RECENT RESEARCH
Dr Zihan He, Prof. Christine Ji, Cedric Cheng, Dr Sally Day, Lucie Downer, Prof. Lee-Fay Low
Institution: University of Sydney
Dementia is not only a medical condition; the word also carries fear, misunderstanding and stigma in some cultures.
In Chinese-speaking communities, one of the most common names for dementia has long been 痴呆症 (chī dāi zhèng), which literally means ‘Stupidity and Idiocy Syndrome.’ While this term remains familiar to many people, it can label people living with dementia in a humiliating way, and may discourage them and their families from talking openly about symptoms, diagnosis and care.
This study asked a practical but sensitive question: what Chinese term for dementia is both scientifically accurate and culturally appropriate?
Chinese-speaking regions have used various other terms for dementia, including 脑退化症 (nǎo tuì huà zhèng) (Brain Degeneration Syndrome), 怐知障碍症 (rèn zhī zhàng ài zhèng) (Cognitive Impairment Syndrome), 失智症 (shī zhì zhèng) (Loss of Intelligence Syndrome), 怐知症 (rèn zhī zhèng) (Cognition Syndrome) and 退智症 (tuì zhì zhèng) (Degenerative Intelligence Syndrome). The inconsistent use of these terms can make dementia harder for the public to understand, especially when different words carry different clinical meanings and emotional associations.
To examine these terms, we interviewed 21 Chinese-speaking dementia experts from the Asia-Pacific region. Participants included doctors, university academics, nurses and allied health professionals from mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macau, Malaysia and Australia, with an average of 17.5 years of dementia-related work experience. They were asked to evaluate the scientific accuracy and cultural appropriateness of existing Chinese terms for dementia, and to nominate the most suitable.
Thirteen of the 21 experts selected 怐知障碍症 (rèn zhī zhàng ài zhèng) (Cognitive Impairment Syndrome) as the best option. They felt that it better reflects the central features of dementia, especially changes in cognition, while carrying less stigma than terms that imply stupidity, loss of intelligence or irreversible degeneration.
The study also found that renaming can have real public health value. Experts from regions that had already moved away from 痴呆症 (chī dāi zhèng) ‘Stupidity and Idiocy Syndrome’ reported that public discussions of dementia had become more open, media coverage had increased, and families appeared more willing to seek earlier diagnosis.
The study therefore proposes 怐知障碍症 (rèn zhī zhàng ài zhèng) (Cognitive Impairment Syndrome) as the most scientifically accurate and culturally appropriate Chinese term for dementia. This recommendation has already had practical impact: Dementia Australia has endorsed this term and begun updating its Chinese dementia resources accordingly.
The research does not claim that terminology alone can remove the stigma around dementia. Based on expert interviews, it did not yet include people living with dementia, family carers or other community members. Future research should test how various Chinese-speaking communities understand, accept and use the proposed term in everyday life. However, the study does show that naming matters: a respectful and accurate term can become an important first step toward better dementia literacy, earlier help-seeking and more inclusive public communication.
