Dementia

Dementia is a broad category of brain diseases that cause a long-term and often gradual decrease in the ability to think and remember that is severe enough to affect... 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 dementia, Lewy body dementia, frontotemporal dementia
  • Diagnostic method:  Cognitive testing (mini mental state examination)
  • Differential diagnosis:  Delirium
  • Prevention:  Early education, prevent high blood pressure, prevent obesity, no smoking, social engagement
  • Medication:  Cholinesterase inhibitors (small benefit)
  • Treatment:  Supportive care
  • Frequency:  46 million (2015)
  • Deaths:  1.9 million (2015)
  • Data source:  DuckDuckGo