HomeFitnessDementia vs Alzheimer Disease – What is The Difference?
Dementia vs Alzheimer Disease – What is The Difference?
February 17, 2020
The medical terms Alzheimer’s and dementia are very confusing.
Many people think of these terms as same but they are not.
Dementia is just a medical condition where the mental ability
declines slowly and interferes with the daily functioning of the person.
Alzheimer’s is a common cause of dementia. Where Alzheimer’s is a disease,
dementia is not.
Learning about dementia vs Alzheimer is a necessary knowledge
especially for those whose close relatives or who themselves are suffering from
this. It is the basic knowledge that a family should seek to deal with the
situation better.
Difference Between Dementia and Alzheimer’s
Dementia is not a specific disease; it is like an umbrella term
that covers a wide range of symptoms. These symptoms interfere with the normal
functioning of an individual so much that it disturbs the patient’s life.
Dementia is caused by some damage in the brain cells that are responsible for
behaviors, feelings, thinking, and communication.
The international classification of diseases, 10th Revision,
Clinical Modification (ICD 10 Code for dementia) defines dementia as:
“It is a general, nonspecific term that encompasses several
underlying major neurocognitive disorders. Behavioral disturbances, including
psychotic symptoms, mood disturbance, agitation, apathy, aggression,
combativeness, and wandering off”.
Some of the most common symptoms that describe the condition of
Dementia are:
Abrupt changes in thinking patterns
Poor reasoning and judgment skills
Changes in communication and language skills
The decline in attention span and focus
A decline in memory
Alzheimer’s is a degenerative brain disease. It is usually
caused by some unusual cell damage leading to complex brain changes. It can
lead to dementia which worsens with the time. The earliest and most common
symptoms that indicate Alzheimer’s is losing the ability to remember new
things. This disease affects the part of the brain that is associating with
learning.
As it advances, the situation gets worse and leads to confusion,
disorientation, and sudden behavioral changes. It usually affects the people of
60 or more.
Is Dementia Genetic?
Many people are concerned if they can inherit dementia or not.
Parents are worried that they might pass on their dementia onto their kids.
Fortunately, science has revealed that there are very rarer types of dementia
that can be transferred from parents to their children. So, there are very
fewer chances of the next generation having dementia from the previous ones.
Delirium Vs Dementia:
Another medical term that is mixed up with dementia is
‘Delirium’. Delirium vs Dementia is another confusion that needs clarification.
Delirium is just an acute confusional state. Its diagnosis is based on the
clinical observation of behavior and cognition, but there are no specific
diagnostic tests available for this.
Here are some of the symptoms of delirium:
Distraction and inattention
An altered level of consciousness that might be accompanied by delusion and hallucination
Disorganized thinking
Acute onset
In the clarification of delirium vs dementia, dementia is a
cognitive decline that slowly progresses. Delirium has a sudden onset and it
can fluctuate throughout the day. Delirium is often unrecognizable by the
healthcare professional but dementia is readily diagnosed.
There are several types of dementia based on specific
situations. Here are some of the most common types of dementia:
Vascular Dementia:
It is a ‘cognitive decline’ and usually is caused by the reduced
blood flow in the brain. It can be caused by any accident, stroke, or any
sudden event. Also, it can be caused by some smaller strokes or events that
make the blood blocking gradual and slow. High cholesterol levels can also be
the reason for this.
Vascular Dementia Stages Timeline
Although it has no specific symptoms or stages to count in, its
progression can be classified in the early stages, middle stages, and later
stages of dementia. So, the vascular dementia stages timeline is a slow
progression of this disease.
The early stage of vascular dementia includes impaired memory,
word-finding difficulty, difficulty with normal functioning, and a decline in
mood. In vascular dementia, the changes in personality and mood are also seen.
Some people also experience difficulties with balancing and walking with the
progression of the vascular dementia stages timeline.
Lewy Body Dementia
Lewy bodies are abnormal clumps of protein that are called
alpha-synuclein. It builds up the cortex of the brain that is responsible for
the memory and learning part. Common Lewy body dementia symptoms are:
Problem with thinking
Sleeping issues
Problem with driving
Unbalanced moves
Memory loss
7 Stages of Lewy Body Dementia
If you have someone who is showing Lewy body dementia symptoms,
here are the stages to look for:
Stage one: No Cognitive Decline – It is undetectable for the
patient and the people surrounding him. There are no cognitive symptoms present
at this stage.
Stage two: Very Mild Cognitive Decline – There might be some subtle noticeable changes in the patient. It involves forgetting names, having trouble with locating the objects.
Stage three: Mild Cognitive Decline – It shows some cognitive
changes like memory loss, character forgetfulness, and disability to
concentrate.
Stage four: Moderate Cognitive Decline – Mostly people are
diagnosed at stage four. It is a challenging stage showing most of the symptoms
like out-of-character difficulty, severe forgetfulness, and issues in
performing daily tasks.
Stage five: Moderate Severe Cognitive Decline – It is marked as
a moderate-severe stage where there are noticeable memory loss changes and the
person struggles like life activities.
Stage six: Severe Cognitive Decline – At this stage, a high level of support and love from the closed ones are required. There is significant memory loss and many don’t even remember the early stages of their lives.
Stage seven: Very Severe Cognitive Decline – It lasts for around
1.5 to 2.5 years and shows a severe cognitive decline. Patients can even lose
their ability to talk and walk. They require excessive assistance.
Among these 7 stages of Lewy body dementia, it is very necessary
to know what your loved one is going through for better treatment.
Parkinson’s Dementia
Parkinson’s dementia refers to the symptoms of Parkinson’s
disease that are accompanied by mental functioning issues, memory issues, and
impaired thought processes. Parkinson’s disease affects the nervous system
progressively affecting the person’s mobility and daily activities.
It can affect physical movements as well. Also, it can impact
their thought process, memory, and other mental functions. When Parkinson’s
disease comes to this stage, this is called Parkinson’s dementia.
Frontotemporal Dementia
It is a form of dementia that includes loss of nerve cells in
the side and on the front of the brain. The trouble with language, changes in
personality and behavior are the common symptoms associated with this. People
with FTD also have a hard time writing and comprehending. Symptoms usually show
up around age 60.
Alcohol-Related Dementia
It is the type of dementia that results from excess intake of
alcohol. It affects normal mental functions, learning, and memory. Other
alcohol-related brain injuries are Korsakoff’s Syndrome and Wernicke Syndrome
that can also be associated with alcohol-related dementia.
Following are the symptoms of alcohol-related dementia:
Personality changes
Memory issues
Difficulties with memory
Impaired learning
Decreased initiative
Difficulty in logical and creative thinking
Multi-Infarct Dementia
It is a common form of vascular dementia. In multi-infarct dementia, cognitive functions are disturbed due to the damage in blood vessels in the brain. Multiple areas of the brain are affected by this dementia. It is often confused with Alzheimer’s disease and some studies show that multi-infarct dementia can become the cause of Alzheimer’s.
Common symptoms of Multi Infarct Dementia are:
Problems with language
Numbness
Urinary frequency
Delusional thinking
Lack of emotion
Social withdrawal
Lack of emotions
Difficulty in planning
Digital Dementia
Digital dementia is the term coined by Manfred Spitzer, a
neuroscientist. It is described as the breakdown of cognitive functioning due
to the excessive use of digital technology. It says that the excessive use of
technology will first affect the ‘short term memory’ of the person.
Canine Dementia, also known as dog dementia is an umbrella term for several cognitive forms. It is an age-related neurobehavioral syndrome that leads to a decline in cognitive functioning. It is accompanied by involute depression, which is like a chronic depression in human beings. Canine dementia can also make the dog face loss of awareness about the size and length of the objects. Furthermore, hyper aggression and confusional syndrome are also seen in dogs with canine dementia.
Hearing loss and Dementia
Hearing loss and dementia are very common when a person gets
old. The latest researches show that both are linked with each other.
Scientists are revealing that the loss of hearing can lead to dementia in older
age. This doesn’t mean that every person with hearing loss is meant to have
dementia. However, it is seen that severe hearing loss can lead to dementia.
Some medications are thought to be increasing the risk of
dementia. Benadryl is said to be one of those. It is an over-the-counter
antihistamine medication. Mostly, people use it for allergies and fever.
Benadryl can make a person very sleepy.
It is studied that Benadryl doesn’t only stop the effect of
histamine to heal the person, it also blocks acetylcholine, a chemical that is
responsible for sending messages among brain cells. Blocking this chemical can
cause memory loss, confusion, and drowsiness, which all lead to dementia.
Activities for Dementia Patients
If your loved one is suffering from dementia, there are certain
activities for dementia patients that can help them manage their situation and
make them feel better. You can indulge them in these activities and make them
feel good. Here are some activities for dementia patients:
You can play games with them. Board games, knowledge games, puzzles, and crosswords would do great.
Improvise with them. Don’t force them to think about the past or future. Be with them at the moment.
Brain training computer games are best for their mental health.
Pretend to be a handyman for them. You can make a handy man-games to help them retain their memories.
You can tell jokes to them and make them laugh. Laughter is the best therapy for them after all.
Play outside games with them such as football, cricket, or you can go swimming.
If you have a loved one in this situation, you ought to support
them and assist them in this hard time. Understand their situation, solve the mystery
of dementia vs Alzheimer’s and help them feel better with your support.
