Dementia
A group of thinking and social symptoms that interferes with daily functioning.
- Treatment can help, but this condition can't be cured
- Chronic: can last for years or be lifelong
- Requires a medical diagnosis
- Lab tests or imaging often required
Not a specific disease, dementia is a group of conditions characterized by impairment of at least two brain functions, such as memory loss and judgment.
Symptoms include forgetfulness, limited social skills, and thinking abilities so impaired that it interferes with daily functioning.
Medications and therapies may help manage symptoms. Some causes are reversible.
Very common: More than 3 million US cases per year
Consult a doctor for medical advice
Sources: Mayo Clinic and others. Learn more
People also ask
What is dementia in simple terms?
Dementia is the loss of cognitive functioning — thinking, remembering, and reasoning — to such an extent that it interferes with a person's daily life and activities. Some people with dementia cannot control their emotions, and their personalities may change.
Dec 8, 2022
What is the difference between Alzheimer's and dementia?
In summary, dementia is an overarching term that refers to a range of symptoms affecting cognitive abilities, while Alzheimer's disease is a specific type of dementia characterized by progressive memory loss and cognitive decline. Other types of dementia exist, each with its own distinct causes and characteristics.
What age does dementia start?
For most people with Alzheimer's — those who have the late-onset variety — symptoms first appear in their mid-60s or later. When the disease develops before age 65, it's considered early-onset Alzheimer's, which can begin as early as a person's 30s, although this is rare.
What is the behavior of a person with dementia?
Someone with frontal lobe deficits may act rudely or insensitively. Dementia also alters how a person responds to their environment. A person with Alzheimer's disease may be forgetful and have trouble following conversations. They may become angry and frustrated because they cannot follow what is going on.
Dementia is a general term for loss of memory, language, problem-solving and other thinking abilities that are severe enough to interfere with daily life.
Dec 8, 2022 · Dementia is the result of changes in certain brain regions that cause neurons (nerve cells) and their connections to stop working properly.
It is the loss of the ability to think, remember, and reason to levels that affect daily life and activities.
Sep 25, 2024 · Dementia is a term used to describe a group of symptoms affecting memory, thinking and social abilities.
Aug 3, 2022 · Dementia describes a group of symptoms that include problems with memory, thinking or language, and changes in mood, emotions, ...
Dementia is a general term that represents a group of diseases and illnesses that affect your thinking, memory, reasoning, personality, mood and behavior.
Dementia doesn't actually refer to one, specific disease. Rather, it's an overall term for a set of symptoms that are caused by disorders affecting the brain.
Mar 15, 2023 · Dementia is a term for several diseases that affect memory, thinking, and the ability to perform daily activities.
Dementia is a syndrome (a group of related symptoms) associated with an ongoing decline of brain functioning.
Dementia is an umbrella term that describes a collection of symptoms (cognitive, functional and behavioral) that are caused by specific diseases.
