Pathophysiology of dementia.

Abstract

Dementia is a debilitating neurological condition that affects millions of patients and families worldwide and remains a significant public health concern. Understanding the underlying neurobiology and pathophysiology of dementia is an important step towards finding effective treatment options. This article provides an overview ofthepathophysiological processes of themost common types of dementia inolderadults and highlights some of thedevelopments in the research ofbiomarkers. The most common forms of late-onset dementia are Alzheimer's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, vascular dementia andfrontotemporal dementia. The pathophysiology of dementia is broadly characterised by the aggregation of misfolded proteins (such as amyloid-β plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in Alzheimer's disease) and cerebrovascular disease. Mixed neuropathologies are frequently detected in the brains of older people with dementia and have important clinical implications.