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Epq dementia

I was going to do my EPQ on dementia, as it is a topic ive been interested in for quite some time, but I feel like it is a huge topic to explore and I'm not sure what perspective to go from. for example would it be more interesting looking at treatments and linking dementia to the NHS or to do it on how different cultures are affected by it. If you guys have any other way of approaching this please let me know xxx

Reply 1

TSR Jessica

Sorry you've not had any responses about this. :frown:

Are you sure you've posted in the right place? :smile:

Here's a link to our subject forum which should help get you more responses if you post there. :redface:

Just quoting in Amusing Elk so she can move the thread if needed :wizard:

Spoiler

Reply 2

nexttime

Those both sound like good, interesting ideas that should have sufficient material out there for you to use.

I personally want to look into why particular phenotypes present and whether we can change it. By which i mean, some people with severe dementia are seemingly happy and content, others are always very anxious because they don't know where they are, and some others respond to the confusion with aggression and violence. Which is very bad for their quality of life as they end up in a secure institution on lots of sedative drugs. If we can't stop the dementia to begin with, maybe there is something we can do to prevent these manifestations from developing. But sadly, that is a project where i think you will struggle to find lots of good quality data.

Domestic abuse linked to dementia would be a similar, albeit more depressing topic. Or violence against hospital staff.

Reply 3

ax12

It is huge, and sadly there isn't a lot of concrete information as there's a lot we don't know about it. There are also a lot of different types. You could look into how current drugs we have work and what there is in the pipeline? We don't have anything that really 'treats' or slows it significantly enough.

Nexttime - the main reason for these differences is the location of the lesions. If someone has frontal lobe lesions they will suffer behavioural changes, if they have it in their temporal lobes they may have speech problems. From my experience working with people in various stages of dementia, the reason people with the most severe dementia are 'happy' is because they don't know that something is wrong. The worst time is earlier stages with periods of lucidity.

Reply 4

nexttime

Original post by ax12

Nexttime - the main reason for these differences is the location of the lesions.

Interesting theory. What is your source?

If someone has frontal lobe lesions they will suffer behavioural changes, if they have it in their temporal lobes they may have speech problems.

I'm talking about those with behavioural changes who respond differently to one another. Aggression vs placidity. Wandering around vs sedation. Eating vs not eating. That sort of thing.

From my experience working with people in various stages of dementia, the reason people with the most severe dementia are 'happy' is because they don't know that something is wrong. The worst time is earlier stages with periods of lucidity.

I'm more referring to those with severe dementia who are violent. Whose response to not knowing where they are is aggression. . The type that end up in old age psychiatric institutions or higher dependency nursing homes. Or alternatively, those who become very anxious, or perhaps other states.

My main theory is that its related to upbringing and how they're conditioned to respond to stress as a child, so pretty unchangeable. But if there is something changeable there that's huge. Given how common and important dementia is I'd be interested to know what's been done so far on the topic and whether there are other areas to be explored.

For example, if someone starts developing early Alzheimer, would it be beneficial to them to undergo a couple of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy sessions to alter their response to stressful events and uncertainty. Could that dramatically increase their quality of life later on? I don't know if such trials have been done - maybe they have.

Same would apply for confused aggressive stroke patients, although as that's less predictable and preventative measures you might be thinking are off the table - it'd be more post-event stuff.

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 5

ax12

Original post by nexttime

Interesting theory. What is your source?

I'm talking about those with behavioural changes who respond differently to one another. Aggression vs placidity. Wandering around vs sedation. Eating vs not eating. That sort of thing.

I'm more referring to those with severe dementia who are violent. Whose response to not knowing where they are is aggression. . The type that end up in old age psychiatric institutions or higher dependency nursing homes. Or alternatively, those who become very anxious, or perhaps other states.

My main theory is that its related to upbringing and how they're conditioned to respond to stress as a child, so pretty unchangeable. But if there is something changeable there that's huge. Given how common and important dementia is I'd be interested to know what's been done so far on the topic and whether there are other areas to be explored.

For example, if someone starts developing early Alzheimer, would it be beneficial to them to undergo a couple of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy sessions to alter their response to stressful events and uncertainty. Could that dramatically increase their quality of life later on? I don't know if such trials have been done - maybe they have.

Same would apply for confused aggressive stroke patients, although as that's less predictable and preventative measures you might be thinking are off the table - it'd be more post-event stuff.

I don't know whether I misundertstood your point or you're coming at it from a different angle? From my experience working with people with moderate and severe dementia, people with frontal lobe dementia are more likely to be aggressive and violent, even if they would never have been that way before getting dementia. Some people with milder dementia and confusion may become aggressive if they believed that you were lying to the about something important, or if they thought that they had to get home to their children.
The ones who didn't eat often had forgotten how to use a knife and fork, and how to eat, or they were coming to the end of life and had lost their appetite.

I don't think I've ever heard theories involving childhood or cbt like you're suggesting, although it could be interesting to look at ?

Reply 6

olimonsm

I'm doing my epq on dementia as well and looking at the effects music has on dementia, there are lots of different angels and is also very interesting but I'm also struggling to stay in one area xx