Which term describes a group of symptoms caused by brain disorders, not a single disease?

Which term describes a group of symptoms caused by brain disorders, not a single disease?

• A. Seizures
• B. Dementia
• C. Parkinson Disease
• D. Poliomyelitis

Answer: (B)

Dementia describes a set of cognitive and functional symptoms that result from various brain disorders, rather than a single disease. It captures a pattern like memory loss, language difficulties, problems with executive function, and daily living challenges that worsen over time. Because many different conditions—such as Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, Lewy body dementia, or frontotemporal dementia—can cause this same cluster of symptoms, the term refers to a syndrome rather than one specific illness.

Seizures are episodes of abnormal brain electrical activity and aren’t a broad symptom pattern of cognitive decline. Parkinson disease is a specific neurodegenerative disorder with its own motor and some non-motor features. Poliomyelitis is a viral infection that damages motor neurons.