Up to the 1700s, states of cognitive and behavioural deterioration of whatever origin ending up in psychosocial incompetence were called amentia, dementia, imbecility, morosis, fatuitas, anoea, foolishness, stupidity, simplicity, carus, idiocy, dotage and senility. In Roman times, the word ‘dementia’ was also used to mean ‘being out of one’s mind, insanity, madness, folly’ (Lewis…