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Medicine vocabulary · Diseases by System

Dementia

Meaning in medicine, with examples

/dɪˈmenʃə/nounCommon term

In medicine, dementia means: A group of progressive brain conditions that gradually affect memory, thinking, behaviour and the ability to manage daily life.

In Turkish: demans, bunama

How it is used

Alzheimer's disease is the most common type, followed by vascular dementia. Doctors use cognitive tests, talk with relatives, and consider capacity, safety at home and care needs. Dementia is not a normal part of ageing.

Example sentences

  1. Her husband says her memory has been getting worse for two years, so we're assessing her for dementia.

  2. Patients with dementia are at higher risk of delirium in hospital.

Common collocations

  • vascular dementia
  • early dementia
  • dementia care
  • diagnosis of dementia
  • living with dementia
  • confusionA state in which a person cannot think clearly, is disoriented in time or place, or cannot follow what is happening around them.
  • capacityA patient's ability to understand, remember and weigh up information about a decision and to communicate their choice.
  • next of kinThe person a patient names as their closest relative or contact, whom the hospital will call in an emergency.
  • chronicLasting a long time, usually more than three months, or coming back again and again; used for diseases that are controlled rather than cured.

More terms: Diseases by System

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.