About
25% of those with Parkinson's disease will develope dementia in
the later stages of the illness. Typically the sufferer will become
confused, have hallucinations and show other mental and emotional
disorders. One common sign is the disruption of normal sleeping
patterns where they sleep all day and are awake all night
Research shows that
in some people there is a link with the use of Sinemet, where the
drug is thought to either bring on the dementia or worsen the condition
http://www.pdf.org/Ask/kb.cfm?category=66
Dementia with Parkinson's
disease can be of two distinct types, with 3/4 of people showing
Alzheimer's type symptoms & the remainder displaying Lewy Bodies
associations
Diagnosis is by referal
to a Dementia Specialist who will carry out tests for blood, neuroimaging
and MMSE (Mini-Mental Status Examination), before determining treatment
in conjunction with that required for Parkinson's
There is no recommended
course of treatment for the dementia aspect, though recent trials
suggest that drugs such as tacrine HCl, (Cognex®) or donepezil
(Aricept®), approved for use in the Alzheimer population, may
help to treat dementia associated with Parkinson's disease
More information is
available here:
http://www.parkinson.org/med31.htm
http://www.parkinson.org/pddement.htm
|
