Dementia
Dementia is the general name for a decline in cognitive abilities that impacts a person's ability to perform everyday activities. This typically involves problems with memory, thinking, and behavior.... Wikipedia
- Specialty: Neurology, psychiatry
- Symptoms: Decreased ability to think and remember, emotional problems, problems with language, decreased motivation
- Usual onset: Gradual
- Duration: Long term
- Causes: Alzheimer's disease, vascular disease, Lewy body disease and frontotemporal lobar degeneration.
- Diagnostic method: Cognitive testing (mini–mental state examination)
- Differential diagnosis: Delirium, hypothyroidism
- Prevention: Early education, prevent high blood pressure, prevent obesity, no smoking, social engagement
- Medication: Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (small benefit)
- Treatment: Supportive care
- Frequency: 55 million (2021)
- Deaths: 2.4 million (2016)
- Data source: DuckDuckGo