Dementia is an umbrella term for a group of symptoms that affect the memory, and social abilities of a human being. This is a condition in which an individual's cognitive functioning declines and this consequently affects the daily life of the individual. It is mostly seen in older individuals but its occurrence has also been seen in young ones.

PARIS, Sept 19: Urban air pollution, mostly from vehicles, is associated with an increased risk of dementia, according to research published Wednesday.

July 5: Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is associated with changes to the structure of the brain that are also seen in the early stages of dementia, according to a study published in theEuropean Respiratory Journal [1].

This not only affects memories but all other mental faculties like planning, language, daily activities. Dementia occurs due to the shrinking of the brain size and progressive death of brain cells due to abnormal accumulation of certain harmful proteins, as they grow older.