Causes and Social Effects of Dementia - Free Essay

Causes of dementia

Harvey, R. J., Skelton-Robinson, M., & Rossor, M. N. (2003). The prevalence and causes of dementia in people under the age of 65 years. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry, 74(9), 1206-1209.

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In the article, the author focuses on different causes of dementia disease in people under the age of 65 years. The journal gives an understanding of dementia disease as a general term describing a collection of symptoms associated with brain damage. However, the concept in the text can help on deducing the cause of this disease in Australian society. In the journal, the destruction of the brain cells which kills the intercommunication system between each other leads to the development of dementia. The brain has different regions responsible for specific behavior. However, the level of brain destruction determines the level of infection. From this destruction of specific areas results in various types of dementia disease. The Journal expresses the dying brain cells as a progressive action meaning the symptoms develops slowly without a quick notice.

The authors do not only focuses on causes in the brain but also touches on the activities that may result in the development of the disease. The Journal discusses traumatic injuries that develop from accidents and players majorly as one of the potential cause of the disease. Readers also realize HIV infection and reversible factors including the medication vitamin deficiency and thyroid abnormality to be other possible causes.

Social effects of dementia

Brooke, N. (2010). Dementia studies: A social science perspective. Australasian Journal on Ageing, 29(4), 190-190. doi:10.1111/j.1741-6612.2010.00488.x

Brooke expresses dementia as both a medical problem and a social issue. The article is relevant as it reveals that about 60% of the elderly in Australia are affected by dementia. From the article ranges from millions of people providing for those with the disease from their personal saving increasing the dependence level. He further explains the people taking care of the sick have to devote their working hours to take care of them, at times this results in losing of jobs generating poverty. From the statistics by the Australian care commission, there is a continuous increase in the population of the people with dementia. This result poses a social problem in the care unit since the facilities will not be enough to accommodate the patients. In the article, the family develops social problems ranging from depression and stress. The situation might be as a result of the changing in conditions of their loved ones. Finally, the author has also summarized isolation of patients serving as a social issue; the patients are sometimes not given the chance to choose whether to remain in their homes or stay in the facilities. However, in the last approach of the article Brooke try to generate solutions to these social problems.