Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsDefinitionSenility vs. DementiaDementia Causes and StagesPreventionTreatmentWhen to See a Provider
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Definition
Senility vs. Dementia
Dementia Causes and Stages
Prevention
Treatment
When to See a Provider
“Senility” is a term that can mean anything related to old age. For instance, senile arthritis is a joint disease that arises in one’s senior years.
“Senile” and “senility,” though, are more commonly used to describe age-related cognitive decline—as in senile Alzheimer’s, senile dementia, and senile plaques.
However, the use of the word “senility” has fallen out of favor over the years. Memory loss or confusion that occurs with old age is currently referred to as dementia.
This article discusses senility and why the term was replaced with “dementia.” It also explains what causes dementia, how it is diagnosed, and what you can do to try to prevent it.
Monty Rakusen Cultura / Getty Images
What Does ‘Senile’ Mean?
An individual was often described as having “senile dementia” or “senile Alzheimer’s,” meaning that the disease and its associated mental decline developed in older age.
Although still occasionally used, the term ‘senile’ has lost popularity, partly because it has a negative, disrespectful tone, as in, “The old man is senile.”
Science has shown that significant memory loss,disorientation, and confusion are not normal parts of aging, but rather are symptoms of neurocognitive disorders such asAlzheimer’s disease,vascular dementia,frontotemporal dementia, orLewy body dementia.
The term “senile” is sometimes used to describe the plaques that build up in the brain as Alzheimer’s disease progresses. These senile plaques, along with neurofibrillary tangles, are often described as the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease,
While senility is a loosely used and somewhat inaccurate and negative reference to cognitive loss, “dementia” is the accepted medical term.
The descriptor “late-onset” (vs. early onset) is now more commonly used if someone is identifying the age of onset of dementia.
The word “type” was included in the diagnosis because Alzheimer’s technically could only be definitively diagnosed following a brain autopsy after death, so the implication was that the symptoms appeared consistent with those of Alzheimer’s disease.
According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual-V (DSM-V), SDAT is now coded diagnostically as either a major or minor neurocognitive disorder due to Alzheimer’s disease.
Causes and Stages of Dementia
Dementia includes a broad range of brain conditions that cause a progressive decline in a person’s ability to think and remember. Moreover, the loss of these abilities makes it increasingly difficult for people to function or care for themselves.
The most common causes of dementia include:
Other less common causes include:
Stages may be classified as follows:
What Are the Warning Signs of Dementia?According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the following may indicate dementia:ForgetfulnessTrouble remembering the names of items or people close to themRepeating questionsDifficulty completing normal tasksForgetting the function of itemsMisplacing items oftenGetting lost
What Are the Warning Signs of Dementia?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the following may indicate dementia:ForgetfulnessTrouble remembering the names of items or people close to themRepeating questionsDifficulty completing normal tasksForgetting the function of itemsMisplacing items oftenGetting lost
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the following may indicate dementia:
How Is Dementia Prevented?
Making or maintaining healthy lifestyle habits may help to prevent or delay age-related cognitive decline and senility, according to the National Institute on Aging (NIA).
One of the most important things you can do is to maintain healthy blood pressure. Hypertension can be managed through diet, exercise, and medication.
Rising Blood Pressure in Early Adulthood Tied to Poor Brain Health Later in Life
Get Regular Exercise
Exercise not only helps lower blood pressure, but it may also reduce your risk of dementia and help slow cognitive decline.
Research shows that regular aerobic exercise, like brisk walking, helps improve executive function skills (the ability to plan and organize) in older adults.
Exercise is also recommended for people who have already been diagnosed with dementia. While the research is not as strong, studies suggest it may still provide cognitive benefits.
Research shows following the MIND dietmay help slow age-related cognitive decline. The Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) diet combines the heart-healthy Mediterranean diet with the blood-pressure-controlling DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet.
A 2023 study in the journalNeurologyfound, on autopsy, that those with the highest adherence to the MIND diet principles showed fewer indications of dementia-related brain changes. What’s more, their brains also looked about four years younger.
Eating more green leafy vegetables, fatty fish, and legumes was also associated with healthier brains. Not surprisingly, eating a lot of sugary and fried foods was linked to greater evidence of dementia.
Keep Your Brain Active
Research shows cognitive training—structured activities designed to enhance memory, reasoning, and processing speed—can help delay or slow age-related cognitive decline.
Informal activities that keep your mind active can help, too. Studies show reading, playing games, crafting, computer games, and social activities may help lower the risk of cognitive impairment with age.
Additional Prevention Tips
There are a few steps you can take in addition to a healthy lifestyle to help prevent dementia:
How Is Dementia Treated?
Mild-to-severe dementia may be treated with medications known asacetylcholinesteraseinhibitors. These include:
When to See a Healthcare Provider
The warning signs of dementia include:
If you or a loved one have symptoms severe enough to interfere with daily life, it’s a good idea to schedule an appointment with a healthcare provider.
Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) Test for Dementia
Summary
In popular language, the terms “senility” and “dementia” often share the same space. But, in truth, using the word “senility” reinforces the stigma of dementia and no longer has a place in the modern vocabulary.
A progressive decline in a person’s ability to think and remember can be due to a wide range of brain conditions. Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, Lewy body dementia, and frontotemporal dementia are the more common causes of dementia.
Research suggests following a healthy lifestyle, including getting regular exercise and following the MIND diet, may help prevent or delay dementia. Keeping your mind active with cognitive training and everyday activities can also help to slow cognitive decline.
12 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Alzheimer’s Association.What is dementia?U.S. National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Neurocognitive disorder.Duong S, Patel T, Chang F.Dementia: What pharmacists need to know.Can Pharm J(Ott). 2017;150(2):118–29. doi:10.1177/1715163517690745Alzheimer’s Association.Stages of Alzheimer’s.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Recognizing Symptoms of Dementia and Seeking Help.National Institute on Aging.Preventing Alzheimer’s disease: what do we know?Arvanitakis Z, Shah RC, Bennett DA.Diagnosis and management of dementia: review.JAMA. 2019;322(16):1589–99. doi:10.1001/jama.2019.4782National Institute on Aging.What do we know about diet and prevention of Alzheimer’s disease?Agarwal P, Leurgans SE, Agrawal S, et al.Association of Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay and Mediterranean Diets with Alzheimer disease pathology.Neurology. 2023;100(22):e2259-e2268. doi:10.1212/WNL.0000000000207176Basak C, Qin S, O’Connell MA.Differential effects of cognitive training modules in healthy aging and mild cognitive impairment: A comprehensive meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Psychol Aging. 2020;35(2):220–49. doi:10.1037/pag0000442Krell-Roesch J, Vemuri P, Pink A, et al.Association between mentally stimulating activities in late life and the outcome of incident mild cognitive impairment, with an analysis of the APOE ε4 genotype.JAMA Neurol. 2017;74(3):332–8. doi:10.1001/jamaneurol.2016.3822AARP.10 Early Warning Signs of Dementia You Shouldn’t Ignore.Additional ReadingAmerican Psychiatric Association. (2013)Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition.Arlington, Virginia: American Psychiatric Association.
12 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Alzheimer’s Association.What is dementia?U.S. National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Neurocognitive disorder.Duong S, Patel T, Chang F.Dementia: What pharmacists need to know.Can Pharm J(Ott). 2017;150(2):118–29. doi:10.1177/1715163517690745Alzheimer’s Association.Stages of Alzheimer’s.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Recognizing Symptoms of Dementia and Seeking Help.National Institute on Aging.Preventing Alzheimer’s disease: what do we know?Arvanitakis Z, Shah RC, Bennett DA.Diagnosis and management of dementia: review.JAMA. 2019;322(16):1589–99. doi:10.1001/jama.2019.4782National Institute on Aging.What do we know about diet and prevention of Alzheimer’s disease?Agarwal P, Leurgans SE, Agrawal S, et al.Association of Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay and Mediterranean Diets with Alzheimer disease pathology.Neurology. 2023;100(22):e2259-e2268. doi:10.1212/WNL.0000000000207176Basak C, Qin S, O’Connell MA.Differential effects of cognitive training modules in healthy aging and mild cognitive impairment: A comprehensive meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Psychol Aging. 2020;35(2):220–49. doi:10.1037/pag0000442Krell-Roesch J, Vemuri P, Pink A, et al.Association between mentally stimulating activities in late life and the outcome of incident mild cognitive impairment, with an analysis of the APOE ε4 genotype.JAMA Neurol. 2017;74(3):332–8. doi:10.1001/jamaneurol.2016.3822AARP.10 Early Warning Signs of Dementia You Shouldn’t Ignore.Additional ReadingAmerican Psychiatric Association. (2013)Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition.Arlington, Virginia: American Psychiatric Association.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Alzheimer’s Association.What is dementia?U.S. National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Neurocognitive disorder.Duong S, Patel T, Chang F.Dementia: What pharmacists need to know.Can Pharm J(Ott). 2017;150(2):118–29. doi:10.1177/1715163517690745Alzheimer’s Association.Stages of Alzheimer’s.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Recognizing Symptoms of Dementia and Seeking Help.National Institute on Aging.Preventing Alzheimer’s disease: what do we know?Arvanitakis Z, Shah RC, Bennett DA.Diagnosis and management of dementia: review.JAMA. 2019;322(16):1589–99. doi:10.1001/jama.2019.4782National Institute on Aging.What do we know about diet and prevention of Alzheimer’s disease?Agarwal P, Leurgans SE, Agrawal S, et al.Association of Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay and Mediterranean Diets with Alzheimer disease pathology.Neurology. 2023;100(22):e2259-e2268. doi:10.1212/WNL.0000000000207176Basak C, Qin S, O’Connell MA.Differential effects of cognitive training modules in healthy aging and mild cognitive impairment: A comprehensive meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Psychol Aging. 2020;35(2):220–49. doi:10.1037/pag0000442Krell-Roesch J, Vemuri P, Pink A, et al.Association between mentally stimulating activities in late life and the outcome of incident mild cognitive impairment, with an analysis of the APOE ε4 genotype.JAMA Neurol. 2017;74(3):332–8. doi:10.1001/jamaneurol.2016.3822AARP.10 Early Warning Signs of Dementia You Shouldn’t Ignore.
Alzheimer’s Association.What is dementia?
U.S. National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Neurocognitive disorder.
Duong S, Patel T, Chang F.Dementia: What pharmacists need to know.Can Pharm J(Ott). 2017;150(2):118–29. doi:10.1177/1715163517690745
Alzheimer’s Association.Stages of Alzheimer’s.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Recognizing Symptoms of Dementia and Seeking Help.
National Institute on Aging.Preventing Alzheimer’s disease: what do we know?
Arvanitakis Z, Shah RC, Bennett DA.Diagnosis and management of dementia: review.JAMA. 2019;322(16):1589–99. doi:10.1001/jama.2019.4782
National Institute on Aging.What do we know about diet and prevention of Alzheimer’s disease?
Agarwal P, Leurgans SE, Agrawal S, et al.Association of Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay and Mediterranean Diets with Alzheimer disease pathology.Neurology. 2023;100(22):e2259-e2268. doi:10.1212/WNL.0000000000207176
Basak C, Qin S, O’Connell MA.Differential effects of cognitive training modules in healthy aging and mild cognitive impairment: A comprehensive meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Psychol Aging. 2020;35(2):220–49. doi:10.1037/pag0000442
Krell-Roesch J, Vemuri P, Pink A, et al.Association between mentally stimulating activities in late life and the outcome of incident mild cognitive impairment, with an analysis of the APOE ε4 genotype.JAMA Neurol. 2017;74(3):332–8. doi:10.1001/jamaneurol.2016.3822
AARP.10 Early Warning Signs of Dementia You Shouldn’t Ignore.
American Psychiatric Association. (2013)Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition.Arlington, Virginia: American Psychiatric Association.
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