[New aspects of senile and presenile dementia].

Problems of research in dementia are presented. It is a matter both of structural disturbances in the texture of conditions which impair the texture of conditions of possible functions, as well as of actual functional disturbances of the brain. The numerous etiological and diagnostic aspects resulting from this show distinctly that the dementia does not exist. In the numerous dementias which appear as diseases of higher age, the distinction between true old age diseases (Alzheimer, Pick, progressive glial dystrophy) and the cerebrovascular dementias (multi-infarct-dementia, Binswanger's disease) is of importance. The classification of dementias may be carried out both by descriptive neuropathological criteria and by functional neuropathological criteria. This is demonstrated by way of examples.