Objective: One important step towards an early diagnosis and treatment of dementia is the recognition and understanding of disease by the public.
Method: Since laymen's opinion is influenced by mass media, the portrayal of cognitive disorders was analysed using four volumes of a regional newspaper ("Leipziger Volkszeitung", LVZ).
Results: The predominant topics were related to cause and symptoms of dementia. Memory loss was depicted as the main symptom, non-cognitive symptoms were completely neglected. Therapy options and prevention were scantily touched; if at all, the tenor was one of futility. Unfortunately, dementia was often used as a devaluating metaphor.
Conclusions: In the media, scientifically sound information on dementia is rare. Supporting journalists with expert knowledge may help dementia sufferers to profit from the new developments in the field.