Overview of dementia
What is dementia?
The progressive syndrome of dementia is defined as a loss of
memory plus impairment in at least one other cognitive function, such as aphasia,
apraxia, agnosia and disturbance in executive function, which is severe enough to
interfere with activities of daily living and represents a decline [DSM-IV, 1994].
Dementia presents with a variety of clinical manifestations
regardless of aetiology, and in most cases it is caused by organic brain disease.
It is characterized by three main symptomatic domains, as shown below.
- Activities – inability to perform activities of daily life
- Behaviours – psychiatric symptoms/behavioural disturbances
- Cognition – neuropsychological impairments
What are the clinical features of the three symptomatic
domains that characterize dementia?
Table 1. Clinical features related to the three
symptomatic domains that characterize dementia
