Post by norbert1 on Mar 23, 2005 18:30:12 GMT -5
Occasionally there is confusion about the difference. Especially when the doctor diagnoses dementia, but not Alzheimers. I have listed several definitions of dementia - from easy to understand to more difficult.
From chclibrary.com
Dementia is a loss of mental ability severe enough to interfere with normal activities of daily living, lasting more than six months, not present since birth, and not associated with a loss or alteration of consciousness.
From BUPA
Dementia is a broad term for a range of conditions that involve loss of mental ability and so causes problems with memory, language, behaviour and emotions. Dementia is most common in the elderly. Around five percent of people over the age of 65 are affected to some extent.
From laborlawtalk.com
Dementia: The loss of intellectual functions (such as thinking, remembering, and reasoning) of sufficient severity to interfere with a person’s daily functioning. Dementia is not a disease itself but rather a group of symptoms that may accompany certain diseases or conditions. Symptoms may also include changes in personality, mood, and behavior. Dementia is irreversible when caused by disease or injury but may be reversible when caused by drugs, alcohol, hormone or vitamin imbalances, or depression.
From healthcentral.com -
The term dementia refers to an organically caused brain disorder resulting in an overall, or global, loss of intellect or essential mental capacity, usually accompanied by changes in personality, behavior and other character traits. The most striking changes involve memory and performance in almost all areas of life.
Dementia usually results from a widespread destruction of, or interference with, cells in diverse areas of the brain, with consequent loss of mental functions previously controlled by those cells.
From canadiancontent.com
Dementia is a clinical state characterized by loss of function in multiple cognitive domains. The most commonly used criteria for diagnoses of dementia is the DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders, American Psychiatric Association). Diagnostic features include : memory impairment and at least one of the following: aphasia (speech), apraxia (purposeful movement), agnosia (recognition), disturbances in executive functioning. In addition, the cognitive impairments must be severe enough to cause impairment in social and occupational functioning. Importantly, the decline must represent a decline from a previously higher level of functioning. Finally, the diagnosis of dementia should NOT be made if the cognitive deficits occur exclusively during the course of a delirium.
There are many different types of dementia (approximately 70 to 80). Some of the major disorders causing dementia are: Degenerative diseases (e.g., Alzheimer's Disease, Pick's Disease) Vascular Dementia (e.g., Multi-infarct Dementia) Anoxic Dementia (e.g., Cardiac Arrest) Traumatic Dementia (e.g., Dementia pugilistica [boxer's dementia]) Infectious Dementia (e.g., Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease) Toxic Dementia (e.g., Alcoholic Dementia)
--------------------------
In other words, dementia is the loss of mental abilities the person once had. The loss is severe enough to effect the ability to function in activities of life.
Alzheimers is one type or cause of dementia.
When the doctor says "dementia" he has not diagnosed the specific cause of the dementia.
From chclibrary.com
Dementia is a loss of mental ability severe enough to interfere with normal activities of daily living, lasting more than six months, not present since birth, and not associated with a loss or alteration of consciousness.
From BUPA
Dementia is a broad term for a range of conditions that involve loss of mental ability and so causes problems with memory, language, behaviour and emotions. Dementia is most common in the elderly. Around five percent of people over the age of 65 are affected to some extent.
From laborlawtalk.com
Dementia: The loss of intellectual functions (such as thinking, remembering, and reasoning) of sufficient severity to interfere with a person’s daily functioning. Dementia is not a disease itself but rather a group of symptoms that may accompany certain diseases or conditions. Symptoms may also include changes in personality, mood, and behavior. Dementia is irreversible when caused by disease or injury but may be reversible when caused by drugs, alcohol, hormone or vitamin imbalances, or depression.
From healthcentral.com -
The term dementia refers to an organically caused brain disorder resulting in an overall, or global, loss of intellect or essential mental capacity, usually accompanied by changes in personality, behavior and other character traits. The most striking changes involve memory and performance in almost all areas of life.
Dementia usually results from a widespread destruction of, or interference with, cells in diverse areas of the brain, with consequent loss of mental functions previously controlled by those cells.
From canadiancontent.com
Dementia is a clinical state characterized by loss of function in multiple cognitive domains. The most commonly used criteria for diagnoses of dementia is the DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders, American Psychiatric Association). Diagnostic features include : memory impairment and at least one of the following: aphasia (speech), apraxia (purposeful movement), agnosia (recognition), disturbances in executive functioning. In addition, the cognitive impairments must be severe enough to cause impairment in social and occupational functioning. Importantly, the decline must represent a decline from a previously higher level of functioning. Finally, the diagnosis of dementia should NOT be made if the cognitive deficits occur exclusively during the course of a delirium.
There are many different types of dementia (approximately 70 to 80). Some of the major disorders causing dementia are: Degenerative diseases (e.g., Alzheimer's Disease, Pick's Disease) Vascular Dementia (e.g., Multi-infarct Dementia) Anoxic Dementia (e.g., Cardiac Arrest) Traumatic Dementia (e.g., Dementia pugilistica [boxer's dementia]) Infectious Dementia (e.g., Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease) Toxic Dementia (e.g., Alcoholic Dementia)
--------------------------
In other words, dementia is the loss of mental abilities the person once had. The loss is severe enough to effect the ability to function in activities of life.
Alzheimers is one type or cause of dementia.
When the doctor says "dementia" he has not diagnosed the specific cause of the dementia.
