Senile dementia, a common syndrome caused by chronic encephalosis, is characterized by the occurrence of failing intelligence and the change in behaviour and character. It affects work and life and gradually worsens with the passage of time. Modern medicine divides the disease into two categories: the primary and the secondary. In traditional Chinese medicine, the disease is believed to be related mainly to deficiency of the kidney-essence, deficiency of qi and blood in the heart and spleen, hyperactivity of the liver-yang and accumulation of phlegm; and in traditional Chinese medicine, the brain is regarded as the house of mental activity and reservoir of marrow, it is closely related to human spirit, memory and thinking. With deficiency of the kidney, the growth and development of marrow reduces with resultant deficiency of marrow reservoir and loss of mental activity. As pointed out in the Prescriptions Assigned to the Three Categories of Pathogenic Factors of Diseases, "the spleen is related to idea and thinking, idea refers to memory of previous matters and thinking has the function of the heart controlling mental activities. If the spleen is affected, mental confusion, irritability and amnesia develop." With deficiency of the liver-yin, upward invasion of the hyperactive wind-yang follows; with blockage of mental activity, mental confusion develops. Dysfunction of the lung, spleen and kidney

Author's unit name: Guangdong Gaoming Medical and Medicinal Institute of Encephalopathy, 2 Heping Lane, Cangjiang Road, Hecheng Disbrict, Gaoming, Guangdong 528500
leads to formation of phlegm from retained dampness, and mental confusion due to phlegm causes dizziness, amnesia, mental fatigue,etc.
Identification with syndrome differentiation is as follows:
Hyperactivity of the Liver-yang It is manifested chiefly as restlessness and irritability, dizziness and amnesia, bright red tongue and string-like and thready pulse. Patients of this type generally have a history of hypertension and a quicker attack. They are treated usually by calming the liver and suppressing yang hyperactivity of the liver and subduing the exuberant yang of the liver-yang with modified Bolus of Six Drugs, Rehmannia with Wolfberry and Chrysanthemum or modified Decoction of Gastrodia and Uncaria, drugs used are prepared rehmannia root, wolfberry fruit, chrysanthemum flower, dogwood fruit, Chinese yam, motherwort, cyathula root, eucommia bark, loranthus mulberry mistletoe, fleece-flower stem, poria with hostwood, etc.
Anxiety Impairing the Spleen It is marked by mental fatigue, poor appetite, palpitation, pathologic leanness in physique, amnesia, insomnia, pale tongue and weak and thready pulse. Patients of this type are treated by tonifying the spleen and the heart with bighead atractylodes rhizome, poria, astragalus root, longan aril, wild jujuba seed, polygala root, Chinese-date, fresh ginger, pilose asiabell root, etc.
Deficiency of the Kidney-essence It is marked by retardation of reaction, hypomnesis, mental fatigue and weakness, lassitude in loin and legs, pale tongue, deep and thready pulse and gradually worsened symptoms. Patients of this type are treated by replenishing vital essence and tonifying the kidney with such drugs as human placenta, dried rehmannia root, prepared rehmannia root, eucommia bark, lucid asparagus root, ophiopogan root, tortoise plastron, phellodendron bark, poria and achyranthes root.
Stagnation of Phlegm-dampness It is marked by mental apathy, sluggish expression, retardation of reaction, hypomnesis, reticence, obesity, pale and slippery tongue and soft and thready pulse. Patients of this type are treated by eliminating phlegm for resuscitation with pinellia tuber, red tangerine peel, poria, arisaema with bile, immature bitter orange, etc. Modified Storax Pill may be selected for use.
For treatment of the disease, deficiency in origin should be first considered, therefore, nourishing the liver, invigorating the spleen and tonifying the kidney are the main principles of treatment. Normalization of functions of the three organs provides a solid basis for the formation and transformation of qi and blood and for a repletion of marrow sea, thus improving all the symptoms. Patients with senile dementia should control their emotion, regulate their diet, keep regular life, insist on physical exercises, avoid mental stimulation and need early treatment.