title: Dementia: a major disease of aging.
abstract: Mental deterioration and behavioral changes are particularly distressing effects of brain disorders. Differential diagnosis of dementing conditions is important because some are treatable. The physician must separate primary psychologic disorders from the dementias, and use office tests for evaluating a patient's neuropsychologic function.
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000150:complications; D003704:Dementia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications; D007037:Hypothyroidism / Q000150:complications; D007239:Infections / Q000150:complications; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D011581:Psychological Tests