Anoop K. Reddy, M.D.

Dementia is not a specific disease. It is a descriptive term for a collection of symptoms that can be caused by a number of disorders that affect the brain. People with dementia have significantly impaired intellectual functioning that interferes with normal activities and relationships. While memory loss is a common symptom of dementia, that by itself does not mean a person has dementia. Doctors diagnose dementia only if two or more brain functions are significantly impaired without loss of consciousness.