When discussing the health of seniors, few discussions get very far before Alzheimer’s and dementia are mentioned. While they are commonly discussed it is not always clear what the relationship between dementia and Alzheimer’s really is. Below is a discussion of dementia and how it relates to Alzheimer’s as well as some information of other form’s of non-Alzheimer’s disease summarized from the 2010 report on Alzheimer’s from the respected Alzheimer’s Association.
Sometimes you will hear people discussing the health of a particular senior and they may ask if the person has dementia or Alzheimer’s. Alzheimer’s has gotten so much attention over the years that for many it is a distinct disease from dementia but the fact is that Alzheimer’s is simple a form of dementia. It is also the most common form of dementia representing between 60 and 80 percent of all cases. It differs from other forms of dementia in the way it attacks the brain. Damage results from the accumulation of beta-amyloid protein fragments in the brain that results in neuron destruction. Twisted protein strands of a protein known as tau are also part of the signature of this devastating disease.
Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia accounting for between 60 and 80% of all cases. It affects the region of the brain responsible for making new memories and so Alzheimer’s patients begin to show symptoms by having a reduced capacity to remember new information. Some of the warning signs of Alzheimer’s include the following;
* Misplacing items and increased disability in retracing steps * Reduced capacity in planning and solving problems * Confusion with time or place * Increase difficulty with familiar tasks of home or work * Withdrawal from work or social activities * Loss of memory severe enough to disrupt daily life * Development of problems with speaking or writing words * Confusion regarding spatial relationships and visual images * Poor judgement * Mood or personality changes become noticeable
Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia causing between 60 and 80% of all cases but it is not the only form of the disease. The next most common form is vascular dementia. In this case, damage to the brain comes from arterial blockages that reduce blood flow inside the brain. Usually this damage is the result of a series of small strokes. While many of the symptoms of vascular dementia are similar to Alzheimer’s, memory loss is typically not as severe as is commonly seen in Alzheimer’s.
Mixed dementia is recognized as a much more common form of dementia being the third most common. It is characterized as having symptoms and damage from both Alzheimer’s and vascular disease. But it can also be caused by other less common forms of brain damage like Lewy bodies which is caused by deposits of the protein alpha-synuclein inside brain nerve cells.
There are many more underling causes of dementia that we can discuss but these other forms are increasing rare and we have discussed the most important and common aspects of the disease. The take aways here are that Alzheimer’s is simply a form of dementia, not a separate disease. And since it is far and away the most common form, it is the most important to understand.
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