Alzheimer’s And Dementia The Distinction Is Often Blurred

Alzheimer's and Dementia affect many as they get older

The words Alzheimer’s and Dementia are often mentioned in the same sentence without people being aware of the exact relationship between the two. It is important to understand that dementia is a descriptive state involving loss of mental function which can be caused by Alzheimer’s Disease, but not only by Alzheimer’s. In fact about one half of all dementia cases are caused by Alzheimer’s Disease. The remainder of dementia cases are caused by other, often rare, disorders as well as some other causes. Alzheimer’s and Dementia are related in that they both include loss of memory, language skill, reasoning and thinking skills and both involve the mood, personality, and behaviour of the individual. However, Dementia can be caused from physical stimuli such as an accident to the head and brain or injury as well as other diseases or infections.

The difference between Alzheimer’s and Dementia.

The distinction between Alzheimer’s and Dementia becomes clear when you consider that the most common causes of dementia are Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, Huntington’s Disease and some types of Multiple Sclerosis. These are all considered to be neurological diseases. Vascular disorder in the brain can also be a cause of dementia, as can traumatic brain injury, infections, drug and alcohol abuse, and depression.

Cortical Dementia

A further reason why you may hear Alzheimer’s and Dementia mentioned together is that Dementia can be categorized into two forms. The first category is referred to as ‘cortical dementias’ because they affect the cerebral cortex of the brain. These are the outer layers of the brain that most often affect the language and memory skills of an individual. Alzheimer’s Disease is a form of cortical dementia and over 5 million people in the United States have been diagnosed with this disorder.

Sub-cortical Dementia

The second broad category of Dementia is sub-cortical, which includes Vascular Dementia. These are the parts of the brain that lie beneath the cortex. This further muddies the water around Alzheimer’s and Dementia as different sets of symptoms apply in respect of language, memory, and thinking ability. Some forms of dementia can be treated while others, such as Alzheimer’s Disease cannot be cured, although some Alzheimer’s treatment can be effective in the short term.

How Alzheimer’s and Dementia are developing

As people age, especially when you reach 65 years of age, we tend to suffer from some form of Dementia. That number increases as we grow older and the most common form of dementia is clearly Alzheimer’s with all of its symptoms, stages, and complications. Continuing research projects around the world continue to seek a cure and to identify a specific cause for this disorder with the help of the medical community and many organizations including the Alzheimer’s Association. The ultimate goal is to find a cure and to develop better treatment methods and prevention techniques. If, or perhaps when, that work is successful, the distinction between Alzheimer’s and Dementia may become clear to all.

Alzheimer’s and Dementia are difficult to separate, so why not keep in touch with me at Twitter (@ DonMClaassen)?