Introduction
Dementia is an acquired syndromeof decline in multiple cognitive
abilities, including memory, thinking, behavior, and emotion,
severe enough to interfere with daily function.1 It is estimated to
affect more than 13% of the population aged >71 years or older.1
As ageing is one of the important risk factors for developing
dementia and the number of older people in the population have
been increasing as well as life span increases, the global prevalence
of people with dementia could arise. The prevalence of people with
dementia was estimated as 24 million in 2001 and 35 million in
2010. A recent study has predicted prevalence to be approximately
50 million people in 2020 with two thirds living in developing
countries.2 This syndrome has a tremendous physical, emotional,
and financial impact on the patient, the family, and society.1