Also called: Also called: Senility
Dementia is a word for a group of symptoms caused by disorders that affect the brain. It is not a specific disease. People with dementia may not be able to think well enough to do normal activities, such as getting dressed or eating. They may lose their ability to solve problems or control their emotions. Their personalities may change. They may become agitated or see things that are not there.
Memory loss is a common symptom of dementia. However, memory loss by itself does not mean you have dementia. People with dementia have serious problems with two or more brain functions, such as memory and language.
Many different diseases can cause dementia, including Alzheimer's disease and stroke. Drugs are available to treat some of these diseases. While these drugs cannot cure dementia or repair brain damage, they may improve symptoms or slow down the disease.
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
-
Dementia: What Are the Common Signs?(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/seniors/mental-health/662.printerview.html
Also available in Spanish http://familydoctor.org/online/famdoces/home/seniors/mental-health/662.printerview.html
-
Dementia: Hope through Research
(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/dementias/detail_dementia.htm
Also available in Spanish http://espanol.ninds.nih.gov/trastornos/las_demencias.htm -
Forgetfulness: It's Not Always What You Think(National Institute on Aging) - http://www.niapublications.org/agepages/forgetfulness.asp
Also available in Spanish http://www.niapublications.org/agepages/forgetfulness-sp.asp
- Dementia(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/dementia/DS01131/METHOD=print
-
Dementia(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/dementias/dementia.htm
- Dementia: Is This Dementia and What Does it Mean?(Family Caregiver Alliance) - http://www.caregiver.org/caregiver/jsp/content_node.jsp?nodeid=569
-
JAMA Patient Page: Dementia(American Medical Association) - http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/reprint/300/19/2330.pdf
Also available in Spanish http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/data/297/21/2436/DC1/1
- Drink Away Dementia?(05/01/2009, HealthDay) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_83702.html
- Painkillers May Not Protect Against Dementia(04/22/2009, HealthDay) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_83243.html
- Severe Low Blood Sugar Ups Older Diabetics' Dementia Risk(04/14/2009, HealthDay) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_82890.html
- More News on Dementia http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/alphanews_d.html#dementia
- ApoE (Apolipoprotein E) Genotyping(American Association for Clinical Chemistry) - http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/apoe/test.html
- Tau/Amyloid Beta 42 Peptide Test (Alzheimer Biomarkers)(American Association for Clinical Chemistry) - http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/tau/test.html
- Tube Feeding Decisions for People with Advanced Dementia(AGS Foundation for Health in Aging) - http://www.healthinaging.org/public_education/pef/tube_feeding.php
- Dementia, Caregiving, and Controlling Frustration(Family Caregiver Alliance) - http://www.caregiver.org/caregiver/jsp/content_node.jsp?nodeid=891
-
Caregiver's Guide to Understanding Dementia Behaviors(Family Caregiver Alliance) - http://www.caregiver.org/caregiver/jsp/content_node.jsp?nodeid=391
Also available in Spanish http://www.caregiver.org/caregiver/jsp/content_node.jsp?nodeid=533
-
Dementia: Info and Advice for Caregivers(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/seniors/mental-health/585.printerview.html
Also available in Spanish http://familydoctor.org/online/famdoces/home/seniors/mental-health/585.printerview.html
- Managing Difficult Behaviors(Association for Frontotemporal Dementias) - http://www.ftd-picks.org/?p=caregiver.managing
-
Binswanger's Disease(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/binswangers/binswangers.htm
-
CADASIL(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/cadasil/CADASIL.htm
-
Frontotemporal Dementia (Pick's Disease)(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/picks/picks.htm
-
Multi-Infarct Dementia(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/multi_infarct_dementia/multi_infarct_dementia.htm
- Sundowning: Late-Day Confusion(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/sundowning/HQ01463/METHOD=print
- Vascular Dementia(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/vascular-dementia/DS00934/METHOD=print
-
Adult Day Centers(Alzheimer's Association) - Links to PDF - http://www.alz.org/national/documents/topicsheet_adultday.pdf
Also available in Spanish http://www.alz.org/national/documents/sp_topicsheet_loscentros.pdf
- Caring for Someone with Dementia in a Disaster(Federal Emergency Management Agency) - http://www.fema.gov/plan/prepare/dementia.shtm
-
Challenging Behaviors: Special Issues for Family Care(National Institute on Aging) - http://www.nia.nih.gov/Alzheimers/Publications/challenging.htm
- Delirium (Sudden Confusion)(AGS Foundation for Health in Aging) - http://www.healthinaging.org/agingintheknow/chapters_ch_trial.asp?ch=57
- Dementia & Driving(Family Caregiver Alliance) - http://www.caregiver.org/caregiver/jsp/content_node.jsp?nodeid=432
-
Dementia at the End of Life(National Institute on Aging) - http://www.nia.nih.gov/HealthInformation/Publications/endoflife/03_dementia.htm.htm
- Legal Plans: Assisting the Person with Dementia in Planning for the Future(Alzheimer's Association) - Large PDF file - http://www.alz.org/national/documents/brochure_legalplans.pdf
- Pain in Dementia: A Family and Caregivers Guide to Assessment and Treatment(AGS Foundation for Health in Aging) - Links to PDF - http://www.healthinaging.org/public_education/pain/pain_dementia.pdf
- Safety Issues(Alzheimer's Association) - http://www.alz.org/living_with_alzheimers_safety_issues.asp
- Sexuality and Dementia(Family Caregiver Alliance) - http://www.caregiver.org/caregiver/jsp/content_node.jsp?nodeid=677
- Money Matters: Helping the Person with Dementia Settle Financial Issues(Alzheimer's Association) - Large PDF file - http://www.alz.org/national/documents/brochure_moneymatters.pdf
-
ClinicalTrials.gov: Dementia(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Dementia%22
-
Genetics Home Reference: Cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy(National Library of Medicine) - http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=cerebralautosomaldominantarteriopathywithsubcorticalinfarctsandleukoencephalopathy
-
Genetics Home Reference: Inclusion body myopathy with early-onset Paget disease and frontotemporal dementia(National Library of Medicine) - http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=inclusionbodymyopathywithearlyonsetpagetdiseaseandfrontotemporaldementia
- Alzheimer's Drug Does Not Improve the Cognitive Ability Score in Hereditary Vascular Dementia(American Heart Association) - http://americanheart.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=340
-
Frontotemporal Dementia (Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration)(National Institutes of Health) - Links to PDF - http://www.nih.gov/about/researchresultsforthepublic/Dementia.pdf
- Low Levels of Good Cholesterol Linked to Memory Loss, Dementia Risk(American Heart Association) - http://americanheart.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=451
- Medical Organizations Issue New Guideline on Drugs to Treat Dementia(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/media/releases/2008/dementia-guidelines.html
-
Pilot Study Provides New Insight on Effect of Ginkgo Extract on Dementia in the Elderly(National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine) - http://nccam.nih.gov/research/results/spotlight/022608.htm
-
Viral Genetic Underpinnings of HIV-associated Dementia Explored(National Institute of Mental Health) - http://www.nimh.nih.gov/science-news/2008/viral-genetic-underpinnings-of-hiv-associated-dementia-explored.shtml
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Simple screening test could help diagnose dementia. The short test... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19353814&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: The use of antipsychotic agents in the management of behavioral... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19343879&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Caring for Aged Dementia Care Resident Study (CADRES) of person-centred... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19282246&tool=MedlinePlus
- Dementia -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=(dementia[majr:noexp]+OR+dementia,+vascular[majr])AND+english[la]+AND+humans[mh]+AND+(jsubsetk[text]+OR+review[pt]+OR+guideline[pt]+OR+clinical+trial[pt]+OR+patient+education+handout[pt]+OR+systematic[sb])+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt]+OR+case+reports[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- CareFinder: Glossary(Alzheimer's Association) - http://www.alz.org/carefinder/support/glossary.asp
- Find a Neurologist(American Academy of Neurology) - http://www.thebrainmatters.org/index.cfm?key=1.2.2
- American Geriatrics Society - http://www.americangeriatrics.org/
-
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/
Also available in Spanish http://espanol.ninds.nih.gov/
-
National Institute on Aging - http://www.nia.nih.gov/
Also available in Spanish http://www.nia.nih.gov/Espanol/
- Know Resident's Rights in a Care Facility and When to Speak Up(Alzheimer's Association) - Links to PDF - http://www.alz.org/carefinder/docs/knowrights.pdf
- Alzheimer's Disease - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/alzheimersdisease.html
- Lewy Body Disease - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/lewybodydisease.html
- Memory - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/memory.html
- Brain and Nerves - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/brainandnerves.html
- Mental Health and Behavior - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/mentalhealthandbehavior.html
- Seniors - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/seniors.html
The primary NIH organization for research on Dementia is the National Institute on Aging - http://www.nia.nih.gov/
Dementia - Multiple Languages - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/languages/dementia.html