PLTW Medical Detectives Practice Exam

Dementia is a gradual, chronic decline in mental abilities such as memory, judgment, and thinking, often with changes in personality that affect daily life. It describes a slow progression rather than a sudden illness, and it encompasses a broad range of cognitive losses over time. While Alzheimer’s disease is the most common specific cause of dementia, the term dementia itself refers to the broader pattern of persistent cognitive decline.

Delirium, by contrast, comes on quickly and involves fluctuating consciousness and attention, typically triggered by another medical issue. Amnesia involves memory loss but does not necessarily include the broader, progressive decline in thinking and behavior.