![]() ![]() Alzheimer's disease is the 5th leading cause of death for people over the age of 65 in the United States. The prevalence of dementia is expected to continue to increase along with the increasing numbers of the aging population. Currently, 47 million people in the world have dementia, and the number is expected to increase to 131 million by 2050. Currently, no cure exists for any of the causes of dementia. It is often a progressive disorder, and individuals often do not have insight into their deficits. The everyday function of a patient is often evaluated in terms of the ability to perform IADL's (Instrumental Activities of Daily Living) such as managing finances or medications, or if more severe, ADL's (Activities of Daily Living) such as grooming or feeding oneself. In addition to the cognitive decline, there must also be a decline in the patient's ability to function and perform everyday tasks. ![]() The decline represents a change from a patient's prior level of cognitive ability, is persistent and progressive over time, and not associated exclusively with an episode of delirium. ![]() Major neurocognitive disorder is characterized by a significant decline in at least one of the domains of cognition which include executive function, complex attention, language, learning and memory, perceptual-motor, or social cognition. Major neurocognitive disorder can affect younger individuals and does not always imply Alzheimer's disease as the etiology of cognitive decline. It is worth noting the limitations of using the term dementia, including its common association exclusively with the elderly, and that it is often used synonymously with Alzheimer's disease. However, due to the common use of the term dementia in society and medical literature, it will be referred to as both Dementia and Major Neurocognitive Disorder in this article. It is actually no longer termed Dementia but is now called Major Neurocognitive Disorder (MND). The definition of dementia has been updated in the DSM-V criteria. ![]()
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