Publication
Facing Dementia
Section Two: About dementia
Dementia is an illness which affects the brain. It can affect your memory, thinking and actions. It is a progressive illness, which will gradually affectyou more. People of any age can develop dementia, although it is more common in older people. There are over 50,000 people in Scotland with some degree of dementia, so you are not alone.
There are many kinds of dementia. The most common causes are Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia, including multi-infarct dementia.
Alzheimer's disease damages individual brain cells one by one, so that the brain can't work as well as it used to.
In the vascular dementias, there are problems with the blood supply to brain cells. For example, the most common type of vascular dementia is multi-infarct dementia. Tiny strokes (infarcts) damage small areas of the brain. Each time you have one of these little strokes, there will probably be a change in how well you are coping. These tiny strokes may make you feel unwell and more confused for a short time, or you may not notice them at all.
Summary
The effects of dementia are gradual.
Dementia affects the brain.
Dementia is a progressive illness.