Page 6 - Healthy Brain Initiative, State and Local Public Health Partnerships to Address Dementia: The 2018-2023 Road Map

GLOSSARY

ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE: an irreversible, progressive goals, and successfully negotiate the world. It can be
brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and viewed along a continuum—from optimal functioning
thinking skills and, eventually, the ability to carry out to mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer’s and severe
the simplest tasks. Symptoms usually develop slowly dementia.
and get worse over time, becoming severe enough to
interfere with daily tasks. COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT: trouble remembering,
learning new things, concentrating, or making
ALZHEIMER’S DEMENTIA: the dementia stage in the decisions that affect everyday life.
Alzheimer’s continuum.
DEMENTIA: the loss of cognitive functioning—thinking,
BRAIN HEALTH: a concept that involves making the remembering, and reasoning—and behavioral abilities
most of the brain’s capacity and helping to reduce to such an extent that it interferes with a person’s daily
some risks that occur with aging. Brain health refers life and activities. These functions include memory,
to the ability to draw on the strengths of the brain to language skills, visual perception, problem solving,
remember, learn, play, concentrate, and maintain a self-management, and the ability to focus and pay
clear, active mind. attention. Alzheimer’s is the most common cause
of dementia. Other types include vascular dementia,
CAREGIVER: spouses, partners, adult children, dementia with Lewy bodies, and frontotemporal
other relatives, and friends providing unpaid help dementia.
to people living with dementia who have at least
one limitation in their activities of daily living and MILD COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT: a slight but
reside in the community. Caregivers often assist with measurable decline in cognitive abilities that includes
diverse activities of daily living such as personal care, memory and thinking. A person with mild cognitive
household management, medication and healthcare impairment is at an increased risk of developing
management, and coordination of financial matters. Alzheimer’s or another dementia.

COGNITION: the mental functions involved in SUBJECTIVE COGNITIVE DECLINE: self-reported
attention, thinking, understanding, learning, confusion or memory loss that is happening more
remembering, solving problems, and making often or is getting worse.
decisions. Cognition is a fundamental aspect of an
individual’s ability to engage in activities, accomplish

iv Healthy Brain Initiative State and Local Public Health Partnerships to Address Dementia: The 2018–2023 Road Map