What is the main symptom of dementia and how to recognize it?

Unfortunately, over the years almost everything comes, even such a perfect mechanism as the human body. In the elderly, it makes sense to talk about directly senile diseases, which can arise only after sixty years. For example, at this time you can easily notice any symptom of dementia, but if you do not pay attention to it during the time, the further development of events may not be very pleasant. Speaking about this ailment from a medical point of view, it is a disorder of the so-called "nervous activity" of the organism, caused, in turn, by an organic brain damage, the main organ responsible for all actions. Reducing mental abilities is by no means the only unpleasant consequence that senile dementia entails . Symptoms of it can be manifested in memory impairment, speech disorder, and also a decrease in the ability to abstract thinking.

In principle, the clinical picture of the disease will completely depend directly on the cause that caused brain damage, as well as the extent of the spread of the disease. However, the symptom of dementia in all cases is of the same nature - the capacity for thinking and mental activity per se is completely reduced. It should be noted that this disease in medicine is divided into several species, depending on the degree of damage to the cerebral cortex, as well as on what it was originally caused. Moreover, it should be noted specific types, when the symptom of dementia occurs directly as a result of Alzheimer's, Pick's or Levy's. In this case, the destruction of the cerebral cortex will be an independent and leading process.

It is noteworthy that in some cases it is worth talking about the secondary nature of such a phenomenon as vascular dementia. Symptoms in this case will be similar to those of the usual type of ailment, but it will occur against other diseases, for example as a result of infections, injuries and vascular pathologies that have an age range. Particularly common in this case will be atherosclerosis of vessels or neglected hypertension. It is worth paying attention also to the AIDS virus, in the latter stages of which the symptom of dementia in the form of diffused consciousness will manifest itself in any case. In addition, such a diagnosis can be detected as a result of virtually any neglected virus diseases, such as meningitis or encephalitis, when the acquired virus gets directly to the brain cells.

In order to recognize dementia at the initial stage, the emotional state of the patient should be carefully monitored. For example, often this affliction will be expressed initially in increased tearfulness and emotional lability. It is also worth noting that today dementia has long been recognized as a problem that is unique to the elderly, since it can occur against the background of post-traumatic syndromes or acquired viruses.