What is dementia?
Dementia is a catch-all term for a wide variety of conditions that include amongst a panoply of symptoms, a breakdown of normal memory processes. Once it was simply the medical term for the neurological symptoms of old age. Today it refers more often to a specific type of memory loss in the elderly, though it does also affect people under the age of 65.
There are around 100 sorts of dementia and the condition is usually progressive (it gets worse the longer it goes on for) and irreversible though medication can in some cases help with the symptoms early on.
Jacqueline Evans
My Mother, who is 71 years old, has Sjogrens syndrome. She has a history of mental illness - having had 3 severe bouts of depression during her lifetime. Her last one was 21 years ago - however just recently it has come back. I'd never thougtth to connect it to her Sjogrens. I'd be interested to know more about your thoughts on this - or to receive references for further reading.
jean
Leonard, my mums started to show signs of dementia, she has had dry eyes for years too. Thats a good point you have raised.
anon
I am only eleven years old but I love listening to the intellectual programmes on radio 4. My grandma is starting to get dementia and it is very worrying. It ruins peoples lives but my grandma is proof that people can reduce the chances of losing memory by doing things such as reading. The Memory Experience has also taught my grandma how to improve what is left of her memory
Leonard Knight
My mother suffered from Sjogrens syndrome for many years and from dementia in her last few. I think medics should give more consideration to the effects of Sjogrens on the arterial system of the brain. Many simply dismiss the disease as "just dry eyes" or some such dismissive comment.
