Senile is a word derived from the Latin term that means old age. The term senility rarely is used anymore. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), senility is an outdated term that explained what was formerly believed to be a natural aging process. Senile dementia, or simply dementia, is more commonly used now. It is caused by a number of factors. While dementia is not a part of the natural aging process, the NINDS reports that almost half of the population over the age of 85 suffers from some level of dementia.
Alzheimer's Disease
Alzheimer's disease is considered to be the main cause of dementia in both older and younger adults. The disease typically begins to appear in individuals over the age of 60, though cases are reported of the disease striking those as young as 30. Alzheimer's is an organic brain disorder that affects cognitive abilities and usually worsens over a span of 7 to 10 years. Plaque and tangles appear on brain tissue and cause damage to nearly all the brain functions from memory and language to abstract thinking, judgment and behavior. Eventually, the affected tissue damages the neurons in the brain, causing permanent failure and death. People who develop Alzheimer's typically live for 8 to 10 years and may continue living with the disease for as long as 20 years.
Stroke
Vascular dementia is the second leading cause of senile dementia and accounts for about 20 percent of the cases. Vascular dementia usually results from a stroke that causes the brain damage. The disease also is hereditary in some patients. Vascular dementia sometimes occurs following an infection in the heart valves or a protein build-up in the brain's arteries that results in a bleeding stroke. The disease can be a result of multiple small strokes or from a major stroke that affects the left side of the brain. Vascular dementia often occurs at the same time as Alzheimer symptoms and typically affects people over 60. Unlike those who suffer with Alzheimer's disease, people with vascular dementia can recover and usually do retain many of their personality traits while losing some of their cognitive abilities.
Brain Cell Deterioration
A common genetic cause of senile dementia is called Lewy body dementia (LBD) and occurs in a hit-or-miss pattern in those with a family history of the disease. The symptoms of LBD mimic those of Alzheimer's, in that the patient often is confused and presents with memory problems and poor judgment. In addition, LBD patients also experience hallucinations and symptoms similar to Parkinson's disease, such as a shuffling walk, bent posture and changes in the severity of the symptoms from day to day. Patients with LBD live for an average of 7 years after being diagnosed.
