[lit-ideas] Re: Superman Returns
- From: "Judith Evans" <judithevans1@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 3 Jul 2006 21:44:04 +0100
> Well, perhaps from here on it's just semantics all the way, but
strictly
> speaking it is not the dementia which causes death.
>
> Alzheimer's causes dementia. ...
> ...It is the actual destruction of the brain (to put it simply)
which
> causes death,
Oh OK -- I think we are agreed on the facts.
Judy Evans, Cardiff
----- Original Message -----
From: "Robert Paul" <rpaul@xxxxxxxx>
To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, July 03, 2006 9:30 PM
Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: Superman Returns
> Judith Evans wrote:
>
> > I think, Robert, I read you as meaning that dementia
> > could never be a cause of death. But some (including
> > some doctors) appear to believe Alzheimer's, which
> > is one form of dementia, can be.
>
> Well, perhaps from here on it's just semantics all the way, but
strictly
> speaking it is not the dementia which causes death.
>
> Alzheimer's causes dementia. It does so by changing,
inhibiting, and
> destroying, brain cells, altering brain chemistry, and in other
ways
> destroying brain functioning.
>
> Dementia is a loss of cognitive functions. These cognitive
functions are
> lost because of the loss of the brain activity which makes them
> possible. (Mind-body problem here ignored.)
>
> The loss of brain functions caused by Alzheimer's (or by
whatever causes
> Alzheimer's) can lead to death, just as the loss of brain
functions
> caused by what causes vascular dementia can lead to death. Loss
of
> oxygen to the brain in the latter case causes loss of brain
functioning
> which causes dementia; but starving the brain of oxygen in some
> irreversible way can eventually lead to death.
>
> Loosely speaking, Alzheimer's is one form of dementia. But it's
clearer
> to say that the brain changes of Alzheimer's cause dementia.
(As I've
> said, it's possible to have Alzheimer's without any loss of
cognitive
> function at all, although as the disease progresses sooner or
later
> there will be a loss.
>
> It is the actual destruction of the brain (to put it simply)
which
> causes death, not the concomitant dementia.
>
> It would be clearer, then, to say that Alzheimer's is one
_cause_ of
> dementia, not one form of it, even though one knows perfectly
well, I
> think, what's meant by saying it.
>
> Robert Paul
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