Memory loss can occur with aging, but dementia refers to extreme changes in memory, attention, concentration, language and organizational abilities. The forms and types of dementia vary and include Alzheimer’s disease, lewy body disease and frontotemporal dementia (Pick's disease).
How Collaboration Played a Role in Major Discovery
The Kipnis Lab at UVA, led by Jonathan Kipnis, PhD, has earned its fair share of publicity for the major discovery that the brain has a direct connection to the immune system. View Kipnis Lab transcript.
Diagnosing Memory Loss
Alzheimer’s disease, the leading cause of dementia, is a brain disorder that worsens over time. It can cause the loss of thinking skills such as memory, judgment and language.
If your doctor thinks you may have a memory disorder, you'll take a physical neurological exam, and may undergo certain imaging tests such as an MRI and/or PET scan.
Because dementia is related to a variety of other conditions, it's important that you receive an accurate diagnosis and ongoing treatment.