Defining Dementia

Contributed by: Dennis Fortier, President, Medical Care Corporation
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In addition to distilling the daily news about brain health, this blog strives to promote a better understanding of terms and concepts relative to this topic. One term that is in the news every day but is commonly misused is "dementia". To help the readership gain a clear understanding, we have defined it here in a prior post.

The key point I always stress is that dementia is not a disease but a symptom of some underlying problem. Many diseases and medical conditions (Alzheimer's, stroke, trauma, thyroid deficiency, etc.) can lead to cognitive impairment (a symptom) which, if severe enough, will be classified as dementia.

Today there is a good piece in the South Bend Tribune that offers additional clarity and I encourage you all to click through and read it.