Ginari Gibb Price is an Atlanta psychiatrist who specializes in a broad range of disorders, including neurodegenerative disorders such as dementia. Dementia is a general term that is used to describe a number of symptoms of cognitive decline and they include such things as forgetfulness, language and thinking. However dementia is not a clinical diagnosis itself until an underlying disease or disorder has been identified.
In that way, as it is not a disease in and of itself, it is a term that describes symptoms such as impairments to memory, communication and thinking. People associate dementia with age and indeed, there is a likelihood of having dementia that increases with age. However it is not a normal part of aging. Normal aging can include light cognitive impairments, such as poorer short-term memory because we slowly start to lose brain cells as we age beyond our 20s. This is a phenomenon known as age-related cognitive decline, not dementia, mainly because it does not cause the person or the people around them any problems.
Dementia is more a matter of severity that affects daily activities. Diagnosing dementia is difficult and there is no specific test for it. It comes from a review of history, from physical exams, evaluations and statements from the patient and from family. Dementia has no cure or treatment, but with the right program, it can be slowed or even stopped. With a growing population that is getting older all the time, advancements in dementia are hard fought and critical to the health of this country’s citizens.
In that way, as it is not a disease in and of itself, it is a term that describes symptoms such as impairments to memory, communication and thinking. People associate dementia with age and indeed, there is a likelihood of having dementia that increases with age. However it is not a normal part of aging. Normal aging can include light cognitive impairments, such as poorer short-term memory because we slowly start to lose brain cells as we age beyond our 20s. This is a phenomenon known as age-related cognitive decline, not dementia, mainly because it does not cause the person or the people around them any problems.
Dementia is more a matter of severity that affects daily activities. Diagnosing dementia is difficult and there is no specific test for it. It comes from a review of history, from physical exams, evaluations and statements from the patient and from family. Dementia has no cure or treatment, but with the right program, it can be slowed or even stopped. With a growing population that is getting older all the time, advancements in dementia are hard fought and critical to the health of this country’s citizens.