Dementia and Brain Function

To understand how dementia affects a person, it is necessary to know something about the structure and function of the brain. Dementia is a disease, not a consequence of growing old. It is a myth that dementia is a natural consequence of growing old, but the risk of getting dementia increases with age. Dementia is caused by changes in the brain and they can be caused by a sudden brain injury, for example, caused by a traffic accident, bleeding or tumor in the brain or due to severe vitamin deficiency. Nevertheless, certain diseases that affect the nerve cells in the brain also can cause changes in the brain – these are called dementia diseases. Only a few diseases causing dementia can be cured. However, several diseases can be treated to some extent, so it is important to get a diagnosis. Dementia, as illness, is defined as a psychiatric disorder. Many of the symptoms suggest that it also could be defined as a brain injury as the symptoms are related to where the brain is damaged.