Is schizophrenia a type of dementia? if not why does it cause severe memory loss, black outs during listening, forgetting basic things, names, ect?

Dementia Praecox: This was the first name given to schizophrenia by early psychiatrists in europe. In latin, means "early dementia" referring to the memory loss which young persons presented after repetitive episodes of psychosis. If we prevent psychosis, we delay the dementia. That is the purpose of maintaining medications at all times, using rehabilitation and cognitive behavior techniques in schizophrenia.

Used to be thought s: Originally the disorder now called schizophrenia was called dementia praecox. Now we have a much more detailed division of mental disorders. There definately can be symptoms that are the same as those in someone with dementia. Any new diagnosis of schizophrenia requires a neurologic evaluation and brain imaging. There are many things that have overlapping sx and new sx may warrant neuro consult.

Schizophrenia sympto: Schizophrenia is a thought disorder while dementia is a cognitive disorder.