The term "dementia" is often
confusing to people outside the medical and psychological
professions. "Dementia" is a syndrome in which a person has
impaired memory, plus at least one of the following:
1. Problems in
executive functions (thinking abstractly, planning, monitoring
behavior, appropriately starting or stopping behavior, switching focus,
considering consequences)
2. Inability to
recognize people or objects
3. Inability to use
language appropriately
4. Inability to
perform over-learned tasks, such as brushing one's teeth
Dementia is not a disease
itself, but rather a group of symptoms associated with certain diseases
or physical conditions. The most
common cause of dementia is Alzheimer's disease. This
progressive and insidious disease often starts with short-term memory
impairment, and may also include impairment in the ability to recall
faces, shapes and distances, and/or the sequence of events.
This disease is not curable, but early treatment may slow the
progression of cognitive losses.
The second most common cause of dementia is
vascular disease. This is a condition in which blood
flow to the brain is impaired because the blood vessels become
"clogged" or damaged (example - a stroke). This is not the
same as Alzheimer's disease; however, here too, the afflicted person
becomes progressively worse, and ultimately become incapable of caring
for himself.
Alzheimer's disease and vascular disease account
for more than 85% of all dementias. The remaining dementias
may be caused by treatable conditions, such as depression, certain
nutritional deficiencies, and some endocrine disorders. In
these cases, the cognitive problems may resolve when the underlying
medical issue is addressed.
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