1. How Does Dementia Affect the Brain and it’s Cognitive Processes
By: Seth Roundy

2. Why My Grandpa had dementia pretty bad before he passed away
I was curious how it affected the brain, why it had the effects that it did on him

3. Previous Knowledge It develops as you traverse into your older years
It can inhibit short term memory
It doesn’t affect the long term memories

4. Desired Results
I want to learn about how the brain functions differently when affected by dementia
Understand the different types of dementia
Learn what the causes are, and how to possibly defend against them

5. Process
I searched on sites first about the basics of dementia, and how to recognize the early symptoms
I then searched about what could cause these symptoms for more specific information
Most the information was quite general, so I then searched for specific types of dementia to find more specialized information

6. Dementia-Basics Dementia occurs when nerve cells in the brain die
Dementia is diagnosed when two or more cognitive functions are very impaired
The functions are: memory, language skills, understanding information, spatial skills, judgment, and attention
The symptoms change depending on which functions are impaired, or area of the brain that is affected
Majority of types are not inherited, very few are
Specific causes for most types of dementia are unknown

7. Dementia-Factors & Effects
Some things that can contribute to dementia are strokes, brain tumors, or head injury
Mental illnesses increase the risk for dementia
People with dementia can experience psychological change in the form of: depression, personality changes, anxiety, paranoia, agitation, hallucinations, and or inappropriate behavior
They can experience cognitive impairment in the way of being able to: remember, communicate, solve problems, complete tasks, organize, coordinate body parts, and are often confused
The risk rises as you age

8. Dementia-Types Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia
It is not hereditary, or age based, however risk does increase with age
It’s progressive, symptoms gradually worsen over time
No known cure, treatments are always being tested for symptoms
Vascular dementia is simply a decline in thinking skills
It is vascular dementia if these declines are caused by conditions that block or reduce blood flow to the brain
Similar to Alzheimer's
Frontotemporal dementia is a group of diseases causes by degeneration of nerve cells
The degenerated nerve cells are in the frontal and temporal nerve cells of the brain, which help dictate personality, behavior and language

9. Dementia-Potential Causes
Plaques and tangles are prime suspects for dementias that aren’t vascular
Plaques are abnormal clusters of a protein
The proteins are called beta-amyloids
In plaques these clusters form between nerve cells and can block cell to cell communication
They can also trigger the immune system causing inflammation and phagocytosis (the devouring of another cell)
Tangles are twisted fibers of a protein in cells
The protein is tau, which helps run the transport system between cells
In areas with tangles, the twisted strands tend to dissolve the transport system
They are more common in people with Alzheimer's, and they usually begin in areas influencing memory before spreading

10. Reflection There are many more types of dementia than I realized
I didn’t realize that most types were not hereditary, very few are
There are a great many things that can be affected by dementia, which is quite enlightening
I didn’t really realize how much of someone's daily life could be changed through dementia
They have the possibility to hallucinate, and just stop functioning as a normal person

11. Works Cited
MacGill, Markus. “Dementia: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments.” University of Illinois-Chicago, School of Medicine, 20 July Web. 01 Mar
"What is dementia?" Your Brain Matters - What is dementia? N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Mar
Mayo Clinic Staff Print. "Dementia.“Mayo Clinic. N.p., 05 Apr Web. 01 Mar
"What is dementia?: Dementia's effect on the brain." What is dementia?: Dementia's effect on the brain. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Mar
"Alzheimer's Disease & Dementia."  Alzheimer's Association. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Mar