About 57 million people worldwide live with dementia (WHO), including roughly 7–8 in 100 Indians aged 60 and above (LASI-DAD study). A neuropsychological assessment measures exactly which thinking skills are affected — helping doctors diagnose early and helping us plan rehabilitation.
Dementia (Alzheimer's, Vascular & Other Types)
Is your mother forgetting recent events, getting lost in familiar places, or your father struggling with money and medicines he once handled easily? Dementia is a progressive decline in memory and thinking that interferes with independence in daily life (ICD-11 6D80–6D86). The main types are Alzheimer's disease (60–70% of cases), vascular dementia (after strokes), Lewy body dementia and frontotemporal dementia.
How common is it?
About 57 million people worldwide, with nearly 10 million new cases each year (WHO). Risk roughly doubles every 5 years after 65.
Who is at higher risk?
- Age over 65
- Family history
- High blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, smoking
- Hearing loss
- Physical inactivity
- Depression
- Social isolation
- Heavy alcohol use
- Head injury
Signs & symptoms
- Memory: forgetting recent events, repeating questions, misplacing things
- Thinking: confusion about time and place, getting lost, trouble with money, cooking or medicines
- Language: struggling to find words or follow conversation
- Behaviour & mood: suspicion, irritability, apathy, wandering, disturbed sleep; personality change (early in frontotemporal dementia); seeing things (Lewy body)
What causes it?
Brain cells are damaged by abnormal proteins (amyloid and tau in Alzheimer's), blocked blood supply (vascular), or other degenerative processes. Up to 40% of dementia risk is linked to modifiable factors such as blood pressure, hearing loss, inactivity and smoking.
How to know if someone is struggling — you may relate if…
- Papa asked me the same question five times in an hour.
- She got lost walking back from the temple she has visited for years.
- He accuses us of stealing things he has misplaced.
How Mind Detox Centre helps
Comprehensive neuropsychological assessment (AIIMS, NIMHANS or PGI-BBD battery) alongside a neurologist or psychiatrist, cognitive stimulation therapy, memory aids and daily-routine planning, management of behaviour changes, and counselling and stress support for caregivers.
Frequently asked questions
Is memory loss a normal part of ageing?
Mild slowing is normal; forgetting recent events regularly, getting lost or struggling with daily tasks is not, and should be assessed.
What is a neuropsychological test?
A set of standardised paper-and-pencil or computer tasks that measure memory, attention, language, planning and reasoning, usually taking 1–3 hours.
Can dementia be prevented?
Not always, but controlling blood pressure, diabetes and hearing loss, staying active, and avoiding smoking and heavy alcohol can reduce risk significantly.