Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s are chronic neurological disorders that require a high level of management. On the other hand, acute meningitis and Bell’s palsy are examples of acute neurological diseases. One of the factors that set apart the acute and chronic disorders mentioned above are their clinical presentation. While acute disorders such as acute meningitis have a sudden and severe onset, chronic conditions such as Alzheimer’s slowly develop with severity slowly increasing with time(McCance, et al., 2014).In terms of diagnosis and treatment, the complexity of chronic neurological disorders make them difficult to diagnose and treat. There is no particular precise test that can, for example, be used to diagnose a person with Parkinson’s disease. This is even more difficult during the disease’ onset. However, a set of diagnostic tests can be carried out to diagnose a patient with acute meningitis. Examples of the tests are imaging, blood culture, and a spinal tap, among others. The complexities of the disorders and how they affect major organs are also different. Blood occlusion is a prevalent aspect of some degenerative neurological diseases, for example, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. Usually, the blood flow occlusion in the brain occurs when the blood-brain barrier (BBB) prevents the solutes in the blood from interacting with extracellular fluid. When the BBB opens, it implies that there is no occlusion between blood in the brain and the extracellular fluid. This results in cognitive changes. On the other hand in acute illnesses, less of the opening of BBB is witnessed; hence cognitive changes are not mostly prevalent (Varatharaj et al., 2017). Blood occlusion can also occur in a traumatic experience that affects the brain, for example, brain injury. If blood flow is impeded due to occlusion of a vessel, a lasting neurological impact can be witnessed, for instance an Ischemic stroke.
One of the contributing factors to dementia is age. Although there are few cases in which younger people are at risk of developing dementia, age is one of the most significant risk factors. For people over 65 years, the risk of suffering from the condition roughly doubles every five years. Some of the possible influencers of the onset of dementia in old age include susceptibility to disease due to a weakened immune system (Chen et al., 2009). Examples of illnesses that influence one’s likelihood of suffering from the condition include high blood pressure and cardiovascular diseases. Besides, as one becomes older, changes in DNA, as well as cell structure, predisposes them to dementia.
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Another contributing factor to the development of the condition is genetics. Although scientists have not thoroughly researched the link between the development of dementia and genetics, a few genetic factors have been identified as risk factors. Inheriting particular gene variants, for example, polipoprotein E (APOE), increases one’s likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s. Having a close relative with dementia is hence an indicator of one’s probability of developing it as well. In some rare cases, it is possible to directly inherit the gene that causes dementia from one’s parents. For Familial Alzheimer’s, for example, the likelihood of children inhering the gene that causes the condition is 50% (Cohn‐Hokke et al., 2012).
A third risk factor is lifestyle. A lifestyle that affects one’s cardiovascular health is one of the indirect dementia risk factors. Research shows that people with a healthy lifestyle are less predisposed to the condition. The healthy lifestyle that reduces the risks include regular exercise, not smoking and drinking and eating a healthy diet, especially one that positively influences one’s weight(Friedlander, 2006). Besides, it is also aid that keeping mentally fit reduces one’s chances of developing the condition at a later age.
References
Chen, J. H., Lin, K. P., & Chen, Y. C. (2009). Risk factors for dementia. Journal of the Formosan Medical Association , 108 (10), 754-764.
Cohn‐Hokke, P. E., Elting, M. W., Pijnenburg, Y. A., & van Swieten, J. C. (2012). Genetics of dementia: update and guidelines for the clinician. American Journal of Medical Genetics Part B: Neuropsychiatric Genetics , 159 (6), 628-643.
McCance, K. L., & Huether, S. E. (2014). Pathophysiology: The biologic basis for disease in adults and children . Elsevier Health Sciences. Simons, L. A., Simons, J., McCallum, J., & Friedlander, Y. (2006). Lifestyle factors and risk of dementia: Dubbo Study of the elderly. Medical Journal of Australia , 184 (2), 68-70.
Varatharaj, A., & Galea, I. (2017). The blood-brain barrier in systemic inflammation. Brain, behavior, and immunity , 60 , 1-12.
