Stem Cell therapy for Dementia

Dementia is caused by damage or loss of nerve cells and their respective connections in the brain.

What is it?

It encompasses a group of diseases characterized by the progressive degeneration of the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain.

Depending on the predominant symptoms, two main groups can be distinguished:

  • Behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia, in which behavioral alterations predominate. 
  • Progressive primary aphasia, in which language disorders predominate. 

Dementia is caused by damage or loss of nerve cells and their connections in the brain. Depending on the area of the brain damaged, dementia can have a different impact on people and cause different symptoms.

Signs & Symptoms

Frontotemporal dementias are manifested by a combination of behavioral and/or language symptoms.

The most common symptoms:

  • Personality impairment.
  • Behavioral impairment.
  • Language impairment.

diagnosis

The diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia is based on clinical data and the results of neurological and neuropsychological examination.

There are tests that increase diagnostic certainty, such as magnetic resonance imaging and PET-FDG.

Complications

One of the most important complications that arises with the progression of dementia is related to eating, since it is common for these people to stop eating and drinking or at least reduce the amount of food and liquids ingested, since they no longer have the sensation of hunger.

Also, dementia can cause sufferers to lose control of the muscles used for chewing and swallowing, so there is a significant risk of choking or aspiration of food into the lungs, which can impede breathing.

But as dementia progresses, the most important complications relate to emotional health and behavior. Inability to perform simple tasks such as dressing or grooming, communication problems, withdrawal, and increasing dependence on others can lead to depression, anxiety, aggression and frustration in those with dementia.

Stem Cells

Mesenchymal stem cells can promote acetylcholine release, promote neurogenesis and synaptic formation, and can reduce oxidative stress and cell death. 

Intravenous MSC therapy enhances nerve regeneration due to their ability to differentiate into Schwann cell-like cells, which are known to promote regeneration.

MSCs have been shown to stimulate nerve regeneration through the secretion of neurotrophic factors that induce axonal growth and differentiation of stem cells into myelinating cell lines.

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