Lecture by Heinrich Gehring: Dementia, Alzheimer’s, forgetfulness – when memory deteriorates

To a certain extent, increasing forgetfulness is an inevitable side effect of ageing. However, if it is so pronounced that it makes normal everyday life difficult or impossible, forgetfulness becomes a disease. Dementia is a disease that is more closely linked to age than any other brain disorder. The most common form of dementia is Alzheimer’s dementia, in which nerve cells in the brain die for reasons that are not yet fully understood. However, a blockage of the brain’s blood vessels, e.g. due to a stroke, can also trigger dementia. If nerve cells in the frontal and temporal lobes of the cerebrum die, this can greatly change the personality and behavior of the person concerned, often long before memory disorders become noticeable.