The brain is made up of nerve cells (neurones) that communicate with each other by sending messages.

Dementia damages the nerve cells in the brain so messages aren’t sent effectively to and from the brain.

This prevents the body and mind from functioning normally. Regardless of which type of dementia is diagnosed and what part of the brain is affected, each person will experience dementia in their own unique way. 

There is currently no cure for dementia and research is ongoing. It is unlikely that there will be a single cure for dementia because it is caused by many different diseases. 

How did you do?

If you thought that dementia and Alzheimer’s disease are the same thing, then you are not alone but you are not right. This is a common mistake. People often get confused about this because Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia, affecting 62% of people who are diagnosed.

Funding for research has increased and there are now many more research studies and clinical trials taking place.

Although a cure may be some years away, there are some very promising advances and a much greater understanding about how to support people with dementia.

This is a short video (2:18 minutes) produced by The Alzheimer’s Society called “What is dementia?”