TreatmentHowisdementiatreated?PreventionCandementiabeprevented?CenterWhatAretheSevenStagesofDementia?CenterDementiaisageneraltermusedforprogressivementalorcognitivedeclineDementiaisageneraltermusedforprogressivementalorcognitivedeclinethathasaffected47millionpeopleglobally;by2050,thisnumberisexpectedtoincreasetoanestimated131millionpeople.Outofthevariousdiseasesthathavedementiaasoneoftheircharacteristics,Alzheimer’sdiseaseisthemostcommon.Theprogressionofdementia(inAlzheimer’sdisease)hasbeendividedintosevenstagesasperthe‘GlobalDeteriorationScale(GDS)’ofprimarydegenerativedementiapreparedbyDr.Riesbergandhisteam.Stage1(Nocognitivedecline)Theimagingtechniquessuchascomputedtomography(CT)scanofthebrainmightshowsomechangesbutthepatientdoesnotexhibitanyofthecognitivesignsandsymptoms. Stage2(Verymildcognitivedecline)Thepatientstartsforgettingwordsormisplacingobjects;thismaygounnoticedbypeoplearoundthem. Itshouldberememberedthatthisstagemightalsooccurduetothenormalagingprocess.Stage3(Mildcognitivedecline)Thepatientsuffersfromshort-termmemoryloss—forgettingwhattheyjustreadandthenamesofnewacquaintances. Theycan’tmakeplansororganizethingsasearlier.Theymightfrequentlystartmisplacingandlosingthings.Stage4(Moderatecognitivedecline)Thepatientstartstoloseinterestinthethingsthattheyusedtoenjoyandavoidsmeetingpeopleand,attendingsocialevents.Calculatingsimpleexpensesandaddingupthefinancialbillsbecomesdifficult.Theybecomedisorientedtotimeandplace—theyforgetorfigureoutthepresenttime,dateandplaceThesignsandsymptomsofcognitivedeclinebecomecleartoeveryonearoundthepatient. Clinicaldiagnosisofdementiaismostlikelytobemadeatthisstage.Stage5(Moderatelyseverecognitivedecline)Thepatientexperiencesmajormemorydisturbancessuchasforgettingtheirphonenumberandaddress. Theymayforgethowtobathandfacetroublewhilechoosingandwearingclothes.Stage6(Severecognitivedecline): Thepatientloseshismemoryasmuchasthattheyfailtorememberthenamesofclosedonesandmightmistakeonepersonforanother.Theysufferfromsevereconfusionand