Frequently Asked Questions: Research
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Q: What is tau?
Q: What causes the symptoms of dementia?
Dementia is an umbrella term that describes the range of symptoms that develop as a result of diseases or conditions that affect the brain. A progressive decline in symptoms occurs when certain diseases or conditions, such as Alzheimer's disease or a stroke, affect the brain resulting in death of nerve cells.
Any disease or condition that attacks nerve cells in the brain can cause dementia. As the disease progresses, it destroys nerve cells, reducing the ability of that part of the brain to function normally. Symptoms differ according to the part of the brain that is affected.
As more cells are lost the effects will often spread to more than one area of the brain, meaning symptoms become more complex or severe. A brain scan of a person with dementia will show a significant loss of brain volume. This brain shrinkage, or atrophy, is due to the loss of nerve cells which cannot be replaced.
In the later stages of dementia, people start to lose the ability to care for themselves due to the excessive loss of nerve cells in parts of the brain that govern day-to-day activities and functions.
