8 Treatable Conditions That Mimic Dementia

See the following link for details on each condition.

http://www.aarp.org/health/brain-health/info-2014/treatable-conditions-that-mimic-dementia.html

by Margery D. Rosen, AARP Bulletin, April 2014

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more than 100 disorders — from the side effects of medication to urinary tract infections — can also trigger dementia-like symptoms. "Some of these conditions are not serious, but they're often missed or misdiagnosed in seniors," says P. Murali Doraiswamy, coauthor of The Alzheimer's Action Plan and chief of biological psychiatry at Duke University Medical Center. "Caught early enough, they may actually be reversible."

Here are eight common disorders that can masquerade as dementia, with information on what you can do about them.

1. Could it be normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH)?

2. Could it be your medication?

3. Could it be depression or another mental health disorder?

4. Could it be a urinary tract infection (UTI)?

5. Could it be your thyroid?

6. Could it be a vitamin B-12 deficiency?

7. Could it be diabetes?

8. Could it be alcohol-related?