Age related dementias

Abstract

During the last few decades, the average life expectancy has dramatically increased in the U.S.A. and globally. As a result, the diseases associated with age, such as dementia, significantly impact families, society, and government. Dementia is a broad term describing memory loss, cognitive dysfunctions, and limited social skills caused by many factors such as aging, stroke, and genetic background. Although the primary etiology remains unclear but inflammatory reactions, neurodegeneration, vascular abnormalities play an important role in the progression of these disorders. Therefore, treatment is mainly supportive to relieve the symptoms of dementia and not to cure dementia or slow down its progression. This review discusses the most common disorders that cause dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, and Parkinson's disease, as well as their symptoms, diagnosis, and treatments. Also covered are the studies that were performed on these disorders and animal models for each disease.