Dementia

Pronunciation

Definition 1

A condition in which a person loses the ability to think, remember, learn, make decisions, and solve problems. Symptoms may also include personality changes and emotional problems. There are many causes of dementia, including Alzheimer disease, brain cancer, and brain injury. Dementia usually gets worse over time. (NCI Dictionary)

Definition 2

Loss of intellectual abilities interfering with an individual's social and occupational functions. Causes include Alzheimer's disease, brain injuries, brain tumors, and vascular disorders. (NCI Thesaurus)

Definition 3

An acquired organic mental disorder with loss of intellectual abilities of sufficient severity to interfere with social or occupational functioning. The dysfunction is multifaceted and involves memory, behavior, personality, judgment, attention, spatial relations, language, abstract thought, and other executive functions. The intellectual decline is usually progressive, and initially spares the level of consciousness. (NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

Definition 4

loss of intellectual functions such as memory, learning, reasoning, problem solving, and abstract thinking while vegetative functions remain intact. (NIH CRISP Thesaurus)

More information

Dementia is the name for a group of symptoms caused by disorders that affect the brain. It is not a specific disease. People with dementia may not be able to think well enough to do normal activities, such as getting dressed or eating. They may lose their ability to solve problems or control their emotions. Their personalities may change. They may become agitated or see things that are not there.

Memory loss is a common symptom of dementia. However, memory loss by itself does not mean you have dementia. People with dementia have serious problems with two or more brain functions, such as memory and language. Although dementia is common in very elderly people, it is not part of normal aging.

Many different diseases can cause dementia, including Alzheimer's disease and stroke. Drugs are available to treat some of these diseases. While these drugs cannot cure dementia or repair brain damage, they may improve symptoms or slow down the disease. (NIH: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)