What is dementia?
Dementia is a term used to describe a group of symptoms affecting memory, thinking and social abilities severely enough to interfere with your daily life.
It isn't a specific disease, but several diseases can cause dementia.
Though dementia generally involves memory loss, memory loss has different causes. Having memory loss alone doesn't mean you have dementia, although it's often one of the early signs of the condition.
Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of a progressive dementia in older adults, but there are a number of other causes of dementia.
Depending on the cause, some dementia symptoms might be reversible.
Dementia symptoms vary depending on the cause, but common signs and symptoms include:
Cognitive changes:
- Memory loss, which is usually noticed by someone else
- Difficulty communicating or finding words
- Difficulty with visual and spatial abilities, such as getting lost while driving
- Difficulty reasoning or problem-solving
- Difficulty handling complex tasks
- Difficulty with planning and organizing
- Difficulty with coordination and motor functions
- Confusion and disorientation
Psychological changes:
- Personality changes
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Inappropriate behavior
- Paranoia
- Agitation
- Hallucinations
Causes
Dementia is caused by damage to or loss of nerve cells and their connections in the brain. Depending on the area of the brain that's damaged, dementia can affect people differently and cause different symptoms.
Source:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/dementia/symptoms-causes/syc-
20352013
