Dementia associated with seizure disorder - A Case Report

Abstract

Dementia is the loss of cognitive functioning including thinking, remembering, reasoning and behavioral abilities to such an extent that it interferes with a person's daily life and activities. These functions include memory, language skills, visual perception, problem solving, self-management, and the ability to focus and pay attention. Several people with dementia cannot control their emotions, and their personalities may change. Dementia ranges in severity from the mildest stage, when it is just beginning to affect a person's functioning, to the most severe stage, when the person depends completely on others for their basic activities of living. This condition is to be discussed under the condition of Unmada in Ayurvedic classics for the reason that it starts as Smriti Vibrama and ends in the eight types of Vibramas observed in Unmada. A 52 year old female patient hailing from Odisha was admitted in the IPD of our institute in the month of June 2019. She presented with complaints of not able to remember things, crying without any cause and rigidity in both upper and lower limbs with difficulty in walking. She was completely dependent to her family. She had history of repeated absent mindedness followed by a jerky awakeness and was later diagnosed to have absence seizures. The case was diagnosed as Unmada considering the status of Dosha and the disease condition. Considering the manifestations, the principles of management of Apasmara was also incorporated while managing. A protocol with Siropichu, Udwartana, Patrapodala Sweda followed by Snehapana, Snehavasthi and Nasya were administered accordingly. Considering the progressive nature of disease, Rasayanas were also prescribed after the Sodhana therapy.