Dementia is an umbrella term for a group of mental conditions and is characterized by a decline in cognitive function. According to WHO, there are at least 50 million active dementia cases and around 10 million new cases are diagnosed every year. The condition can affect memory, language, judgment, and even behavior of a person. Here are some causes and symptoms of dementia.

Causes
Dementia is caused due to the degeneration of neurons or brain cells. This is why it is also sometimes referred to as a neurodegenerative disease. As a person ages, the neurons in their brain cease to function and eventually die. This results in discord in synapses, obstructing brain signals. This dysfunction leads to mental conditions like dementia.

Dementia is an umbrella term and is one of the associated symptoms of other mental disorders like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease. It could also be a side effect of certain medications, chronic alcoholism, and certain tumors or infections in the brain. Other than these, structural brain disorders like normal-pressure hydrocephalus and subdural hematoma, and metabolic diseases like hypothyroidism and vitamin deficiencies can also cause dementia. Based on these and some other causes, the following are some types of dementia:

• Vascular dementia
  This type of dementia is caused due to reduced blood flow in the brain. This could be due to plaque buildup in the arteries that supply blood to the brain.
• Frontotemporal dementia
  This is caused due to changes or neurodegeneration in the frontal and temporal parts of the brain.
• Lewy body dementia
  This is caused when neuron cells are unable to send chemical signals due to protein deposits.
• Alzheimer’s disease
  This is one of the mental diseases that usually affect people over 65. Almost 70 percent of people with Alzheimer’s disease experience dementia as a symptom.

Symptoms
Let us understand the symptoms of dementia based on its stages:

• Mild dementia
  People suffering from mild dementia experience short-term memory lapses and personality changes like depression or anger. They may also find it challenging to perform complex tasks and struggle to express emotions and ideas.
• Moderate dementia
  A person at this stage of dementia may suffer from increasing frustration and confusion and more profound memory loss. They usually have poor judgment and also require help with everyday tasks like bathing and dressing. Patients in this stage typically require assistance from a loved one or healthcare professionals to perform daily activities.
• Severe dementia
  The mental and cognitive function further decline at this stage of dementia. A person who has severe dementia cannot perform even the most basic bodily functions like walking, swallowing, and controlling urine. They may require full-time assistance due to their inability to communicate and are more vulnerable to suffer from infections.