Senile Dementia

Senile dementia is an outdated term that historically referred to age-related mental decline in older adults, but it incorrectly implies that serious memory and thinking problems are a normal part of aging when they are not.

Table of contents

• Understanding the Term “Senile Dementia”
• Relationship to Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease
• Symptoms and Changes
• Causes
• Why the Term Is Outdated

senility, senile

Understanding the Term “Senile Dementia”

The term “senile dementia” was historically used to describe mental deterioration that people associated with old age. Senile refers to characteristics of old age, while dementia describes a loss of mental abilities severe enough to interfere with daily life^[1]. The word “senility” specifically referred to a decrease in cognitive abilities or mental decline, including problems with concentration, memory recall, and judgment^[1].

Two major types were traditionally identified under this term: those caused by generalized shrinking of the brain, known as atrophy (which includes Alzheimer’s-type dementia), and those caused by problems with blood vessels in the brain, mainly strokes^[1].

Relationship to Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease

Senile dementia was often used when referring to what is now recognized as Alzheimer’s disease^[1]. However, the terms are not interchangeable. Dementia is an umbrella term that describes a group of symptoms affecting memory, thinking, and social abilities severely enough to interfere with daily functioning^[2][3]. It is not a single disease but rather a syndrome caused by various underlying conditions that affect brain function^[4].

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia, accounting for 60% to 80% of all dementia cases^[2][5]. It is a progressive disorder where abnormal protein deposits accumulate in the brain, leading to the death of brain cells and deterioration of cognitive function^[4]. The disease follows a relatively predictable pattern of cognitive decline, starting with memory problems and gradually affecting other mental functions^[4].

Other forms of dementia exist beyond Alzheimer’s disease, including vascular dementia, which occurs because of microscopic bleeding and blood vessel blockage in the brain^[2][5], Lewy body dementia^[5], and frontotemporal dementia^[4][5].

Symptoms and Changes

The symptoms associated with what was called senility included both physical and mental changes. Physical changes associated with aging included stooped posture, wrinkled skin, decreased muscle strength, changes in the eye’s lens and muscles, brittle bones, stiff joints, and hardening of the arteries^[1].

Mental changes included impaired judgment, loss of memory, and sometimes childish behavior^[1]. More specifically, dementia symptoms can include memory loss (usually noticed by someone else), problems communicating or finding words, trouble with visual and spatial abilities such as getting lost while driving, problems with reasoning or problem-solving, trouble performing complex tasks, poor coordination and control of movements, and confusion and disorientation^[3].

Psychological changes may also occur, including personality changes, depression, anxiety, agitation, behavior that doesn’t fit the situation, being suspicious (known as paranoia), and seeing things that aren’t there (known as hallucinations)^[3].

Causes

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of what was historically called senile dementia^[1]. The exact cause of Alzheimer’s disease is not fully understood, though genetic factors play a role in risk. It involves the accumulation of abnormal protein deposits in the brain, including senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles, along with damage to brain cells that use a chemical called acetylcholine for communication^[4][15].

Major depression can also cause symptoms similar to dementia^[1]. Brain disorders caused by trauma, illness, or infection can lead to dementia-like symptoms^[1]. A variety of conditions can cause these symptoms, including Parkinson’s disease, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, Huntington’s disease, strokes, Down syndrome, head trauma, and AIDS^[1].

Some conditions that can cause dementia-like symptoms are potentially treatable or reversible. These include thyroid problems (hypothyroidism), depressive pseudodementia, tumors, normal pressure hydrocephalus, and deficiencies in vitamins B1, B12, and A^[1]. People who abuse drugs and alcohol are at increased risk of developing dementia, as are those who inhale paint or other substances to get high^[1]. Over-medication or dehydration may also cause a person to show signs of dementia and lead to a false diagnosis^[1].

Why the Term Is Outdated

Senility is now considered an outdated term^[2][4]. When people use the word “senile,” they imply that the serious symptoms of dementia are characteristic of old age, when in fact they are not a regular part of aging^[4]. While most cases of dementia occur in people 65 or older, young people can develop it as well^[4].

While everyone loses some brain cells as they age, and some memory changes are normal with aging, dementia involves far greater loss than typical aging^[6][5]. Normal age-related memory loss is not functionally disabling and doesn’t interfere with daily life^[5]. Dementia, on the other hand, severely interferes with a person’s ability to function in daily activities^[5].

Dementia is often incorrectly referred to as “senility” or “senile dementia,” but these terms are misleading and should not be used^[2]. The condition is not a normal part of aging, and many people live into their 90s and beyond without any signs of dementia^[6]. About 5% to 8% of all people over age 65 have some form of dementia, and this number doubles every five years above that age, with an estimated half of people 85 years of age and older having dementia^[5].