| Theme |
Dementia in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease |
| Title |
What is dementia? |
| Author |
Satsuki Watanabe |
Section of Liaison Psychiatry and Palliative Medicine, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University |
| Author |
Masato Matsuura |
Department of Life Sciences and Bioinformatics, Graduate School of Health Care Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University |
| [ Summary ] |
Japan has been labeled the "super-aged" society with 21 % of the population being 65 years and over in 2005. It is projected that there will be a greater need to treat more people with dementia in hospitals and clinics in the future. Dementia is a syndrome which exhibits memory impairment and various forms of cognitive impairment. These symptoms eventually impair the ability to carry out daily activities. The term "Chi-ho" in Japanese was equivalent to "dementia" but it is no longer accepted by our society. "Ninchi-sho" is the current term developed by the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare in 2004. There are many causes of dementia, including neurodegenerative diseases and cerebrovascular diseases. It is important to distinguish dementia from the normal aging process, delirium, or depression. Some regional epidemiologic researches have revealed that the prevalence of dementia in Japan was 7 to 8 ％ of people who are 65 years and over. According to those researches there have been a gradual increase in the number of people with dementia. |