Cognitive and Noncognitive Aspects of Dementia Syndromes: An Overview

Abstract

Dementia syndromes affect 3–5% of individuals over 60–65 years of age, and the frequency doubles every five years (Jorm et al., 1987). These common syndromes result from pathophysiological changes in brain function, and the central nervous system (CNS) alterations produce a multitude of motor, sensory, cognitive, and behavioral changes. The neuropsychological manifestations of dementia include combinations of impairments of memory, language, visuospatial skills, abstraction, calculation, judgment, and executive functions. Noncognitive behavioral symptoms include personality changes, delusions, hallucinations, depression, mania, anxiety, aggression, purposeless hyperactivity, and altered sexual behavior. Behavioral alterations in dementia are manifestations of underlying structural or functional brain abnormalities, provide salient diagnostic information, represent important target symptoms for therapeutic intervention, and inform prognostic judgments.