WHAT IS DEMENTIA

Dementia is a descriptive term derived from the Latin root de mens, in dicating an observable decline in mental abilities. It is an acquired clinical syndrome characterised by deterioration of mental functioning in its cognitive, emotional and conative aspects (1). The concept is comprehensive with several different clinical profiles and courses. Th e diagnosis of dementia implies that several mental faculties are invo lved and exclude isolated neuropsychiatric disturbances such as amnesi a and aphasia which occur with focal brain lesions. Description and cl assification of dementia conditions have however to deal with the prob lem that the word ''dementia'' might have different meanings in differ ent contexts (2). It might denote a clinical syndrome irrespective of etiology, but also imply that the etiology of this syndrome is brain d ysfunction (3, 4). Moreover, the term dementia is sometimes used in a wider sense to describe the underlying brain disease from its early su btle manifestations to advanced stages of severe deterioration. By def inition this deterioration previously was progressive and irreversible with little hope for the patient. Clinical experience however has cha nged our views, and it is now accepted that the course of dementia can be progressive, static or remittent (5).