What Is the Difference Between Dementia and
Alzheimer's?
Dementia and Alzheimer's diseases are often confused as same and are even used
interchangeably. However, the two are different. Dementia is not a specific disease, but an
umbrella term for a wide range of the symptoms. Contrarily, Alzheimer's disease is a form of
Dementia. Both problems are related to the mental health and can affect one’s ability to perform
day-to-day tasks. When we dig deeper, there are several differences between them. Here, we
will discuss the differences between these brain disorders so that you can develop a better
understanding on them. Let’s move ahead!
What is Dementia: An Overview
Dementia is a broad term that encloses a wide range of the symptoms related to declination in
the mental health ability. This condition can severely impact an individual’s life by interfering in
daily functions. Some common symptoms of dementia are decline in memory, thinking and
reasoning abilities. There are different types of dementia and Alzheimer's disease is a
common form of it. Some common symptoms of dementia are:
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Declination in memory; people gets oblivion.
Inability to focus or pay attention longer.
Poor ability of thinking.
Difficulty in reasoning or making decisions.
Negative change in language.
Declined cognitive skills.
Poor changes in behaviour.
What are the Possible Causes Of Dementia?
Dementia can be caused due to a number of the factors that can damage brain cells. Thus, they
can affect the brain’s ability to communicate with each other, thereby affecting one’s feelings
and behaviours. There are different regions in brain, which are responsible for carrying out
different functions. Factors causing the dementia can affect the processes, such as thinking,
feeling, reasoning and several others.
There are different types of dementia and the reasons behind them also differ from each other.
Some of the potential reasons behind this poor mental health condition are:
Vascular Dementia
Vascular Dementia comes after Alzheimer's disease as the second most common form of
dementia. It can take place due to the reduced blood flow to the brain. Small strokes or other
vascular issues can cause this condition. Damaged brain cells eventually lead to different types
of mental health disorders.
Lewy Body Dementia
Lewy Body Dementia can take place due to the presence of abnormal protein deposits called
Lewy bodies in the brain. Some of the common signs of this disorder are cognitive decline,
fluctuating alertness, visual hallucinations, and movement problems, which can also be seen in
both Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease.
Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD)
Frontotemporal Dementia is promoted by the degeneration of the frontal and temporal lobes of
the brain. It can affect one’s social behaviour and affect several other functions, such as
impulsivity, language, and executive functioning.
Mixed Dementia
This form of dementia is a combination of different forms of dementia. It can often show the
symptoms of Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia. Mostly adults experience this type of
dementia. Due to the perplexing nature of this disorder, it gets difficult to relieve the symptoms.
What is Alzheimer's Disease: An Overview
Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia, and is a degenerative brain disease.
This issue is caused by complex changes in the brain leading to cell damage. It shows up the
signs of dementia that gets worse with time. This disease typically affect the part of brain which
is associated with learning and remembering new information. Therefore, this function gets
troubled with Alzheimer's disease. Some common signs of this brain disorder are:
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Poor learning ability.
Inability to remember new things.
Disorientation.
Confusion and behavior changes. Eventually.
Problem in speaking.
Trouble swallowing.
Walking becomes difficult.
What are the Possible Causes Of Alzheimer's Disease?
The potential reason promoting Alzheimer's disease needs more research to be fully
understood. However, it is related to the impaired function of the brain protein. It can cause
multifaceted issues with the functioning of the brain cells, causing different mental health
conditions.
It can damage the neurons, thereby weakening their connection with each other and eventually
these neurons die. Some other possible reasons are:
Age-Related Changes
There are several age-related conditions, such as inflammation, shrinking, damaged blood
vessels, cell-breakdown, that can cause damage to the neurons, thereby promoting the
Alzheimer's disease.
Genetical Factors
Sometimes, change in the genes passed down a family member can also cause this mental
disorder.
Environmental-Factors And Lifestyle
Factors related to the poor lifestyle, such as lack of exercise, obesity, smoking, high cholesterol
or a sedentary lifestyle can cause this condition. Age, family history, and heredity are some of
the common environmental factors behind it.
Ending Words!
Dementia and Alzheimer's Disease are entirely different. Hopefully, the differences are clear to
you after reading this post. Taking the right preventive measures can ease out the symptoms of
these brain disorders. However, on the worsening of these conditions, you are recommended to
get professional assistance.
Also Read: Psychodynamic Therapy For Depression and Anxiety