Introduction

Dementia is very different from the normal memory loss that can occur as a reaction to such triggers as aging, stress, tiredness, depression and medications. It is the catchall label given to the deterioration in mental functions, such as memory, language and reasoning, caused by a disease process in the brain.

As dementia progresses from mild through severe stages, it interferes with a person's ability to function independently in everyday life. Although there are many conditions that cause dementia the most common is Alzheimer's Disease.

Objectives
In this section we'll look at how dementia due to various brain diseases affects cognitive functions such as:

• The 4 A's + 1 E:
  • Aphasia
  • Apraxia
  • Amnesia
  • Agnosia
  • Executive Dysfunctions
• The most common brain diseases resulting in dementia
• Tips for coping with some of the challenging behaviours associated with dementia