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blood supply over a long time can cause vessels inside the brain narrow and harden. This can also result from atherosclerosis. Risk factors for vascular dementia include: Diabetes Obesity heart disease lack of exercise unhealthy diet with high amounts of saturated fats smoking long term alcohol abuse etc.
Stroke also may raise the risk of dementia. Not everyone who has had a stroke however will go on to have vascular dementia. Other causes of vascular dementias include: multiple cortical infarcts (multi-infarct dementia) cranial arteritis polyarteritis nodosa systemic lupus erythematosus AV malformations and giant aneurysms hyperviscosity syndromes like polycythemias Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura arteriopathies (Cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy called CADASIL) and angiopathies
Risk factors and causes of dementia with Lewy bodies Lewy bodies are small clumps of protein that develop inside the brain. The exact cause of these is unknown. It is hypothesized that two neurotransmitters called dopamine and acetylcholine may be involved in causation. Neurotransmitters are messenger chemicals that carry messages within the nerves and brain. Dopamine and acetylcholine play an important role in memory, learning, mood and attention and their decline may thus lead to dementia. Causes and risk factors for fronto-temporal dementia Fronto-temporal dementia is caused by two parts of the brain. One is the temporal lobe (located at the side of the head) and another is the frontal lobe (located in the front of the brain). These lobes become damaged and then shrink. In around 40-50% of cases who develop fronto-temporal dementia there is presence of a genetic mutation (an altered gene) that may be inherited. These genetic mutations are thought to have a negative effect on a protein called the tau protein. All brain cells contain tau proteins that help to keep them stable but abnormal tau proteins may lead to dementia. Reviewed by April Cashin-Garbutt, BA Hons (Cantab) Sources 1. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001748/ 2. http://www.nice.org.uk/nicemedia/pdf/CG42Dementiafinal.pdf 3. http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Dementia/Pages/Causes.aspx 4. http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/emotional_health/mental_health/disorders_dementia.shtml 5. http://www.patient.co.uk/doctor/dementia Further Reading What is Dementia? Dementia Symptoms Dementia Diagnosis Dementia Prevention Dementia Treatment
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