What is Senile Dementia?

Senile dementia is a term that refers to the deterioration and loss of brain functioning in elderly people. The occurrence of dementia in the elderly is usually caused by Alzheimer's disease or brain damage resulting from strokes or other causes. Symptoms of senile dementia include memory loss, confusion, personality changes, and language difficulties. There is no cure, but there are medications and therapies available that can be effective at slowing the progression of dementia in some patients.

Alzheimer's disease is the leading cause of senile dementia and is usually characterized by a very gradual onset of symptoms. Alzheimer's causes impairments in brain functioning that get progressively worse over time, eventually affecting motor control in addition to mental functioning.

The other main cause of dementia in the elderly is cerebrovascular or cardiovascular problems that eventually lead to brain damage, usually from strokes; this is also referred to as vascular dementia. Depending on the area of the brain that is damaged, onset of symptoms may be sudden or gradual, and symptoms may continue to worsen or stay at a steady level.

Memory loss is one of the first symptoms usually noticed, but in order for a doctor to make a diagnosis of senile dementia, at least two areas of brain functioning need to be impaired, such as cognitive skills, memory, perception, or language skills. Memory loss often starts with small things such as forgetting recent events or misplacing things. It can progress to include the loss of long-term memories, lack of recognition of loved ones, and disorientation such as the patient not knowing the season, location, or even who he or she is.

Symptoms of senile dementia dealing with cognitive skills include difficulties with tasks that require thought and the use of learned skills such as cooking, driving, paying bills, and learning new information. Patients may also have trouble reading, writing, working with numbers, and solving problems. Perception difficulties can occur such as the loss of the ability to recognize danger, or to properly judge a situation. Patients may have a variety of language difficulties, from having trouble remembering the correct words for things, to difficulty understanding others and losing the ability to communicate effectively.

Patients with senile dementia often experience psychological problems as well. Patients can experience personality changes ranging from subtle adjustments to dramatic transformations. They can become aggressive, hostile and violent. Confusion is common and may contribute to depression, agitation, and delusions as some patients lose touch with reality.

When a doctor is consulted, a diagnosis is usually made based on observation and interviews with the patient and loved ones. There are no tests that confirm senile dementia, but tests may be performed to rule other disorders out, and to try to determine cause. Although there is no cure, treatment is available to improve and maintain quality of life in many cases. There are several drugs, called cholinesterase inhibitors, which can slow the progression of dementia symptoms. In addition behavioral and cognitive therapies are often used maintain patient's functioning for as long as possible.