CT scans show large dilated ventricles. Slow disintegreaion of personality and intellect to to impaired insight and judgment and loss of affect. As the dementia develops aphasia, apraxia, agnosia may be present. Remote memory is preserved until last stages. This is commonly misdiagnosed as an affective disorder as depression, anxiety, or elation may result.
Habits deteriorate and the patient becomes slovenly, dirty, and incontinent.
The EEG is almost always pathologically slow in organic dementia. Potentially toxic drugs should be reduced or discontinued. Chronic ETOH. remember that patients with depression tend to complain of memory probelms while patients with dementia seldom engage in this behavior. Prognosis - Often poor with insidious, slow progression. Most dementia is untreatable, but some are which emphasizes the need for accurate diagnosis and the search for those types amenable to therapy.