Dementia is a loss of brain function. It is not a single disease. Instead, dementia refers to a group of illnesses that involve memory, behavior, learning, and communicating problems. The problems are progressive, which means they slowly get worse.
Alternative Names
Chronic brain syndrome; Lewy body dementia; DLB; Vascular dementia
Causes, incidence, and risk factors
The two major causes of degenerative (non-reversible) dementia are Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia (loss of brain function due to a series of small strokes). The two conditions often occur together.
Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is a leading cause of degenerative dementia in elderly adults. This condition is linked to abnormal protein structures in certain areas of the brain. The structures and symptoms of DLB are associated with Alzheimer's disease, but it is uncertain whether DLB is a sub-type of Alzheimer's or 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 may be diagnosed when a patient has two or more problems in brain function. 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: Daniel Kantor, M.D., Director of the Comprehensive MS Center, Neuroscience Institute, University of Florida Health Science Center, Jacksonville, FL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.Date: 05/16/2006
Multi-infarct dementia (1 image)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Multi-infarct dementia (MID) is the most common form of vascular dementia, which is a deterioration in mental function caused by strokes. "Multi-infarct" means that multiple areas in the brain have been injured due to a lack of¿blood. Reviewer: Daniel Kantor, M.D., Director of the Comprehensive MS Center, Neuroscience Institute, University of Florida Health Science Center, Jacksonville, FL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.Date: 04/28/2006
Dementia due to metabolic causes (1 image)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Dementia due to metabolic causes is a deterioration of mental function caused by various metabolic disorders. Reviewer: Daniel Kantor, M.D., Director of the Comprehensive MS Center, Neuroscience Institute, University of Florida Health Science Center, Jacksonville, FL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.Date: 03/05/2007
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: Gail A. Kang, M.D., San Francisco VA Parkinson's Disease Research, Education, & Clinical Center, San Francisco, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.Date: 08/26/2006
Pick’s disease (1 image)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Pick's disease is a rare and irreversible form of dementia that is somewhat similar to Alzheimer's disease. However, Pick's disease tends to affect only certain areas of the brain, whereas Alzheimer's can affect any part. Reviewer: Luc Jasmin, M.D., Ph.D., Departments of Anatomy and Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.Date: 11/01/2007
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