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About Dementia
Dementia is a loss of mental function in two or more areas such as language, memory, visual and spatial abilities, or judgment severe enough to interfere with daily life.
Dementia itself is not a disease but a broader set of symptoms that accompanies certain diseases or physical conditions. Well-known diseases that cause dementia include Alzheimer's disease, multi-infarct dementia, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, Pick's disease, and Lewy body dementia.
Other physical conditions may cause or mimic dementia, such as depression, brain tumors, head injuries, nutritional deficiencies, hydrocephalus, infections (AIDS, meningitis, syphilis), drug reactions, and thyroid problems. Individuals experiencing dementia-like symptoms should undergo diagnostic testing as soon as possible.
An early and accurate diagnosis helps to identify reversible conditions, gives patients a greater chance of benefiting from existing treatments, and allows them and their families more time to plan for the future.
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