Aging in general, slows down the process of storing and recalling information. However, this slowing is normal and does not constitute dementia. Dementia is not a part of normal aging. Normal memory problems can be described as forgetfulness. They are mild and do not get worse over time. Dementia is much more; it interferes with the ability to carry out daily activities. It is a progressive degenerative disease that leads to gradual loss of memory, a decline in the ability to think and reason, and problems with communication. It may be difficult to accept that the person you are close to has dementia. One may just put it down to old age, absentmindedness or madness. It is necessary to diagnose the disease early and understand the prognosis, in order to be able to efficiently cope up with the changes. Dementia does not simply affect the person with the condition; it also changes the lives of family members and friends who are close to them.
There are an estimated 18 million people with dementia worldwide and these figures are projected to reach
34 million by the year 2025. It is also predicted that by 2025, 75% of the world’s dementia population will
lie in the developing countries alone. In India, 3.5% of the population above the age of sixty is estimated to
have dementia. Goa has a high proportion of elderly population. Research conducted in Goa reveal that
over 2.9% of those above 60 years and 12.5% over the age of 80 years are affected with dementia. Which
means that there are over 3000 people with dementia in Goa alone.
Dementia is not a disease by itself; it is a syndrome caused by a whole range of degenerative diseases. It
could be reversible as well as irreversible. Infection, metabolic disorders, intoxication, head injuries contribute to some of the reversible causes of dementia. Where as Alzheimer’s disease, Dementia with Lewy bodies, Fronto Temporal dementias, Crutzfeld Jakob Disease, and AIDS dementia complex contributes to some of the irreversible dementias. All dementias can be treated to a certain extent. However there is no cure in most of the cases. Alzheimer’s disease contributes to more than 60% of dementias.
ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE:
Alois Alzheimer, a German pathologist first described the characteristics of a patient in the early part of the 20 th century. The patient died in 1906 and the autopsy revealed dense deposits now called as neuritic plaques around the nerve cells in the brain. These are now known to be composed of a protein called B-