Patient and caregiver were instructed on pathophysiology of dementia as follows:
- Dementia is a general term used to describe group of disease states signifying abnormal brain changes with cognitive decline.
- Cognitive decline can affect one or more functions, such as memory, thinking and reasoning, orientation, behavior, and personality.
- Changes associated with dementia can be permanent and progressive. The cognitive changes can begin slowly and worsen over time, leading to severe mental impairment and complete caregiver dependence.
- Dementia is a disease state and not a normal process of aging. It can affect the way brain cells function and their ability to communicate with each other.
- Various parts of the brain carry distinct functions and depending on the part of brain affected, individuals present with compromised mental functions accordingly.
- Depending on the part(s) of brain affected and the causative factors, dementia can be of many different types with varying presenting features.
