What’s The Difference Between Alzheimer's And Dementia: Unraveling The Mystery
Health
Published on: 07-May-2024
10 min read
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Anushka Tripathi
What’s The Difference Between Alzheimer's And Dementia: Unraveling The Mystery
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Alzheimer's disease and dementia are two terms often used interchangeably in discussions about cognitive decline. This can create confusion among many people. As per estimates, around 6.7 million people aged 65 years or above are affected by Alzheimer's dementia. This number is projected to increase to 13.8 million by 2060 if no medical breakthrough exists.
There's a crucial difference between Alzheimer's and dementia. Dementia is an umbrella term encompassing a group of symptoms that affect memory, thinking, and behaviour. Alzheimer's disease, on the other hand, is the most common cause of dementia, accounting for roughly 60-80% of cases. Various factors, including vascular dementia, Lewy body dementia, and frontotemporal dementia, can cause dementia. Each type has its unique set of symptoms and progression patterns.
Understanding the difference between Alzheimer's and dementia is crucial for early diagnosis and proper management. In this blog, we'll delve deeper into dementia vs. Alzheimer's disease, exploring the global and Indian landscapes of these conditions. We'll discuss the signs and symptoms to watch out for and explore promising research projects to combat these cognitive challenges. Keep reading.
Table Of Contents
1. How Does Alzheimer's Differ From Dementia?
2. Understanding Dementia
3. What Are The Causes Of Dementia?
4. Symptoms Of Dementia
5. Understanding Alzheimer’s Disease
6. Causes Of Alzheimer’s Disease
7. Symptoms Of Alzheimer’s Disease
8. How To Tell The Difference Between Alzheimer's And Dementia
9. How Can You Tell If A Person Has Alzheimer's Or Dementia?
10. Does All Dementia Turn Into Alzheimer's?
12. Can Dementia And Alzheimer's Be Cured?
13. Studies On Dementia And Alzheimer’s
14. Dietitian's Recommendation
15. The Final Say
16. FAQs
17. References
How Does Alzheimer's Differ From Dementia?
Alzheimer's disease is a specific brain disease that affects the part of the brain that is responsible for learning. The initial symptoms of Alzheimer's disease may include changes in memory, thinking, and reasoning skills. As the disease progresses, these symptoms involve confusion, changes in behaviour, and other challenges.
Dementia and Alzheimer's disease both affect memory, behaviour, and communication. However, dementia is a general term used to describe these symptoms, while Alzheimer's disease is the most common type of dementia that tends to worsen over time.
Understanding Dementia
It is a group of symptoms that are named under the umbrella of dementia, which causes cognitive disabilities that interfere with daily life and are severe enough to hinder. The range of cognitive functions that encompass the symptoms of dementia are judgment, memory, language, and reasoning.
What Are The Causes Of Dementia?
For a better understanding of the difference between Alzheimer’s and Dementia, here are the causes of dementia and its types:
Alzheimer’s Disease | This disease is characterised by the accumulation of abnormal protein deposits in your brain, accounting for a significant majority of cases, including tau tangles and beta-amyloid plaques, which lead to the progressive degeneration of brain cells. |
Vascular Disorders | When blood vessels get damaged, brain cells may not receive enough oxygen. This can result in a condition called vascular dementia caused by a decrease in your blood flow to your brain due to certain conditions like small vessel disease, stroke, or other vascular abnormalities. Nutrient depletion can also contribute to this condition, leading to cognitive impairment. |
Lewy Body Dementia | Lewy body dementia is a condition that affects the brain's normal function due to the presence of abnormal protein deposits called Lewy bodies. This condition is associated with various symptoms, including fluctuating cognition, visual hallucinations, and motor disturbances similar to those seen in Parkinson's disease. |
Frontotemporal Disorders | This type of dementia often manifests as changes in behaviour. Frontotemporal dementia encompasses a group of disorders characterised by progressive damage to the frontal and temporal lobes of your brain that causes changes in language and personality rather than memory impairment. |
Traumatic Brain Injury | Long-term cognitive impairments that may increase the risk of developing dementia later in life, like traumatic brain injury resulting from a blow or jolt to the head, can cause dementia. The location and severity of the injury influence the extent of cognitive deficits. |
Parkinson’s Disease | A neurodegenerative disorder and Parkinson’s dementia develop in the later stages of the disease, characterised by the loss of dopamine-producing cells in your brain, leading to cognitive decline and dementia in some cases. |
Huntington’s Disease | It is an inherited genetic disorder leading to a decline in movement abnormalities, cognitive function, and psychiatric symptoms that cause progressive degeneration of brain cells. |
Mixed Dementia | Mixed dementia occurs when individuals have more than one type of dementia simultaneously. This combination of pathologies can complicate diagnosis and lead to a broader range of symptoms, such as Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia. |
Infections And Other Medical Conditions | By affecting the brain, certain infections, such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and HIV/AIDS, can cause dementia-like symptoms. Additionally, thyroid imbalances, nutritional deficiencies, and metabolic disorders may contribute to cognitive impairment. |
Age And Genetics | Age and genetics are the primary risk factors for dementia, with the prevalence of the condition increasing with age, particularly in familial or early-onset forms of dementia. They interact with environmental and lifestyle factors to influence overall risk. |
Symptoms Of Dementia
By affecting the areas of the brain, symptoms of dementia are many depending on the underlying cause. However, common signs include:
Memory loss
Impaired reasoning and judgment
Difficulty communicating
Confusion
Difficulty performing familiar tasks
Disorientation
Personality changes
These symptoms significantly impact an individual’s ability to function independently and progressively worsen over time.
Also Read: Explore Top 10 Dementia Risk Factors And Ways To Manage Them
Understanding Alzheimer’s Disease
It is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that is characterised by the accumulation of abnormal protein deposits in your brain, including beta-amyloid plaques and tau tangles.
Accounting for approximately 60-80% of cases, Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia. These pathological changes lead to the gradual destruction of brain cells, resulting in the decline of cognitive function.
Causes Of Alzheimer’s Disease
The actual cause of Alzheimer’s disease is not fully understood. However, the majority of cases are sporadic and likely involve a complex interplay of genetic and environmental influences.
Genetic Factors
| Particularly in cases of early-onset or familial Alzheimer's, genetic tendency plays a significant role in Alzheimer's disease. These changes affect the production and processing of amyloid-beta protein by causing changes in specific genes like amyloid precursor protein (APP), presenilin 1 (PSEN1), and presenilin 2 (PSEN2), leading to its accumulation in the brain and future neurodegeneration. |
Tau Protein Abnormalities | Tau protein is involved in stabilising microtubules within neurons. Tau pathology relates more closely with cognitive decline and neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease. |
Amyloid-Beta Accumulation | This protein forms insoluble plaques, and Alzheimer's disease is often characterised by the abnormal accumulation of amyloid-beta protein in the brain that triggers inflammatory responses, disrupts normal neuronal function, and ultimately leads to neuronal death. It is believed to play a central role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. |
Neuroinflammation | Genetic variants associated with immune response genes may influence susceptibility to Alzheimer's disease. Chronic inflammation in the brain by the presence of amyloid-beta plaques and tau tangles aggravates neuronal damage and cognitive decline. |
Vascular Factors | Particularly in individuals with vascular risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, and atherosclerosis (hardening of arteries). Microvascular damage impairs nutrient delivery and waste clearance in the brain, and Vascular dysfunction develops Alzheimer's disease. |
Symptoms Of Alzheimer’s Disease
The symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease typically begin with mild memory impairment and gradually progress to more severe cognitive deficits.
Challenges in problem-solving and decision-making
Disorientation
Profound memory loss
Impaired motor function
Language difficulties
Personality changes
Confusion
Difficulty remembering recent events
How To Tell The Difference Between Alzheimer's And Dementia?
Here are the points that may help you know the difference between Alzheimer’s and dementia:
1. Cause
You can distinguish between Alzheimer's disease and dementia by characterizing the accumulation of abnormal proteins in the brain. Alzheimer's is a specific neurodegenerative disorder, while dementia is a syndrome caused by various underlying conditions.
2. Progression
Alzheimer’s disease follows a predictable progression from mild to advanced impairment and severe dementia. On the other hand, dementia encompasses a range of cognitive symptoms that can result from different causes, each with its own progression pattern.
3. Symptoms
Hallucinations and motor symptoms are more common in Lewy body dementia, whereas language difficulties may be predominant in primary progressive language disorder, a subtype of frontotemporal dementia.
4. Treatment
Specific medications such as cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine are available to temporarily alleviate symptoms and slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. Treatment approaches for dementia focus on managing symptoms and addressing underlying causes when possible. Although they cannot cure or reverse the condition.
How Can You Tell If A Person Has Alzheimer's Or Dementia?
Distinguishing between Alzheimer's disease and dementia involves considering several factors:
1. Symptoms
Alzheimer's disease and dementia present with cognitive decline, but Alzheimer's typically begins with memory loss and progresses. Dementia may have distinct symptoms, such as hallucinations and personality changes.
2. Progression
Alzheimer's disease follows a pattern of decline from mild to severe with time. Dementia, on the other hand, encompasses a broader range of cognitive symptoms.
3. Diagnostic Tests
Alzheimer's disease and dementia typically involve a comprehensive evaluation, including medical history, cognitive assessments, physical examination, and sometimes brain imaging or laboratory tests.
4. Clinical Judgment
With the help of neuropsychologists, geriatricians, and neurologists’ accurate diagnosis can be made.
Does All Dementia Turn Into Alzheimer's?
Alzheimer's disease is said to be the most common cause of dementia, but not all dementia cases turn into Alzheimer's disease. While each has its own underlying causes and progression patterns, there are various other types of dementia.
Additionally, certain reversible conditions, such as vitamin deficiencies or medication side effects, can cause dementia-like symptoms that may improve with treatment. Therefore, not all cases of dementia are attributable to Alzheimer's disease.
Can Dementia And Alzheimer's Be Cured?
Currently, there is no proper cure for dementia or Alzheimer's disease. However, some treatments and interventions can help manage symptoms. These may include medications, cognitive behavioural therapy, lifestyle modifications, and support services to slow the progression of the disease, and they also improve the quality of life for affected individuals.
Studies On Dementia And Alzheimer’s
Here are some of the related studies to make you understand better the difference between Alzheimer's and dementia:
1. The Chennai Urban Rural Epidemiology Study (CURES)
This longitudinal study conducted in Chennai, India, examined the prevalence and risk factors for various non-communicable diseases, including dementia and cognitive impairment. By following a large cohort of urban and rural residents over time, researchers were able to identify demographic, lifestyle, and clinical factors linked with cognitive decline and dementia onset in the Indian context.
2. The Cognitive Aging and Neuro-Epidemiology (CANE) Study
Led by the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) in Bangalore, India, the CANE study investigates the prevalence, determinants, and outcomes of cognitive impairment and dementia in older adults. It employs a multi-disciplinary approach, integrating clinical, neuropsychological, neuroimaging, and genetic assessments to elucidate the complex interplay of factors contributing to cognitive decline in the Indian population.
Dietitian’s Recommendation
Differentiating Alzheimer's from dementia is crucial. Alzheimer's is a specific neurodegenerative disease while dementia is a broad term for cognitive decline, early diagnosis, and specialized care are essential for managing Alzheimer's. But a balanced diet that is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and whole grains may support brain health.
Dt. Akshata Gandevikar
The Final Say
By raising awareness and dispelling misconceptions, we can empower individuals, caregivers, and healthcare professionals to navigate the complexities of cognitive decline with knowledge and compassion.
Understanding the major difference between Alzheimer's and dementia is important for accurate diagnosis, appropriate management, and effective support for individuals affected by these conditions. In summary, while Alzheimer’s disease is a type of dementia, not all dementia cases are attributable to Alzheimer’s.
FAQs
1. Is there a difference between Alzheimer's and dementia? Are Alzheimer's and dementia the same thing?
Alzheimer's & dementia are different as dementia is an overarching term that refers to the range of symptoms affecting cognitive abilities. At the same time, Alzheimer's disease is a type of dementia that is caused by progressive memory loss and cognitive decline. Other types of dementia exist, each with its distinct causes and characteristics. This is the main difference between Alzheimer's and dementia.
2. What are the differences in dementia types?
Dementia encompasses various types, each characterised by distinct underlying causes and symptom profiles.
Alzheimer's disease, the most common form, involves the accumulation of beta-amyloid plaques and tau protein tangles in the brain.
Vascular dementia results from impaired blood flow to the brain, often due to strokes or small vessel disease.
Other types include Lewy body dementia, featuring abnormal protein deposits, and frontotemporal dementia, characterized by degeneration in the frontal and temporal lobes.
3. Dementia vs. Alzheimer's disease, which is worse?
Alzheimer's disease is the leading cause of dementia. It starts developing in the brain many years before any visible symptoms appear. Early symptoms are mild and do not hinder an individual's normal daily activities. It is only later that the symptoms become severe enough to be classified as 'dementia'.
4. Is Alzheimer's and dementia genetic?
Alzheimer's disease is usually not associated with a single genetic cause. Instead, it can be influenced by a combination of multiple genes along with environmental and lifestyle factors. It is also possible for an individual to carry more than one genetic variant or a group of variants that can either increase or decrease the risk of developing Alzheimer's.
5. Can dementia be cured?
Dementia is a condition that currently has no cure. However, there are treatments available that can help alleviate the symptoms. In the UK, there are four medications that have been approved to ease certain symptoms of dementia: donepezil, rivastigmine, galantamine, and memantine.
6. Can Alzheimer’s be cured?
While Alzheimer's disease has no cure, there are treatments that may alter its progression. Additionally, there are drug and non-drug options available to help manage its symptoms.
References
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