Alzheimer’s disease Dementia is a condition in which there is gradual, progressive deterioration in mental function. It most commonly affects older people and is usually caused by diseases of the brain or blood vessels in the brain.
The most common form is Alzheimer’s disease, in which a series of transient ischemic attacks (small strokes) over a long period of time leads to damage and death of brain tissue.
Another form is vascular dementia, in which the blockage of small blood vessels in the brain causes numerous small areas of brain damage. In dementia with Lewy bodies, tiny nodules (called Lewy bodies) collect in the brain and impair brain function.
Dementia can occasionally occur in younger people as a result of a brain injury or diseases such as Parkinson’s disease.
Treatment of dementia is aimed at relieving or slowing the progress of symptoms