Introduction

Coping with dementia can be difficult. People with this condition get confused easily and find it hard to remember things, but treatments can help. Alzheimer's disease is the most common type of dementia, but vascular dementia and Lewy body dementia are quite common too.

We've brought together the best research about dementia and weighed up the evidence about how to treat it. You can use our information to talk to your doctor and decide which treatments are best for you or someone you're caring for.

Dementia is a term that doctors use to describe what happens when someone's brain stops working properly. People with dementia become forgetful and confused. Many of us forget things as we grow older. But for people with dementia, this forgetfulness gets very bad. They might forget how to do everyday things, such as getting dressed.

People with dementia also get other signs that their brains are not working well, such as problems thinking or changes in their personality. As dementia gets worse, people can start to behave strangely or very differently. For example, they may get easily upset (agitated) or become aggressive.

The most common type of dementia is Alzheimer's disease. The next most common types are dementia with Lewy bodies and vascular dementia. To read more, see Types of dementia.

There isn't a cure for Alzheimer's and most other dementias, but there are treatments that can help with memory problems and other symptoms.

If someone close to you has dementia, it can be distressing to watch them gradually get worse. It can also be exhausting to look after them yourself, no matter how much you want to. Make sure you get help, from other family members or from health care professionals.

Key points about Alzheimer's disease and other types of dementia

• Alzheimer's and other types of dementia are often difficult for doctors to diagnose in the early stages.

• Forgetfulness and confusion are usually the first symptoms.

• There's no cure for Alzheimer's and most other dementias, but there are treatments that can help with the symptoms.

• If you think someone close to you may have Alzheimer's or another type of dementia, talk to his or her doctor. Many treatments work best early on in the disease.

• If you're caring for someone with dementia, bear in mind that you will need help.

Your brain and what it does

To understand dementia and how it's treated, it helps to understand how your brain works.

Your brain controls most things that your body does. It allows you to speak, think, move your arms and legs, recognise your family and build memories. Your brain also controls things like your breathing and body temperature.

Your brain is made up of billions of brain cells that share information with each other. Different groups of brain cells have different jobs to do. For example, some groups are involved in thinking, learning, remembering, and planning. Other groups of cells deal with seeing or hearing. And other cells manage the millions of jobs that keep your body working normally.