Why do dementia patients become like children?

As dementia progresses, some patients exhibit seemingly childish behaviors such as mood swings, tantrums, irrationality, forgetfulness, and vocabulary problems which are similar to behaviors seen in young children. Such regression takes place because the brain cells of dementia patients are damaged to the extent that it interferes with the cells’ ability to communicate with each other. When brain cells cannot communicate normally – a person’s thinking, behavior, and feelings may be affected. For example, the brain starts to forget what it has learned and has trouble arranging information in the right order. Some dementia patients also lose interest in activities they used to enjoy.