Pick’s disease is a type of dementia (loss of memory) in which the brain cells reduce their capacity to think. The affected person will show change in behavior and personality and subsequently it would affect their speech. Not all the people having dementia will have the symptoms of Pick’s disease and only less percentage (5 in 100) will have this problem. The symptoms of this rare disease are often misunderstood for depression or any other type of mental illness. There is no cure for the disorder but the patient can be taught and trained to live with this disease. This disease involves the reduced functioning of frontal lobes of the brain that controls speech. For this reason this disease is also called as frontotemproal dementia.
Causes :
The cells in the frontal lobes lose function gradually due to the accumulation of protein molecules in the brain. This piling up of brain cells gradually changes the behavior and personality of the person. He would subsequently become poor in taking decisions and this may seriously affect his intelligence as well.
This disease is found rarely in people of age group 45-60 and women are more affected than men.Exact cause of Pick’s disease is not fully known.
Symptoms :
It begins as loss of memory and slowly change in behavior is observed. There will be a positive decline in making decisions and the person will lose control even in doing basic tasks. The symptoms will increase as age progresses and there will be complete withdrawal from daily activities in the long run.
The affected person will show signs of depression. He cannot make right judgment and becomes highly restless. He may either avoid eating and drinking or over-eat. Lot of changes is seen in his behavior. He will not show any interest in maintaining personal hygiene and sometimes he may exhibit himself sexually.