2024-01-13 16:16:05
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Dementia and Alzheimer’s are often mentioned in the same breath. Basically, both are brain diseases – but with different causes.
With its origins in Latin, the word dementia means “away from the mind” or “without spirit” and describes the immediate loss of mental performance that the disease brings with it. Dementia is a disease that can affect anyone and therefore causes fear in many people. As you get older, the risk of developing dementia increases. There are various signs and indications of possible dementia that both those affected and their relatives should pay attention to. As a rule, the doctor uses certain tests for diagnosis, such as the mini-mental status test and the clock test – although those affected can carry out this form of testing at home in advance under the guidance of their relatives.
Anyone who suspects that they are or are becoming demented themselves or that a relative may be ill should definitely seek medical advice. Only a doctor can use appropriate diagnostics to determine whether dementia or possibly Alzheimer’s is present. But what distinguishes the two diseases?
Dementia is not a specific disease
In dementia, neuronal changes in the brain lead to memory gaps and impaired thinking skills – the cause behind this depends on the type of dementia. © Andrew/Brookes/Imago
Dementia is not a specific disease, but rather an umbrella term for different forms and symptoms of a neurological disorder of the brain, according to the Alzheimer‘s Association. “Dementia” is written loudly Alzheimer Initiative e. V. for more than 50 diseases that affect brain function.
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Dementia, generally speaking, involves a decline in memory or other thinking skills. The disorder usually develops gradually and brings with it changes not only in the lives of those affected, but also in their social environment, especially among their relatives. Symptoms such as depressive moods, mild irritability, sleep disorders and signs of exhaustion can often become apparent before diagnosis. Such restrictions affect relationships and family life. Early signs of the disease can also include listlessness and general tiredness. As a rule, people suffering from dementia have increasing difficulty orienting themselves in both familiar and unfamiliar surroundings.
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What types of dementia are there?
Around 80 percent of primary dementias are caused by altered or destroyed nerve cells in the brain. These include:
Alzheimer
Vascular dementia
Frontotemporal dementia
Parkinson’s dementia
Lewy body dementia
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
Korsakow Syndrome
Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE)
Secondary forms of dementia can arise due to underlying diseases such as hypothyroidism, vitamin D deficiency or depression. Depression can increase the risk of dementia by around six times, according to the portal Dementia guide is called.
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Alzheimer’s: the most common form of dementia
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common and best-known form of dementia, affecting around 60 to 80 percent of those affected. Similar to Lewy body dementia, Parkinson’s dementia and frontotemporal dementia, in Alzheimer’s disease protein deposits or disorders in the brain play a crucial role in why neurological deficits and associated symptoms occur. Two Protein deposits play a role in Alzheimer’s: plaques made of beta-amyloid and fibrils.
Although we do not yet know the cause of Alzheimer’s disease, we know quite well how the pathological mechanism works in the brain. Different proteins are formed in different cells – in Alzheimer’s disease, a protein that can no longer be removed from the cell. As a result, this cell increasingly loses function and ultimately dies. This causes characteristic changes, the so-called Alzheimer’s fibrils or plaques, which later come together to form larger protein-protein complexes and can then be detected in the brain – even of deceased people.
In addition to Alzheimer’s, vascular dementia, Lewy body dementia and frontotemporal dementia are the most common dementias and differ in their symptoms and progression from Alzheimer’s disease, explains the Alzheimer Initiative e. V. further on.
Unlike the majority of forms of dementia, vascular dementia is due to circulatory disorders that can occur after a stroke or multiple small strokes.
This article only contains general information on the respective health topic and is therefore not intended for self-diagnosis, treatment or medication. It in no way replaces a visit to the doctor. Our editorial team is not allowed to answer individual questions about medical conditions.
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