Loss of brain function due to a series of small strokes (vascular dementia)
The two conditions often occur together.
Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is a leading cause of dementia in elderly adults. People with this condition have abnormal protein structures in certain areas of the brain.
The structures and symptoms of DLB are similar to those of Alzheimer's disease, but it is not clear whether DLB is a form of Alzheimer's or a separate disease. There is no cure for DLB or Alzheimer's.
Conditions that damage blood vessels or nerve structures of the brain can also lead to dementia.
Dementia usually occurs in older age. It is rare in people under age 60. The risk for dementia increases as a person gets older.
Symptoms
Problems may involve language, memory, perception, emotional behavior or personality, and cognitive skills (such as calculation, abstract thinking, or judgment). Dementia usually first appears as forgetfulness.
Alzheimer's disease (1 image)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Alzheimer's disease (AD), one form of dementia, is a progressive, degenerative brain disease. It?affects memory, thinking, and behavior. Memory impairment is a necessary feature for the diagnosis of this or any type of dementia. Change in one of the following areas must also be present: language, decision-making ability, judgment, attention, and other areas of mental function and personality. The rate of progression is different for each person. If AD develops rapidly, it is likely to continue to progress rapidly. If it has been slow to progress, it will likely continue on a slow course. Reviewer: Luc Jasmin, MD, PhD, Departments of Anatomy & Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 02/13/2008
Multi-infarct dementia (1 image)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Multi-infarct dementia (MID) is a form of vascular dementia - damage in mental function caused by strokes. Reviewer: Luc Jasmin, MD, PhD, Departments of Anatomy & Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 02/13/2008
Dementia due to metabolic causes (1 image)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Dementia due to metabolic causes is a loss of mental function that can occur with diabetes, thyroid disease, and other metabolic disorders. Reviewer: Luc Jasmin, MD, PhD, Departments of Anatomy & Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 02/13/2008
Progressive supranuclear palsy (1 image)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Progressive supranuclear palsy is a movement disorder caused by damage to certain nerve cells in the brain. Reviewer: Daniel Kantor, MD, Director of the Comprehensive MS Center, Neuroscience Institute, University of Florida Health Science Center, Jacksonville, FL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 02/06/2008
Pick's disease (1 image)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Pick's disease is a rare and permanent form of dementia that is similar to Alzheimer's disease, except that it tends to affect only certain areas of the brain. Reviewer: Daniel Kantor, MD, Director of the Comprehensive MS Center, Neuroscience Institute, University of Florida Health Science Center, Jacksonville, FL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 02/06/2008
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