Dementia is a mental disorder characterized by a steady, progressive decline in memory and other cognitive functions, severe enough to interfere with social or occupational functioning. Cognitive dysfunction may comprise the same impairments only with less severe manifestation. Criteria for the diagnosis of dementia include impairment of attention, orientation, memory, judgment, language, motor and spatial skills and function.
Dementia is reported in as many as 1% of adults 60 years of age. It has been estimated that the frequency of dementia doubles every five years after 60 years of age.
Dementia can be caused by a number of different disorders, including Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, Huntington's disease, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease. However Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia. Similarly cognitive dysfunction is a characteristic of several CNS disorders such as schizophrenia- or depression-related cognitive impairment.
To date there are only very limited therapeutic options to halt or reverse dementia.