Dementia is primarily characterized by which type of amnesia?

Dementia is primarily characterized by anterograde amnesia, which is the inability to form new memories following the onset of the condition. This type of amnesia affects the individual's capacity to encode and store new information, leading to difficulties in recalling recent events and learning new facts.

In dementia, as the disease progresses, individuals may often retain older memories (which may relate to retrograde amnesia, where previously formed memories are lost) but struggle significantly with anything that occurs after the onset of the disease. The hallmark of dementia, particularly in its early stages, is the increasing difficulty in creating new memories, making anterograde amnesia the defining feature.

This distinction is important in understanding how dementia affects cognitive functions and the day-to-day lives of those who are affected.