Abstract
Dementia is any decline in cognition that is significant enough to interfere with
independent, daily functioning. Dementia is best characterized as a syndrome rather
than as one particular disease. The causes of dementia are myriad and include primary
neurologic, neuropsychiatric, and medical conditions. It is common for multiple diseases
to contribute to any one patient's dementia syndrome. Neurodegenerative dementias,
like Alzheimer disease and dementia with Lewy bodies, are most common in the elderly,
while traumatic brain injury and brain tumors are common causes in younger adults.
While the recent decade has seen significant advancements in molecular neuroimaging,
in understanding clinico-pathologic correlation, and in the development of novel biomarkers,
clinicians still await disease-modifying therapies for neurodegenerative dementias.
Until then, clinicians from varied disciplines and medical specialties are well poised
to alleviate suffering, aggressively treat contributing conditions, employ medications
to improve cognitive, neuropsychiatric, and motor symptoms, promote evidence-based
brain-healthy behaviors, and improve overall quality of life for patients and families.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: February 06, 2018
William J. Mullally, MD, Neurology Series EditorFootnotes
Funding: The authors' research is supported by the Alzheimer's Innovation Fund of the Alzheimer Center, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Mass.
Conflicts of Interest: None.
Authorship: All authors had access to the data and played a role in preparing, writing, and revising the manuscript.
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