| Theme |
Cognitive impairment and dialysis therapy |
| Title |
Definition, outline, course and epidemiology of dementia |
| Author |
Takashi Asada |
Division of Dementia Research, Brain Integration Function Research Center, Tokyo Medical and Dental University |
| [ Summary ] |
Dementia is a syndrome associated with a progressive loss of memory and other intellectual functions. It is often serious enough to interfere with daily life. Dementia can be caused by nearly forty different diseases and conditions. However, the main causes of dementia are as follows : Alzheimer's disease (AD), frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTD), Lewy body dementia and vascular dementia. For these four illnesses which cause dementia, clinical features and course are described at http://www.minddisorders.com/Py-Z/Vascular-dementia. html. It is known that AD is the most common irreversible cause of dementia, accounting for 67 % of all dementia cases in Japan. The prevalence rate of dementia among individuals aged 65 years and older in Japan was estimated at 15 ％ of the population (4.62 million) in 2012. Recently, chronic kidney disease (CKD) has attracted a great deal of attention in view of it being an important risk factor for dementia. The possible associations between these conditions and recent findings, as well as possible disease mechanisms are described. |