Dementia | Definition | Types

Dementia is a group of related symptoms that are associated with an ongoing decline of the brain and its abilities.It is not a single disease, but rather a non-specific illness syndrome (i.e., set of signs and symptoms) These include:

• judgement
• memorizing
• thought process
• language understanding
• Logical understanding

Aspects of people with such personality may change or they may see or hear things that other people do not, or have false beliefs.Especially in the later stages of the condition, affected persons may be disoriented in time. Most cases of dementia are caused by damage to the structure of the brain. People with dementia usually need help from friends or relatives, including help in making decisions.

National Dementia Research  2013

Types;

Listed below are the different types.Symptoms can be classified as either reversible or irreversible, depending upon the etiology of the disease.

• Alzheimer’s disease, where small clumps of protein, known as plaques, begin to develop around brain cells. This disrupts the normal workings of the brain.
• Dementia with Lewy bodies, where abnormal structures, known as Lewy bodies, develop inside the brain.
• Vascular dementia, where problems with blood circulation result in parts of the brain not receiving enough blood and oxygen.
• Frontotemporal dementia, where the frontal and temporal lobes (two parts of the brain) begin to shrink. Unlike other types of dementia, frontotemporal dementia usually develops in people who are under 65. It is much rarer than other types of dementia. It can occur before the age of 65, in which case it is termed “early onset dementia”

The DCRCs research agenda includes

•  developing programs and informing policy to further the prevention and reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias

• enhancing the awareness of dementia in the community and amongst health professionals

•  improving nursing home care

• furthering techniques to diagnose Alzheimer’s Disease sooner

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Dementia | Definition | Types

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