What are the symptoms of mental deterioration?

Mental deterioration refers to the gradual decline of mental function, with core symptoms including impaired cognitive ability, emotional blunting, reduced motivation, behavioral regression, and impaired social functioning. These symptoms progressively worsen as the condition advances. A detailed breakdown is as follows:

1. Cognitive Decline: Patients experience slowed thinking and disorganized logic, making it difficult to concentrate or perform simple reasoning tasks. They often speak incoherently and struggle to express themselves clearly. Memory also significantly declines—they easily forget recent events and gradually lose familiarity with previously known knowledge and skills.

2. Emotional Blunting: Patients lose interest in people and events around them. Even family care or significant life changes fail to elicit emotional responses. Their facial expressions become dull, showing little reaction such as joy, anger, sadness, or happiness. They lack emotional connection during interactions, cannot understand others' emotions, and gradually become isolated, indifferent, and unwilling to communicate.

3. Reduced Motivation: Patients lose initiative and drive. Their previously active attitude toward life becomes passive and lethargic. They may spend entire days lying in bed or sitting idle, with no plans for personal life or work. Even basic needs like eating or dressing require repeated prompting from others, reflecting a lack of willingness for self-care.

4. Behavioral Regression: Behavior becomes simplistic and repetitive, possibly involving aimless pacing or hand-rubbing. Self-care abilities deteriorate—patients can no longer properly wash themselves or organize clothing. Some may exhibit loss of control, such as urinating or defecating in inappropriate places, displaying behaviors inconsistent with their age.

5. Impaired Social Functioning: Patients are unable to participate normally in work or study, struggle to maintain relationships, and gradually withdraw from social life. They cannot independently manage daily tasks such as shopping or seeking medical care, lack awareness of their own circumstances, become entirely dependent on others for care, and suffer a severe decline in quality of life.

In daily care, it is important to establish a regular routine for patients and assist them with daily activities. Brain function can be stimulated through simple interactive games or reminiscing about past experiences. Caregivers should provide ample patience and companionship, prevent patients from going out alone, and ensure their safety and basic needs are met.