Dementia isn't a specific disease. Instead, it describes a collection of symptoms that affect a person's thinking and social abilities enough to interfere with daily life. There are more than 55 million people worldwide living with dementia. Of these, 50% to 60% have Alzheimer's disease. Dementia is the seventh leading cause of death worldwide.
There is a constellation of dementia symptoms, and memory loss is the primary feature. Other common symptoms are physical functional decline and difficulty with mental tasks, like planning or spatial ability. Pain is another frequent symptom, although it is often overlooked and undertreated.
Dementia-related pain
