimer's disease are characterized primarily by an increase in short-term memory impairment, and as it progresses, a narrowing of the range of interests, insufficient resourcefulness, inattention, passivity, slowness of thinking and motor reactions, and irritability.

Later, patients discover a lack of understanding of the events taking place around them; they can repeat what was said for a long time, treat others inadequately, and uncritically treat themselves. And over time, they may develop paranoid ideas and hallucinations.

Total dementia in this case is accompanied by muscle rigidity and loss of control over urination and bowel movement. Epileptic seizures may occur.

How long people live with dementia of this type depends on many reasons, and on average it is about 6 years, but the process can last as long as 20. As a rule, intercurrent (random) diseases that arise against the background of dementia lead to death.

Alzheimer's disease, according to statistics, is the cause of dementia in 70% of recorded cases. But, unfortunately, not only this pathology can push to the onset of the development of dementia.

Vascular dementia: causes and symptoms

Against the background of cerebral circulatory disorders, it develops vascular dementia. In older people, as already mentioned, it can be triggered by atherosclerosis, hypertension, cerebral vascular ischemia, arrhythmia, heart defects, pathologies of the heart valves or increased content in blood lipids. By the way, among the male population, the predisposition to the vascular form of dementia is one and a half times higher than among women.

At the initial stage of the disease, symptoms are expressed by irritability, increased fatigue, sleep disturbances, lethargy and headaches. At the same time, absent-mindedness and depressive experiences become systematic.

Subsequently, the patient's memory is noticeably impaired. This is expressed in disorientation, as well as in forgetting names, dates, etc.

By the way, how dementia develops and how many years patients with this diagnosis live directly depends on whether they have had a stroke in their history. In this case, life expectancy is greatly reduced. Neurological symptoms of this pathology are: hemiparesis, rigidity, disturbances in speech, swallowing, walking and urination.

Is it possible to avoid missing the onset of dementia? Signs of the disease

Unfortunately, initial stages It is almost impossible to detect the onset of dementia, since it is a long and slow process that can last 10-15 years. A person’s memory for what happened recently gradually deteriorates, but memories of events that happened long ago are retained.

Dementia in older people mainly involves loss of learning and intelligence. It is increasingly difficult for patients to navigate in space and time. And soon it turns out that it is already quite difficult for them to select the right words, and their speech is noticeably impoverished. By the way, no less problems arise in the process of operating with numbers.

Interestingly, some people are able to hide the signs of dementia for a long time, avoiding complex actions (for example, calculating checkbook). And they are revealed by a noticeably reduced interest in reading and any type of activity. Those who cannot rebuild their lives find themselves in a difficult situation, since their ability to perform everyday duties is reduced - the person constantly forgets about important things or does them incorrectly.

How does dementia begin to develop?

Of course, the development of dementia and life expectancy with this disease depend on many reasons: health status, past illnesses, personal characteristics, attitudes of others and much more. But if we talk about the signs of the disease in general, then we can highlight some common features of the changes occurring in a person:

• Most often, changes in the patient’s character become especially noticeable. His individual personality traits become aggravated, for example, frugality develops into stinginess, and perseverance into stubbornness.
• It is increasingly difficult, or rather impossible, for a person to change his established view of events. He develops conservatism.
• Thought processes deteriorate.
• Often the listed signs are followed by violations moral standards behavior (patients with dementia lose their sense of shame, the concept of duty, their spiritual values ​​and life interests are leveled).

Over time, noticeable changes in the state of memory and disturbances in temporal and spatial orientation begin. True, the characteristics of behavior, gestures and speech of a particular person remain unchanged for a long time.

The last stage of dementia development

As is known, the most rapid decline of the patient occurs in the last, severe stage of the disease. The development of dementia at this time is characterized by trembling of the fingers, impaired coordination and gait, and exhaustion. The patient's speech becomes choppy, and information about himself becomes fragmentary.

An elderly person in this condition can no longer take care of himself, eat, and observe basic hygiene rules without outside help. Most patients experience a disturbance in the process of urination. This can be either stagnant processes or uncontrolled urine output.

The disease shortens the lives of those who suffer from it, due to the fact that in the severe stage of dementia the patient is no longer able to report ailments to the doctor, and in addition, older people most often do not develop fever or leukocytosis as a response to infection. In this situation, the doctor has to rely only on his insight and experience, but, unfortunately, any associated infection can cause the death of such a patient.

Features of the course of senile dementia

It is interesting that the so-called senile, or senile, dementia in older people sometimes demonstrates a clear dissociation between obvious dementia and forms of behavior that have remained unchanged. The patient's previous demeanor, gestures, correct speech, and lively intonation remain unchanged. All this often misleads outsiders. He thinks he's talking to absolutely healthy person, and only by chance asked question discovers that the old man who speaks so interestingly, reporting a lot of examples from the past, is not able to say how old he is, whether he has a family, where he lives and who he is talking to now.

Senile dementia in older people in most cases is not accompanied by psychotic conditions that are inherent in the vascular form of this disease. This, of course, greatly makes life easier for both the patient and his loved ones, since such a patient does not cause serious trouble to those around him.

But often this category of patients also exhibits signs of psychosis, which are accompanied by insomnia or inversion (time shift) of sleep. These patients may experience hallucinations, increased suspicion, and mood swings from tenderness to aggression.

And to provoke all these severe symptoms may changes in blood sugar levels, pressure changes and other health problems. Therefore, it is very important to protect elderly people with dementia from all kinds of diseases, both chronic and acute.

Why does senile dementia occur?

For what reason does it appear? senile dementia in the elderly, why in these cases the human brain begins to age faster than normal is not yet completely clear.

Some researchers believe that in old age, immune regulation disorders appear, which causes autoimmune processes. And the resulting autoantibodies damage brain cells. Cerebrospinal fluid, which normally contains immunocompetent cells that play a protective role, in old age greatly changes their ratio and properties, which leads to pathological changes in the central nervous system.

Dementia in older people is also caused by a genetic factor. It was found that the risk of the disease increases 4.3 times in those families where there were already cases of this pathology. Somatic diseases can reveal symptoms that were previously mild senile dementia, change its picture and accelerate the rate of progression, while timely elimination of these ailments may, in some cases, lead to a slower development of dementia.

Life expectancy of patients diagnosed with dementia, at what age to expect it

Researchers from the University of Cambridge identified patients with an established diagnosis of senile dementia. How many years such patients live, according to scientists, largely depends on external factors, but on average it is 4.5-5 years.

By the way, statistical data confirm that dementia between the ages of 60 and 69 occurs in approximately 2% of cases, and after 80 years, up to 20% of older people are susceptible to it. By age 90, the risk of developing the disease increases to 45%.

Although it should be noted that the figures given are very approximate, since a fairly large percentage of older people do not come under the supervision of psychiatrists because they do not have psychotic states, and it all comes down to problems with memory, intelligence and minor mood swings. Such patients are found in families, it is quite convenient to care for them, and they do not create big problems for their loved ones.

Speaking about how long people with dementia live, it should be emphasized once again that very few people die from this diagnosis. These include only those who died from accidents associated with the characteristics of this disease. Mostly, death occurs from a stroke or heart attack, most often accompanying the vascular form of the disease.

What is the prognosis for dementia

Being increasingly common in older people, the described pathology is mostly irreversible, and modern medicine, unfortunately, can only slow down the process or remove unpleasant symptoms arising from a diagnosis of dementia.

It is difficult to say exactly how many years people live with this disease, since, for example, with the rapid progression of the vascular form death possible in just a few months. The cause is most often sepsis (in bedridden patients) or pneumonia.

When a person in old age or senility completely loses his character, the ability to think clearly and react adequately, then many relatives begin to see him as senile or weak-minded. Few will answer the question of what senile insanity actually is. People consider insanity to be a common manifestation of old age. Meanwhile, this is a disease that can be prevented and treated.

Description of the disease

Insanity does not arise out of nowhere. It is preceded by gradual changes in brain function that last throughout adult life person. Atrophy of some brain functions and the breakdown of its cells lead to various types hydrocyanic dementia, that is, acquired dementia. Without treatment, dementia quickly progresses and enters the final stage - senile insanity.

Marasmus is a disease, and any disease can and should be treated.

There is no need to focus your attention on the word “senile”, believing that insanity is characteristic only of old people. This word characterizes not the old age of a person, but the old age of the brain. You can turn into a senile person at any age, depending on how hard you try to become one.

Insanity is mental illness, which leads to physiological and functional changes in the brain. The disease is diagnosed by psychiatrists, of whom people are so afraid, but in vain. A timely visit to this doctor can save a life. If the disease is not treated, there is a risk of sudden death. The causes of marasmus are vast and understanding them can help a lot.

Insanity creeps up unnoticed, nothing signals it, no one notices the weak “bells”, or simply does not attach importance to them. Therefore, it is important to learn everything about the disease, be vigilant and prevent its occurrence. Timely treatment and prevention can extend years of life in perfect mental health.

Causes

• Vascular diseases. This main reason death of neurons in the brain, which leads to the gradual onset of dementia, and then marasmus. People who are diagnosed with hypertension and atherosclerosis are at risk. Pressure greater than 140/90 promotes vasoconstriction to the point where it is impaired cerebral circulation. If this pressure has become the norm, then there is an increased risk gradual development dementia. Obesity is also part of the same reason high pressure.
• Various hernias with osteochondrosis can block normal blood flow to the basal artery, which supplies the brain. Osteochondrosis cervical region the spine can cause compression of the arteries that supply the brain.
• Various infectious diseases, tumors and injuries that damage the brain lead to the death of neurons and can trigger the development of marasmus.
• Severe intoxication body. Even severely suffered, herpes disease can lead to intoxication of the body to the extent that it harms the brain. Various types of medical supplies, such as beta blockers, tranquilizers, antiallergic drugs, calcium blockers, antidepressants. They must be used with caution and should not be carried away.
• Lack of oxygen. If a person sits indoors all day and walks little in the fresh air, then gradually his brain begins to suffer from a lack of oxygen. Long-term oxygen starvation brain inevitably leads to hypoxia. As a result, its cells die and functions are disrupted.
• Stress. During stress, the body produces large doses hormone cortisol. This hormone causes damage to the hippocampus, which is responsible for memory and learning. Stress is considered any change in the emotional background. It can be a fit of joy, or sadness, or vanity. Stress disrupts the homeostasis of the entire body, bringing it into “combat readiness” mode.
• Alcohol. When drinking alcohol, a huge number of cells die in the brain. The state of intoxication, for which many drink alcohol, is a signal to the brain that its cells are dying. Regular alcohol consumption leads to regular loss of brain cells. Memory is impaired, performance decreases, and thought processes are inhibited. The conclusion suggests itself.

Quitting alcohol completely does not improve the situation. A person needs to relax and relieve stress. Alcohol helps with this, scientifically proven. Light wines in small doses, consumed from time to time, dilate blood vessels, relieve stress and reduce the risk of brain damage. There are safe doses. For 70 kg weight safe dose 150 ml of wine is considered. At the same time, it is important that the wine is of high quality.

Symptoms of insanity

As with dementia, the signs of insanity are largely similar. Human behavior changes. Close people, and the person himself, refer to the usual change in character. But such changes do not occur in better side. A person’s character is increasingly acquiring a negative connotation, preventing him from interacting with people and navigating modern world.

Senile insanity can manifest itself in different ways, depending on the character of the person.

As insanity approaches, the symptoms become more obvious. A person becomes sloppy in his clothes, he doesn’t care what he looks like and what people around him think about him.

Memory is impaired in the same way as with dementia. He remembers what happened a long time ago, and has difficulty remembering what happened two days ago. He periodically forgets to turn off the gas, then halfway remembers that the iron is not turned off.

Hobbies are not interesting to him, he feels apathy towards everything in his life. A person forgets what shame, tact and decency are. But he always remembers who needs to be taught wisdom and how. He does this intrusively and tactlessly, ignoring that no one needs it and his moral teachings are long outdated.

Many people have Plyushkin syndrome (Wikipedia). A person drags into the house everything that seems important and necessary to him. The house turns into a warehouse of unnecessary things that will “come in handy.”

All the symptoms of acquired dementia with senile insanity only intensify.

Stages

There are 3 stages of development of insanity: initial, middle and last.

1. At first, all the signs are invisible, especially to the patient themselves. Sometimes only he himself can notice how his intellectual abilities are declining. This stage can occur in people under 40 years of age. Therefore, it is so important to turn your attention to it. close attention. This stage is reversible.
2. Then, in the second stage, he develops forgetfulness in everyday life (the same iron, stove, microwave). Depression, apathy, and asociality appear. At this stage, the disease can still be cured, or its development can be slowed down.
3. The last stage is the most terrible, difficult and irreversible. A person cannot take care of himself, loses his personality, memory... “loses his head.”

Treatment of senile insanity

Many people think that insanity cannot be cured. This is wrong. Only the last stage cannot be treated. Therefore, it is important to understand in time what to do in case of insanity. Find out the cause and get rid of it. Common cause is, as already mentioned, hypertension and vascular disease. This means that these diseases must be treated. Then the insanity will begin to pass. If the cause is alcoholism, treat it. To find out about the causes of insanity, you need to undergo a series of tests: consultation with doctors, check blood vessels, do an MRI of the brain (magnetic resonance imaging), ultrasound of the heart, and take tests for toxins.

It is necessary to treat insanity in time, before it reaches its last stage.

If marasmus is diagnosed and is in a severe stage, then treatment will be only symptomatic. The therapy program is prescribed only by a doctor. Self-medication can only accelerate the development of insanity.

If only initial signs changes in brain function, then treatment involves normalization brain functions and stopping the death of neurons:

• taking vitamins B12 and group B, the lack of which has a destructive effect on the brain;
• let's accept folic acid;
• taking increased doses of antioxidants;
• use of Gingo Biloba extract;
• daily gymnastics;
• memory training.

Prevention

For prevention purposes, try to keep active image outdoor life.

Its signs are known in general terms to almost everyone, but only at the level of anecdotes. Although insanity is not funny at all. This is quite serious and dangerous disease, which can lead to disastrous consequences. In this article we will describe the causes of such a disease as senile insanity, its symptoms, as well as treatment options. So let's begin.

Senile insanity: signs

This disease is otherwise called “personality disintegration.” It is characterized as the most severe negative disorder caused by mental changes arising due to atrophying processes in the brain. The onset of the disease is slow and unnoticeable. A more severe form of marasmus is characterized by such signs as disturbances in the nutrition of the tissues of the head, degeneration of internal organs, as well as increased fragility bones. A person with marasmus also experiences Bad mood, loss of interest in life, impaired attention, speech, abstract thinking disorder. It is generally accepted that people's character deteriorates in old age and that this is a pattern. But in fact, this circumstance can serve as a symptom of a disease such as senile insanity. Its signs also include exaggeration of character traits and narrowing of the range of interests. All this is due to a number of reasons.

Senile insanity: what causes it?

The origin of this disease is not entirely clear. Many people associate it with heredity or old age. Also possible reasons of this disease are high blood pressure, obesity, constant stress, alcoholism.

Senile insanity: how to avoid

In general, this disease can occur not only in old age. Therefore the following useful tips a must read for everyone without exception. In order to avoid this disease, you need to continuously support your brain function, in other words, exercise intellectual activity. That is why all doctors constantly claim that it is much more useful to give old people a magazine with crosswords and puzzles than a TV or radio. In addition, to avoid this disease, you need to live an active and life to the fullest. As soon as a person begins to come to terms with the fact that he is old and his existence is coming to its logical conclusion, he signs his own death warrant. You need to live life to the very end. Spare no expense for your elderly relatives and give them at least a small trip, a new book or chess.

Let them develop throughout their lives, then they will be able to maintain their minds and be happy until their last day.

How to treat senile insanity

Possibilities drug treatment extremely narrow. There is no single cure for senile insanity in the world. But still, if senile insanity appears, what should you do? It is advisable to carry out proper care and monitoring patients, making sure that they are as active as possible throughout the day, of course, within reasonable limits. Vitamins will also be useful.