On Dementia

‘Dementia’ is a term for a family of disorders that affect brain functions, in particular, memory and language. Alzheimer’s Disease is perhaps the bestknown form of dementia. It is a progressive neuro-degenerative disease characterised by a build-up of plaque (consisting of beta amyloid proteins) between nerve cells in the brain. In a healthy brain these proteins are eliminated but when this doesn’t happen they form abnormal clumps that destroy neural connections and, in consequence, cognitive capacity, personality, and the ability to perform everyday functions. Some instances of the disease (labelled ‘familial’ or ‘early onset’ AD) are genetically based, but most are simply age-related. As with dementia more generally, the symptoms include forgetfulness, loss of control over emotions, and difficulty in working through or solving problems. Over time this can result in aggression being directed toward loved ones and carers. Drug treatments can help with some of the symptoms of dementia and even slow its progress, but, because we presently lack the capacity to repair the damage to the brain and its functioning, there is no cure available.