Multi-infarct Dementia

Question: How is Multi-Infarct Dementia diagnosed? Is it always impaired memory function, or can the first symptoms be that of a minor stroke (i.e. blackout) where memory seems, as yet, unaffected?

Answer: The most specific part of the evaluation would be the CT or MRI scan. For someone to be demented due to multiple strokes, one should be able to see a lot of the brain affected by infarction. If memory is not affected at all, the term dementia doesn't make sense. Patients can have trouble thinking in specific ways due to strokes, such as with speech or spatial abilities, but that's not dementia. Those are isolated cognitive deficits, not a widespread loss of cognitive abilities as is the case with dementia. I'm sure it's an arbitrary distinction sometimes when a patient has some cognitive deficits due to strokes, but not yet global enough deficits to call it dementia. Either way the patient has a lot of their brain damaged by infarctions and experiences the consequences of that. I am a retired neurologist.

Question: How might Mrs. Greens's forgetfulness interfere with her safety needs? Mrs. Green is a client of your agency. She has a diagnosis of multi-infarct dementia, but is in the first stage and is only mildly forgetful at most times. She takes comfort in "getting answers" although she may well forget them. She says to you, have you seen my daughter? I haven't seen her in a long time. You know that the daughter visits on a regular basis, but are not sure when she was last in.

Answer: Think about things like cooking safety (leaving cooker on, food left on the hotplate etc), she could forget to take medication or to take basic safety precaution when doing household tasks;

Question: Continuing Care on the NHS in the UK. Must we pay? My mother aged 86 is in an EMI Care Home but lately her health has deteriorated. The current EMI care home wish to give her notice as her health is poor enough to warrant nursing care that they cannot give. They have told me that if she is currently self-funding, she simply has to pay in the proposed new nursing care environment, no question. I think that is absolutely wrong. My mother has multi-infarct dementia, is doubly incontinent, very poor chest and respiration function, covered in sores and bruising due to a high steroid intake, has high BP, unable to communicate and may pass away at any moment seeing the poor shape she is in. She has been assessed for NHS nursing care and I await the results. I have asked for her to go into continued NHS care but I am told that I will simple have to pay although the NHS may may a nursing contribution. I think she deserves better having worked all her life. The state wants her money but is she had none, they would have to care anyway.

Answer: On 18th May--a UK court passed a judgement that said that the NHS would have to pay the patients for their treatment even if they go private.You can checkout one company that arranges medical treatment in INdia for UK patients at low costs.they are called the Forerunners Healthcare.Or if you want--you can email back to me--i will send you th copy of the UK court judgement--may be you can use it for your benefit.

Question: plz help me.re my dads mri report(brain)? now my dads not really feelin dat well since the past few months(like doc said he has multi infarct dementia and suggested us 2 do an mri) but my doc is unavailable for a couple of days so guys can u help me as to what really must be the problem.. heres how d report is mri brain protocol: multiplanar mri of the brain was performed using t1 weighted spin echo,t2 weoghted spin echo and turbo flair sequences.additional single shot epi sequence was obtained through the brain in the oblique axial plane. observations: lacunar area of restricted diffusion seen in the left corona radiata on diffusion weighted images. multiple lacunar hyperintense foci are seen in the bilateral fronto-parietal,parieto occipital white matter,corona radiata,centrum semiovale,basal gangila,thalamia and pons. bilateral periventricular white matter hyperintensity is seen. no focal area of altered signal intensity is seen in the cerebral parenchyma,brainstem and cerebellum. ventricles,sulci and cisterns are normal in size and symmetry. the intracranial vessels and dural sinuses display the expected flow void. the craniovertebral junction is unremarkable. no midline shift is seen. left mastoiditis is seen. conclusion: *lacunar fresh non-hemorrhagic infarct in left corona radiata. *multiple lacunar ischemic foci in the bilateral cerebral hemisphere and pons *left mastoiditis plz help me out guys. my dad shits and urinates in d living room itself..also he is finding it difficult to understand what we are saying.. he also does not at all speak.. plz help me out

Answer: You paid for the MRI, and that cost should also include a clear discussion of the results. You should visit with the Dr. and have them explain any questions you have about the results. It looks as though they found some things, but a professional should explain the significance of these findings.