This post is on the rarer forms of dementia, which make up the minority of dementia diagnoses. These also include reversible and treatable dementias, such as those resulting from infectious diseases or nutrition deficiencies. As Alzheimer’s disease is the most commonly diagnosed form of dementia, it receives the majority of focus in awareness raising, research, and funding for treatment and prevention. This can leave those with the rarer forms of dementia without much information on their dementia type or options for treatment, fewer disease-specific support options, and feeling frustrated and isolated. My hope is that this post will be informative and raise your awareness on other types of dementia that individuals and families face. Continue reading
Tag Archives: HAND
What is HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND)?
This information comes from Alzheimer’s Society, a wonderful organization based out of the UK. They are one of my go-to sources for information and I highly recommend taking a look around their website. They offer the information on their website to be freely used by others, so I am posting the information in full. You can access the same article on their website as well as resources on dementia by clicking on the title, below.
What is HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND)?
HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) causes an infection that weakens the immune system, making it harder for the body to fight infections and disease. HIV infection can cause a number of different problems in the brain, which affect up to half of people with HIV. This is known as HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND). HAND is one of the rarer forms of dementia. Rarer forms account for only around 5 per cent of all dementia cases in the UK.
Difficulties with memory, thinking and reasoning (aspects of cognition) are common with HIV, but they are usually mild and dementia is much rarer. Before the use of antiretroviral drugs (medication that helps to control HIV), around 20-30 per cent of people with advanced HIV infection previously developed dementia. This figure has now decreased to around 2 per cent. Continue reading
