Dementia is the loss of intellectual abilities to the extent of interfering with normal social or occupational function. Memory, judgment, abstract thought, and
personality are diminished or altered. Memory impairment ranges from difficulty in remembering names of things to
inability to recognize close relatives. Impaired thinking includes inability to cope with new situations. Personality changes include lack of personal hygiene, coarse language, lethargy, and irritability. Alzheimer disease is the best-known cause of
Dementia, but stroke, concussion, exposure to toxic substances (including legal or illegal drugs), and neurologic diseases also contribute. Dementia is more common in older persons.
More abstracts about the DEMENTIA