Dementia: Types, What They Are and How They Differ
Abstract
Dementia: types, what they are and how they differ centers on the known and unknown complexities of dementia. Dementia is a very complex cognitive disease that consumes the brain, an organ of which we know very little about. Even so, this common disorder is actively being researched and is the topic of special interest of this thesis research. Described are Alzheimer’s disease, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, Frontotemporal dementia, Huntington’s disease, Korsakoff’s syndrome, Lewy body dementia, Parkinson’s dementia, and Vascular dementia, focusing on what they are, their specific risks, diagnosis, treatment, and their differing progressions. Guidance of this study provided by thesis director Ranelle Nissen, who studies dementia and is a professor at USD. The remaining two thesis committee members are Mary H. Schmitz, Director of the memory unit and former director of activities at Grand Living at Lake Lorraine in Sioux Falls, and Joy Backes, Director of health and wellness, also, at Grand Living at Lake Lorraine; all of whom have extensive dementia experience and are reliable resources and mentors during this dementia thesis process.