Final answer:
The statement is false; 'delirium' refers to a temporary state of acute confusion, not a progressive brain disease causing memory and cognitive decline like dementia. Dementia includes diseases such as Alzheimer's, which is characterized by amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles leading to a gradual but irreversible decline in cognitive function.
Step-by-step explanation:
Delirium is not a term for a brain disease; rather, it represents an acute state of confusion that can have various causes, such as infections, withdrawal from substances, or even post-surgical confusion. It is characterized by a rapid onset of symptoms and can be reversible with prompt treatment. On the other hand, dementia is a term that refers to a category of diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, that cause a progressive decline in memory and cognitive abilities over time. The hallmark symptoms of Alzheimer's disease include disruptive memory loss, confusion about time or place, and difficulty planning or executing tasks.
Alzheimer's disease was named for Alois Alzheimer, who documented the presence of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain of a patient with severe dementia symptoms. These plaques and tangles, along with an overall shrinking of brain volume, particularly in the hippocampus, are pathological features of Alzheimer's. The disease progresses from mild cognitive impairment to moderate and eventually severe stages, where patients have significant memory and cognitive deficits, personality changes, and eventually complete dependency on others for care.