A recent report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) revealed that nearly 7.9 million US adults struggled with a psychological disorder co-existing with a substance or alcohol addiction, in 2014. Surprisingly, just a small fraction of these individuals seek treatment for both the disorders, whereas a majority receives no treatment at all. Read more
Lead toxicity has many harmful side effects on the body including adverse neurological effects. Although adults are at risk of lead poisoning through occupational exposure, children are at risk for developmental and mental delays if exposed to high levels of lead. Read more
Diseases that affect the heart can also affect the memory. Vascular dementia is a common form of dementia that results in memory loss and confusion due to miniature strokes. These “cortical infarcts” are caused by chronic high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol and/or coronary artery disease.
Memory loss, confusion, difficulty communicating, compulsive behaviors and depression are just a few common symptoms seen in patients with dementia. Although Alzheimer’s disease is considered the No. 1 cause for dementia affecting 5.4 million people in the United States, according to a 2011 Alzheimer’s Association study, many other types of dementia exist and are commonly forgotten or do not receive as much press as Alzheimer’s.
It is apparent that Alzheimer’s disease is devastating. Witnessing grandparents unable to remember the name of their daughter or their grandchild is heartbreaking. Learning a father has gone missing only to find out he got lost three blocks from his house because he forgot where he was causes immense sadness. Watching a loved one’s mind deteriorate is difficult to handle. So what causes this disease of forgetfulness? Genetics, amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles are the three known causes of Alzheimer’s disease. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, these are the only known causes of Alzheimer’s disease.