Dementia is not a specific disease but rather describes a group of symptoms affecting memory, thinking and social abilities severely enough to interfere with daily functioning.
Imagine if your computer started losing files randomly, had trouble processing information, and occasionally froze up completely - this gives you an idea what dementia does to human brain functions.
Alzheimer’s Disease: This is the most common cause of dementia among older adults. It involves parts of the brain that control thought, memory and language.
Cognitive Functioning: This refers to multiple mental abilities including learning, thinking, reasoning, remembering, problem solving, decision making and attention.
Neuropsychiatric Symptoms (NPS): These are psychological symptoms associated with neurological disorders like dementia. They include depression, anxiety and hallucinations.
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