What is dementia definition

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The sentence contains offensive content. Cancel Submit. They also affect behavior, feelings and relationships. Vascular dementia , which occurs because of microscopic bleeding and blood vessel blockage in the brain, is the second most common cause of dementia.

Those who experience the brain changes of multiple types of dementia simultaneously have mixed dementia. There are many other conditions that can cause symptoms of dementia, including some that are reversible, such as thyroid problems and vitamin deficiencies. Dementia is often incorrectly referred to as "senility" or "senile dementia," which reflects the formerly widespread but incorrect belief that serious mental decline is a normal part of aging.

Know the 10 signs Find out how typical age-related memory loss compares to early signs of Alzheimer's and other dementias. Many conditions are progressive, which means that the signs of dementia start out slowly and gradually get worse. If you or someone you know is experiencing memory difficulties or other changes in thinking skills, don't ignore them.

See a doctor soon to determine the cause. Professional evaluation may detect a treatable condition. And even if symptoms suggest dementia, early diagnosis allows a person to get the maximum benefit from available treatments and provides an opportunity to volunteer for clinical trials or studies.

It also provides time to plan for the future. Learn more: 10 Warning Signs , Stages of Alzheimer's. Dementia is caused by damage to brain cells. This damage interferes with the ability of brain cells to communicate with each other.

When brain cells cannot communicate normally, thinking, behavior and feelings can be affected. The brain has many distinct regions, each of which is responsible for different functions for example, memory, judgment and movement. When cells in a particular region are damaged, that region cannot carry out its functions normally. Take our free e-learning course Understanding Alzheimer's and Dementia outlines the difference between Alzheimer's and dementia, symptoms, stages, risk factors and more.

Vascular dementia. About 10 percent of dementia cases are linked to strokes or other issues with blood flow to the brain. Diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol are also risk factors. Symptoms vary depending on the area and size of the brain impacted.

The disease progresses in a step-wise fashion, meaning symptoms will suddenly get worse as the individual gets more strokes or mini-strokes. Lewy body dementia. In addition to more typical symptoms like memory loss, people with this form of dementia may have movement or balance problems like stiffness or trembling. Many people also experience changes in alertness including daytime sleepiness, confusion or staring spells.

They may also have trouble sleeping at night or may experience visual hallucinations seeing people, objects or shapes that are not actually there. Fronto-temporal dementia.

This type of dementia most often leads to changes in personality and behavior because of the part of the brain it affects. People with this condition may embarrass themselves or behave inappropriately. For instance, a previously cautious person may make offensive comments and neglect responsibilities at home or work.

There may also be problems with language skills like speaking or understanding. Mixed dementia. Sometimes more than one type of dementia is present in the brain at the same time, especially in people aged 80 and older.

It is not always obvious that a person has mixed dementia since the symptoms of one type of dementia may be most prominent or may overlap with symptoms of another type. Disease progression may be faster than with one kind of dementia. Reversible causes. People who have dementia may have a reversible underlying cause such as side effect of medication, increased pressure in the brain, vitamin deficiency, and thyroid hormone imbalance.

Medical providers should screen for reversible causes in patients who are concerning for dementia. How is dementia treated? What to do if a loved one is suspicious of having dementia?