I don't know, janet. I still think that whatever its
nationality, dementia=dementia.  Carole H.

--- janet paterson <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Dementia: European Description
>
> The ICD-10 Classification of Mental and Behavioural
> Disorders
> World Health Organization, Geneva, 1992
>
> Dementia
>
> A general description of dementia is given here, to
> indicate the minimum requirement for the diagnosis
> of dementia of any type, and is followed by the
> criteria that govern the diagnosis of more specific
> types.
>
> Dementia is a syndrome due to disease of the brain,
> usually of a chronic or progressive nature, in which
> there is disturbance of multiple higher cortical
> functions, including memory, thinking, orientation,
> comprehension, calculation, learning capacity,
> language, and judgement.
>
> Consciousness is not clouded.
>
> Impairments of cognitive function are commonly
> accompanied, and occasionally preceded, by
> deterioration in emotional control, social
> behaviour, or motivation.
>
> This syndrome occurs in Alzheimer's disease, in
> cerebrovascular disease, and in other conditions
> primarily or secondarily affecting the brain.
>
> In assessing the presence or absence of a dementia,
> special care should be taken to avoid false-positive
> identification: motivational or emotional factors,
> particularly depression, in addition to motor
> slowness and general physical frailty, rather than
> loss of intellectual capacity, may account for
> failure to perform.
>
> Dementia produces an appreciable decline in
> intellectual functioning, and usually some
> interference with personal activities of daily
> living, such as washing, dressing, eating, personal
> hygiene, excretory and toilet activities.
>
> How such a decline manifests itself will depend
> largely on the social and cultural setting in which
> the patient lives.
>
> Changes in role performance, such as lowered ability
> to keep or find a job, should not be used as
> criteria of dementia because of the large
> cross-cultural differences that exist in what is
> appropriate, and because there may be frequent,
> externally imposed changes in the availability of
> work within
>
> If depressive symptoms are present but the criteria
> for depressive episode (F32.0-F32.3) are not
> fulfilled, they can be recorded by means of a fifth
> character.
>
> The presence of hallucinations or delusions may be
> treated similarly.
>
> .x0 Without additional symptoms
> .x1 Other symptoms, predominantly delusional
> .x2 Other symptoms, predominantly hallucinatory
> .x3 Other symptoms, predominantly depressive
> .x4 Other mixed symptoms
>
> Diagnostic Guidelines
>
> The primary requirement for diagnosis is evidence of
> a decline in both memory and thinking which is
> sufficient to impair personal activities of daily
> living, as described above.
>
> The impairment of memory typically affects the
> registration, storage, and retrieval of new
> information, but previously learned and familiar
> material may also be lost, particularly in the later
> stages.
>
> Dementia is more than dysmnesia: there is also
> impairment of thinking and of reasoning capacity,
> and a reduction in the flow of ideas.
>
> The processing of incoming information is impaired,
> in that the individual finds it increasingly
> difficult to attend to more than one stimulus at a
> time, such as taking part in a conversation with
> several persons, and to shift the focus of attention
> from one topic to another.
>
> If dementia is the sole diagnosis, evidence of clear
> consciousness is required.
>
> However, a double diagnosis of delirium superimposed
> upon dementia is common (F05.1).
>
> The above symptoms and impairments should have been
> evident for at least 6 months for a confident
> clinical diagnosis of dementia to be made.
>
> Differential Diagnosis
>
> Consider:
> - a depressive disorder (F30-F39), which may exhibit
> many of the features of an early dementia,
> especially memory impairment, slowed thinking, and
> lack of spontaneity; - delirium (F05);
> - mild or moderate mental retardation (F70-F71);
> - states of subnormal cognitive functioning
> attributable to a severely impoverished social
> environment and limited education;
> - iatrogenic mental disorders due to medication
> (F06.-).
>
> Dementia may follow any other organic mental
> disorder classified in this block, or coexist with
> some of them, notably delirium (see F05.1).
>
>
> ICD-10 copyright © 1992 by World Health
> Organization.
> Internet Mental Health
> copyright © 1995-1997 by Phillip W. Long, M.D.
> <http://www.mentalhealth.com/icd/p22-or05.html>
>
> janet paterson
> 52 now / 41 dx / 37 onset
> snail-mail: PO Box 171  Almonte  Ontario  K0A 1A0
> Canada
> website: a new voice
> <http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Village/6263/>
> e-mail: <[log in to unmask]>
>

_________________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com