How to identify neurological diseases

SHA Wellness Clinic

February 27, 2017

When it comes to neurological diseases, dementia is a general term used to describe a series of conditions especially characterized by a loss of memory, alterations in thoughts and the capacity to resolve problems. These alterations are the most visible symptoms of the degeneration of our nervous system, our brain.

Normally, dementia is progressive. There are many types of dementia, the most common one being Alzheimer’s disease, which is associated with alterations in brain tissue. However, there are other dementia that are associated with alterations in the blood flow correlated to irregular formation of malignant proteins or other pathologies. But, not all people who suffer from memory loss or other cognitive changes have dementia. When these alterations are not serious enough to be diagnosed as dementia, we could be dealing with a mild cognitive deterioration. In fact, not all patients who have mild cognitive deterioration develop dementia. An alteration in our cognitive abilities doesn’t always result in dementia and in fact can improve and even go back to normal. That’s why it’s important to carry out a correct and in-depth clinical evaluation.

The first step is to evaluate the symptoms with a complete medical history, a physical examination and a memory and cognitive capabilities evaluation. Our priority is to discard any other causes that can present similar symptoms as dementia. This is carried out by clinical interviews, laboratory tests and in some cases, brain scans. There are conditions like strokes, brain tumours, etc., that can produce similar symptoms as dementia. Furthermore, alterations in the state of mind like depression can also be confused with dementia. We also must make sure that the liver, kidneys, thyroids and hormonal system work normally. It’s also quite common to confuse neurological diseases with nutritional deficiencies. A lack in certain vitamins and minerals can alter brain function.

For each one of these situations, a different prognostic and treatment is required. Therefore, it’s very important to examine each patient’s health condition thoroughly.

The Cognitive Development Unit at SHA Wellness Clinic offers the most up-to-date scientific knowledge together with the latest technology to offer our guests the best evaluation of their mental status and treat them accordingly.