According to the National Institute on Aging at the National Institutes of Health, dementia is the loss of cognitive function, such as thinking and remembering, to an extent that it interferes with a person’s daily life and activities. Dementia results when once-healthy nerve cells, or neurons, in the brain stop working, lose connections with other brain cells, and die. As we age, we all may lose some neurons; however, people with dementia experience a far greater loss of neurons. The symptoms of dementia may vary from person to person. They may include experiencing memory loss, impulse control, and confusion; wandering and getting lost in a familiar neighborhood; using unusual words to refer to familiar objects; losing balance; and difficulty speaking, understanding, and expressing thoughts, or reading and writing, among others.

Dementia may develop due to various disorders and factors. For example, neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s disease may result in a progressive and irreversible loss of neurons and brain functioning. There are many types of dementia, including:

• Frontotemporal dementia, a rare form of dementia that tends to occur in people under the age of 60.
• Lewy body dementia, a form of dementia that is caused by abnormal deposits of the protein alpha-synuclein, which are also called Lewy bodies.
• Alzheimer’s disease, the most common dementia diagnosed among older adults which is caused by changes in the brain and includes abnormal buildup of proteins.
• Vascular dementia, caused by conditions that damage the blood vessels in the brain or that interrupt the flow of oxygen and blood to the brain.

Dementia is not a normal part of aging, but it can occur in both people with and without disabilities. Among some people with disabilities, recognizing symptoms of dementia may be particularly difficult.  Studies have shown that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities may develop dementia earlier than their peers without these disabilities. Family members, caregivers, and service providers should consider a person’s current abilities and monitor for changes over time that could signal that the person is developing dementia.

The NIDILRR grantee community’s research and development activities include investigation and development of interventions, assistive technology, information products, and more related to dementia and people with disabilities. This includes over 100 articles indexed in REHABDATA. NARIC’s collection includes over 1,000 articles, factsheets, and more from NIDILRR grantee community and beyond, including over 600 articles from the international research community.

To learn more about dementia or if you are looking for dementia-related resources and research, contact NARIC’s information specialists through chat, phone, or email.