• Question: What are the effects of dementia, and how is it caused?

    Asked by alexread1997 to Damien, Rachael, Simon, Suzi, Tim on 16 Jun 2011.
    • Photo: Simon Bennett

      Simon Bennett answered on 15 Jun 2011:

      Hello,

      There are a lot of effects of dementia but mostly it is a general sense of confussion, there area also a lot of causes thought to come from the brain being old and run down.

      Thanks.

    • Photo: Suzi Gage

      Suzi Gage answered on 16 Jun 2011:

      Hi @alexread1997
      Great question.
      Dementia happens most often in elderly people, when their ability to think and function deteriorates more than you would expect simply by getting older. So they struggle to look after themselves, get confused about who people are, and find it hard to remember new information.

      It can be caused by a brain injury, but it’s also caused by ‘neurodegenerative disease’, which means a disease that targets brain cells, and makes them unable to function properly.

      There’s lots of research in to how it could be prevented or treated, but at the moment scientists are not sure how to treat or prevent it.

      I think it’s a horrible disease, and I would hate to get it when I’m older.

      Thanks for the question, hope this helps your understanding.

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