This guide will help you answer the NCFE CACHE Level 2 Award in Awareness of Dementia Unit 1.2. Describe the key functions of the brain that are affected by dementia.
Dementia is a complex condition. It primarily affects the brain. Understanding how dementia impacts the brain helps carers provide better support. Several key functions of the brain are significantly impacted. These include memory, language, perception, emotions, and cognitive skills.
Memory
Short-Term Memory
Short-term memory is one of the first functions affected. Individuals find it difficult to remember recent events or information. They may forget conversations, misplace items, or struggle to recall what they just heard. This happens because dementia alters the hippocampus. The hippocampus is essential for processing new memories.
Long-Term Memory
Long-term memory also deteriorates. People with dementia may lose memories from their distant past. They might not recognise family members or recall important life events. However, long-term memory typically declines at a slower rate. This is why someone might remember their childhood vividly but forget what they had for breakfast.
Language and Communication
Word-Finding Difficulties
Those with dementia commonly struggle with finding the right words. This is known as anomic aphasia. They might pause frequently and use nonspecific words like “thing” or “stuff”. This impairment can make conversations frustrating and difficult.
Constructing Sentences
Constructing coherent sentences becomes challenging. Individuals might speak in incomplete or jumbled sentences. They might also lose the thread of what they’re saying. This symptom arises because dementia impacts the brain’s language centres, including Broca’s and Wernicke’s areas.
Perception
Spatial Awareness
Dementia affects spatial awareness. Individuals struggle to judge distances or navigate familiar environments. They might bump into objects or get lost even in their own homes. This decline occurs because dementia affects the parietal lobe, which is vital for processing spatial information.
Visual Perception
Visual perception is also compromised. People may find it hard to interpret visual information correctly. They might misjudge steps or fail to recognise familiar faces and objects. This problem can stem from changes in the occipital lobe, which processes visual information.
Emotions and Behaviour
Emotional Regulation
Emotional regulation becomes difficult. People with dementia may experience sudden mood swings. They might feel anxious, agitated, or depressed without clear reasons. Emotional outbursts can become common. These changes occur because dementia impacts the brain’s frontal lobe and limbic system, both of which play roles in regulating emotions.
Social Behaviour
Social behaviour can also change. Individuals may exhibit inappropriate behaviours. They might become disinhibited, saying or doing things they wouldn’t normally. This symptom arises from damage to the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for judgement and self-control.
Cognitive Skills
Problem Solving
Problem-solving skills diminish. People with dementia struggle to follow steps in a sequence. They might find it hard to complete tasks that require planning, such as cooking a meal. The frontal lobe is crucial for these tasks and is often one of the brain areas affected earliest in dementia.
Decision-Making
Decision-making ability declines. Individuals may find it hard to make choices, even simple ones. They might become indecisive or make poor judgments. This is again due to the impact on the prefrontal cortex, which helps in weighing options and consequences.
Understanding Time and Place
Disorientation
Disorientation is common. People with dementia may lose track of time. They might forget the day, date, or even the year. They can also become disoriented in familiar places. This difficulty often results from changes in the hippocampus and areas of the brain responsible for spatial and temporal awareness.
Routine Disruption
Simple routines become complicated. Tasks like dressing or bathing might bewilder them. They might forget the sequence of actions required. Routine disruption happens because the brain’s procedural memory, which stores how to do tasks, is affected.
Motor Skills
Fine Motor Skills
Fine motor skills deteriorate. Activities that require hand-eye coordination, like buttoning a shirt or writing, become challenging. These issues arise from changes in the cerebellum and motor cortex, which coordinate muscle movements.
Gross Motor Skills
Gross motor skills can also be affected. Walking, standing, or rising from a seated position might become hard. People might shuffle their feet or have unsteady gait. Dementia impacts the parts of the brain that control movement and balance, including the basal ganglia and cerebellum.
Sensory Perception
Hearing and Smell
Hearing and smell might be less affected, but they can still deteriorate. People might misinterpret sounds or fail to recognise scents. These sensory issues happen because dementia can impact various sensory processing centres in the brain.
Touch
Touch perception might change. Individuals may not feel pain in the same way, or they might misinterpret sensations. Damage to the sensory cortex, which processes touch, causes these problems.
Reflexes and Autonomic Functions
Reflexes
Reflexes might slow down. Simple reactions, like moving a hand away from a hot surface, could become delayed. This slowing occurs because dementia affects the nervous pathways that control reflex actions.
Autonomic Functions
Autonomic functions, such as heart rate and digestion, might also be indirectly affected. These essential functions are regulated by the brainstem and other unconscious parts of the brain. While dementia primarily affects higher cognitive functions, it can indirectly impact these areas.
Example answers for unit 1.2. Describe the key functions of the brain that are affected by dementia
Here are some example answers a care worker might provide when completing Unit 1.2 “‘Describe the key functions of the brain that are affected by dementia.'” for the NCFE CACHE Level 2 Award in Awareness of Dementia.
Unit 1: Dementia Awareness
1.2: Describe the key functions of the brain that are affected by dementia.
Example Answer
As a care worker, you need to understand the key functions of the brain affected by dementia to provide effective support. Here’s a detailed explanation:
Memory
Short-Term Memory
Dementia affects short-term memory. People with dementia often forget recent conversations or where they placed items. They may ask the same question multiple times because they can’t remember the answer. This is because dementia damages the hippocampus, which processes new memories.
Long-Term Memory
Long-term memory can also decline. Individuals may not remember important life events or recognise family members they have known for years. However, they might recall events from their distant past more clearly than recent events. This happens because areas like the cerebral cortex, which store long-term memories, are affected, but at a slower rate compared to short-term memory.
Language and Communication
Word-Finding Difficulties
Dementia can cause anomic aphasia, making it hard for individuals to find the right words. They might use general words like “thing” or “stuff” instead of specific terms. This can lead to frustration during conversations.
Constructing Sentences
Constructing sentences becomes problematic. People might speak in incomplete or confusing sentences. They may struggle to finish thoughts or change the topic abruptly. This is due to damage in the brain’s language centres, especially Broca’s and Wernicke’s areas.
Perception
Spatial Awareness
Spatial awareness is significantly affected in dementia. Individuals struggle with judging distances and navigating spaces. They may get lost easily or bump into furniture. This issue is linked to the deterioration of the parietal lobe, which helps us understand spatial information.
Visual Perception
Dementia can impair visual perception. People may have trouble recognising faces or objects. They might misjudge steps or see things that aren’t there. The occipital lobe, responsible for visual processing, is often impacted.
Emotions and Behaviour
Emotional Regulation
Emotional regulation is challenging for those with dementia. Sudden mood swings, anxiety, and agitation are common. People may become easily upset or show inappropriate emotions. These changes are linked to damage in the frontal lobe and limbic system, which regulate emotions.
Social Behaviour
Altered social behaviour is another issue. Individuals might become disinhibited, saying or doing things that are socially unacceptable. This occurs due to the impact on the prefrontal cortex, which governs judgement and self-control.
Cognitive Skills
Problem-Solving
Problem-solving skills decline. People with dementia find it hard to follow a sequence of steps. Tasks that require planning, like cooking, become difficult. The frontal lobe, crucial for problem-solving, is affected early in dementia.
Decision-Making
Decision-making abilities are compromised. Individuals may struggle to make even simple choices or may make poor judgements. This is due to damage in the prefrontal cortex, which helps us weigh options and make decisions.
Understanding Time and Place
Disorientation
Disorientation is a critical problem. People with dementia often lose track of time and place. They might forget the current day, date, or even the year. This stems from changes in the hippocampus and other areas involved in spatial and temporal awareness.
Routine Disruption
Routine tasks become overwhelming. Simple activities like dressing or bathing can cause confusion. Individuals might forget the sequence of these actions, leading to frustration. This is due to the impact on the brain’s procedural memory.
Motor Skills
Fine Motor Skills
Fine motor skills deteriorate. Activities requiring hand-eye coordination, such as buttoning a shirt or using cutlery, become challenges. This is because dementia affects the cerebellum and motor cortex, which control fine movements.
Gross Motor Skills
Gross motor skills are also affected. Walking and balance can become unsteady, leading to a higher risk of falls. Shuffling gait or difficulty standing up are common. The basal ganglia and cerebellum, responsible for movement and balance, are impacted.
Sensory Perception
Hearing and Smell
Hearing and smell can deteriorate. People might not hear sounds correctly or lose the ability to smell familiar scents. This occurs due to changes in the sensory processing centres of the brain.
Touch
Touch perception changes as well. Individuals might not feel pain as acutely or may misinterpret touch sensations. This is because the sensory cortex, responsible for processing touch information, is affected.
Reflexes and Autonomic Functions
Reflexes
Reflexes slow down. Simple reflex actions, like pulling away from a hot surface, become delayed. This is due to the disruption of the nervous pathways controlling reflexes.
Autonomic Functions
Autonomic functions, such as heart rate and digestion, can be indirectly affected. While dementia primarily impacts higher cognitive functions, it can also affect brainstem areas regulating these essential automatic functions.
These example answers provide a comprehensive, detailed response to the question and demonstrate a deep understanding of how dementia affects various brain functions.
Conclusion
Dementia is a devastating condition that affects many brain functions. From memory and language to motor skills and reflexes, the impacts are wide-ranging. Understanding these changes can help carers provide better care. Knowing what to expect allows you to tailor your approach and create a supportive environment for those affected by dementia.