whats the difference between dementia and altzheimer?

Answer 1

Dear Sue_L,


Dementia (per Stedman's Medical Dictionary: a general mental deterioration due to organic or psychological factors) -- essentially "muddled" mental processes that are bad enough to degrade normal living. The empairment of memory, thought, logic, and language eventually make it impossible. There are actually many types of dementia, the best known of which is Alzheimer's disease. Some forms are reversible, but most are not -- like Alzheimer's.

Some common forms of dementia are:

Alzheimer's disease -- This form is characterized physically by abnormal clumps (plaques) and tangled bundles of fiber (tangles) in the brain of the victim, a loss of nerve cells (neurons) in the brain relating to memory and other mental functions, and decreased levels of chemicals in the brain that facilitate communication between brain cells that are vital to thinking and memory.

A first sign of Alzheimer's disease is often mild forgetfulness, followed by decreased language skills, reasoning, understanding, and reading and writing; and eventually anxiety, aggressiveness, and wondering off. The progression of Alzheimer's is slow -- going from mild forgetfulness to an inability to recognize common objects (like a pencil, or your husband). The gradual mental deterioration can last a decade or more. In the late stages just constructing a meaningful sentence or doing very common tasks may become impossible. Eventually, the nervous system degrades to where all body functions are affected. Complete incapacitation and ultimately death (usually from something like pneumonia) may follow.

People who exhibit the classic signs of Alzheimer's should undergo a detailed assessment to verify whether they actually have the disease or not. Check these areas:


Short-term memory loss -- it's a classic early symptom
Learning and retaining new information gets difficult as short-term memory worsens. The result may be repetitive conversations -- for forgotten questions and their answers, maybe missed appointments
Reasoning and abstract thought may suffer -- can't keep a calendar, balance a checkbook, cook a meal.
Judgment and planning abilities erode. Can't anticipate activities or events and their consequences. Problem solving becomes impossible. Can't follow directions/instructions.
Language skills degrade to where communication or reception of thoughts becomes problemmatic.
Inhibition and impulse control are degraded -- normally passive people may become more aggressive and engage in inappropriate behavior.
A problem is that a "failure" in assessments of the above skills doesn't necessarily mean Alzheimer's is present. It is just one piece of the puzzle that your doctor will have to assemble.
Vascular dementia results from narrowing and blockage of arteries supplying blood to the brain, or sometimes strokes that cause an interruption of blood flow within the brain. People suffering from this type of dementia exhibit increasing degrees of cognitive dysfunction, paralysis, and loss of vision. Unfortunately, vascular dementia is irreversible, as is Alzheimer's.

Parkinson's disease, a progressive, neurodegenerative disease, progresses to dementia in about 30-40% of the cases. Parkinson's is characterized by stiffness of the limbs, tremor, speech impediments, and a shuffling gait. As it turns out, some Alzheimer's patients develop symptoms of Parkinson's disease.

Lewy body disease (dementia) may be the second most common form of dementia, according to some researchers, based on data collected in the last five years.

Lewy bodies are protein deposits discovered in damaged (deteriorating) nerve cells. They have often been found in damaged areas of the brains of those with Parkinson's disease. When Lewy bodies are discovered widely distributed throughout the brain, symptoms similar to those of Alzheimer's are often present.

Lewy body disease is different from Alzheimer's, however. It progresses somewhat differently -- it includes fluctuations in cognitive disturbances with episodes of cognitive confusion and hallucinations. Eventually the fluctuations cease, and the symptoms become constant and severe.

Autopsies of brains of those with Lewy body dementia are dotted with Lewy bodies -- just like those with Parkinson's disease. Lewy bodies are also found in the cortex of the brain, often along with plaques (but no Tangles), as with Alzheimer's victims. Lewy body dementia is, along with Altzheimer's, irreversible.

Huntington's disease, a progressive, degenerative condition affects both mind and body. It begins with nerve cell wasting in the brain, resulting in personality changes and diminished mental capacities -- intellect, memory, speech, and judgment. During the later stages of the disease, dementia may develop. Huntington's is recognized as a genetic disorder.

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is a rare and fatal brain disorder, perhaps caused by a prion (infectious particle) protein. Early symptoms may be impaired memory, and behavior changes. This disease progresses rapidly, and is characterized by mental deterioration, involuntary movements (muscle jerks), weakness in limbs, blindness, and ultimately coma.

Pick's disease -- a rare, progressive disorder displaying symptoms like behavior/personality disturbances, and finally memory dysfunctions. Language disorders, erratic behavior, and dementia typically occur. Like with Alzheimer's, people with Pick's disease are often referred initially to psychiatrists because of the erratic behavior. A final diagnosis may only be made as a result of an autopsy.

Causes And Mimics

There are conditions, sometimes reversible, that cause or mimic dementia. These include: brain tumors, head trauma, metabolic changes, thyroid problems, nutritional deficiencies, alcohol abuse, and drugs or medications.

An uncommon disorder, "normal pressure hydrocephalus", which is a buildup of fluid on the brain (from a blockage of the flow of cerebrospinal fluid), can exhibit symptoms of dementia, urinary incontinence, and difficulty walking. This condition can be caused by meningitis, encephalitis, or head trauma. If discovered early it can be treated by surgery-- insert a shunt to drain the fluid.

Depression and dementia -- among the elderly either may be diagnosed for the other, or the two conditions can occur simultaneously. Some of this mishmash is treatable -- the earlier it is caught, the more effective the treatment. [That really isn't a very unique situation, is it?]

And finally, delirium (a temporary state of acute mental confusion) is fairly common among the elderly who have short-term illnesses like lung or heart disease, long-term infections, poor nutrition, medication interactions, or hormone disorders. The symptoms are sometimes confused with dementia, but if symptoms of cognitive impairment appear suddenly, delirium is the most likely cause -- not dementia.

Hope this helps,

Take Care.

Answer 2

Alzheimer's is a FORM of dementia. There are other forms, like vascular dementia from having a stroke. They are all essentially brain damage.
EDIT: Another person said that with Alzheimer's your brain doesn't deteriorate. That is FALSE. One of the diagnostic tools for recognizing AD is a MRI showing brain atrophy. It's not just memory that goes, it's everything.

Answer 3

Dementia is actually deterioration of the brain. Also known as OBS (organic Brain Syndrome) It can be detected in early stages. Alzheimers, the symptoms are similar, However, they are similar, they are different in many ways. With Alz. Your brain does NOT deteriorate, But you will lose all mental thoughts and stability. And You CAN diagnos alzheimers before death!!

Answer 4

Alzheimer's isn't absolutely confirmed until after death. There is a buildup of plaque and actual degradation of brain cells. The person loses more than memory.

Answer 5

Dementia is aorganic mental disorder characterised by severe and debilitating impairment of memory. There are many causes for it and usually seen in elderly. When it is pre senile in onset, it is called ALZHEIMER's DISEASE.

Answer 6

very little difference.