How to Diagnose Senility

Senility is a form of dementia and is a physiological condition that results from a loss of brain cells. It is not an inevitable consequence of old age, as common perception has it. When brain functions or certain aspects of brain function stop working normally, that causes fearfulness, forgetfulness, agitation, depression, inability to absorb new information, inability to recall long-term memories, and loss of normal emotional response. These are all signs of senility. Few other conditions are known to have as much of a social, personal and economic effect. The fastest-growing sector of this population is people older than 85. Senility is characterized by a number of key factors.

Instructions

• 1

  Identify senility with a general failing of memory and weakness of mind. Keep in mind that senility has a subtle onset with no specific cause, and it often starts after age 65 with a progressive loss of intellectual ability.

• 2

  Watch for signs of suspicions, delusion, and secretiveness that often border on hallucinations. There is loss of judgmental capability and a setting in of abstract thoughts.

• 3

  Be careful to note a distinct change in behavior and personality such as withdrawal, apathy, and irritability.

• 4

  Don't take signs of fatigue and depression lightly, especially if they are accompanied by aggressive or paranoid behavior and spatial time disorientation.

• 5

  Consult a doctor immediately if obvious symptoms of senility are present in an older person. A number of conditions can produce symptoms similar to senility. These include depression, thyroid gland abnormality, side effects of drugs such as bromides, and pernicious anemia.

• 6

  Diagnosing senility is no longer as complicated as it used to be. Doctors use a new X-ray technique known as computerized axial tomography. Though still not a specific diagnostic test because it is so new, a CAT scan will show a shrunken brain on X-ray. This allows doctors to diagnose senility better than they could before.