Dementia

Worldwide, approximately 50 million people have dementia. Dementia is usually of a chronic or progressive nature in which there is deterioration in cognitive function (i.e. the ability to process thought) beyond what might be expected from normal aging. It affects memory, thinking, orientation, comprehension, calculation, learning capacity, language, and judgment. The impairment in cognitive function is commonly accompanied, and occasionally preceded, by deterioration in emotional control, social behavior, or motivation.

Key facts about dementia (by WHO)

  • Dementia is a syndrome in which there is deterioration in memory, thinking, behavior, and the ability to perform everyday activities.

  • Although dementia mainly affects older people, it is not a normal part of aging.

  • Worldwide, around 50 million people have dementia, and there are nearly 10 million new cases every year.

  • Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia and may contribute to 60–70% of cases.

  • Dementia is one of the major causes of disability and dependency among older people worldwide.

  • Dementia has a physical, psychological, social, and economic impact, not only on people with dementia, but also on their carers, families, and society at large.

Dementia is caused by a variety of diseases and injuries that affect the brain, such as Alzheimer's disease or stroke. Dementia affects each person in a different way, depending upon the impact of the disease and the person’s personality before becoming ill. The signs and symptoms linked to dementia can be understood in three stages.

Early-stage: the early stage of dementia is often overlooked, because the onset is gradual. Common symptoms include:

  • forgetfulness

  • losing track of the time

  • becoming lost in familiar places.

Middle stage: as dementia progresses to the middle stage, the signs and symptoms become clearer and more restricting. These include:

  • becoming forgetful of recent events and people's names

  • becoming lost at home

  • having increasing difficulty with communication

  • needing help with personal care

  • experiencing behavior changes, including wandering and repeated questioning.

Late-stage: the late stage of dementia is one of near-total dependence and inactivity. Memory disturbances are serious and the physical signs and symptoms become more obvious. Symptoms include:

  • becoming unaware of the time and place

  • having difficulty recognizing relatives and friends

  • having an increasing need for assisted self-care

  • having difficulty walking

  • experiencing behavior changes that may escalate and include aggression.

There are many different forms of dementia. Alzheimer disease is the most common form and may contribute to 60–70% of cases. Other major forms include vascular dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies (abnormal aggregates of protein that develop inside nerve cells), and a group of diseases that contribute to frontotemporal dementia (degeneration of the frontal lobe of the brain). The boundaries between different forms of dementia are indistinct and mixed forms often co-exist.

Though there is no treatment currently available to cure dementia or to alter its progressive course, many treatments are in various stages of clinical trials. Much can be done, however, to support and improve the lives of people with dementia and their carers and families.