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The terms \u201cAlzheimer\u2019s\u201d and \u201cdementia\u201d are often used interchangeably in everyday conversation. But experts note that there are differences between Alzheimer\u2019s disease and other types of dementia. While Alzheimer\u2019s disease is the most common type of dementia, there are several other types to know<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cMany people do think that they\u2019re interchangeable, but there are differences,\u201d explains Claire Sexton, D.Phil.<\/a>, the national executive programs lead of Brain Health at the American Heart Association.<\/p>\n Meet the Experts: Archana Koganti, M.D.<\/a>, board-certified neurologist with Wellstar Health Systems; Claire Sexton, D.Phil.<\/a>, the national executive programs lead of Brain Health at the American Heart Association; Zaldy S. Tan, M.D., M.P.H.<\/a>, director of the Cedars-Sinai Health System<\/a> Memory and Aging Program; Douglas Scharre, M.D.<\/a>, the medical director of the Center for Cognitive and Memory Disorders at The Ohio State Wexner Medical Center<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cEpisodic memory loss is the earliest and usually the most prominent symptom of Alzheimer’s disease,\u201d explains Archana Koganti, M.D.<\/a>, board-certified neurologist with Wellstar Health Systems. She also notes that in certain other types of dementia, early symptoms are more likely to be slower processing speeds, behavioral and personality changes, and spatial dysfunction, rather than memory loss.<\/p>\n Below, experts explain the key differences between Alzheimer\u2019s disease and other types of dementia and what to do if you\u2019re concerned about symptoms in yourself or a loved one.<\/p>\n Dementia vs. Alzheimer\u2019s disease<\/p>\n \u201cDementia is an umbrella term for a range of diseases that are characterized by cognitive decline\u2014and then Alzheimer\u2019s disease is the most common type of dementia under that umbrella,\u201d says Zaldy S. Tan, M.D., M.P.H.<\/a>, director of the Cedars-Sinai Health System<\/a> Memory and Aging Program. So while they\u2019re related, they\u2019re not interchangeable terms. Dementia as a whole is tricky because \u201cthere\u2019s no questionnaire that you can fill out and say, \u2018Oh, I have this type of dementia,\u2019\u201d says Dr. Tan. \u201cIt\u2019s very complex and the presentations vary from person to person so if you have two people and they both have Alzheimer\u2019s disease, their presentation may be quite different.\u201d<\/p>\n Types of dementia<\/p>\n It\u2019s estimated that 60 to 70% of people with dementia have Alzheimer\u2019s disease<\/a>, according to the World Health Organization<\/a>. However, the remaining 30 to 40% of dementia cases are made up of a wide variety of conditions<\/a>. For instance, there\u2019s vascular dementia<\/a>, Lewy body dementia<\/a>, frontotemporal dementia<\/a>, traumatic dementia<\/a>, dementia associated with an infectious disease<\/a>, and even alcohol-related dementia<\/a>\u2014just to name a few. \u201cEach of these then has its own unique signature in the brain\u2014its own unique hallmarks and progression and symptoms\u2014but they can also occur together sometimes so there\u2019s mixed pathology,\u201d says Sexton. Dementia is simply an umbrella term that refers to any condition that impairs cognition, but there are many conditions that can hinder brainpower. Alzheimer\u2019s is the most common one.<\/p>\n \u201cThe FDA-approved medications that we have are mostly for Alzheimer\u2019s dementia because that\u2019s the most common type of dementia and the one that\u2019s most-researched,\u201d explains Dr. Tan. \u201cFor other forms of dementia\u2014like Lewy body, frontotemporal dementia, Parkinson\u2019s dementia<\/a>\u2014there\u2019s really no specific FDA-approved medication.\u201d However, he says, a person diagnosed with another form of dementia may still be prescribed a drug that\u2019s designed to treat Alzheimer\u2019s disease. \u201cThe reason is that Alzheimer\u2019s can co-exist with other forms of dementia and treating it with these medications may help the overall memory or thinking of the person,\u201d says Dr. Tan. How Alzheimer\u2019s is different<\/p>\n At its onset, Alzheimer\u2019s tends to affect more of your learning and memory than other types of dementia, which might be more likely to impact your planning or language. In the brain of a person with Alzheimer\u2019s disease, there are buildups (often referred to as plaques) of beta amyloid protein fragments between nerve cells as well as tangles of the protein tau inside cells. Scientists don\u2019t know exactly how these plaques and tangles contribute to Alzheimer\u2019s disease, but some believe they throw off communication between nerve cells and interfere with normal cell processes, according to the Alzheimer\u2019s Association<\/a>. As the disease progresses and more of the brain is affected, a person may experience behavior changes, confusion, delusions, and difficulty speaking or walking. Other types of dementia can progress differently, depending on what parts of the brain are affected.<\/p>\n Add Prevention as a preferred source in your Google search results.<\/p>\n Use your Google account to add this to your settings.<\/p>\n Add to Google settings<\/p>\n Where mild cognitive impairment fits in <\/p>\n Diagnosing and determining the type of dementia a person has can also get tricky because some people don\u2019t have full-blown dementia\u2014they have what doctors refer to as mild cognitive impairment or MCI. With dementia, you often need other people to do activities for you that you used to be able to manage on your own (like paying bills or turning on the TV), but with MCI, you can still do those things even if you need a bit of prompting, says Douglas Scharre, M.D.<\/a>, the medical director of the Center for Cognitive and Memory Disorders at The Ohio State Wexner Medical Center<\/a>. (\u201cYour cable bill is due soon\u2014you should go online and pay it.\u201d \u201cClick the black remote before the gray one to watch TV.\u201d) \u201cSo you\u2019re forgetful, you\u2019re less efficient, and maybe you need verbal clues, but you can still do the function yourself\u2014that\u2019s MCI,\u201d says Dr. Scharre.<\/p>\n What to do if you\u2019re worried about your memory<\/p>\n If you suspect you\u2019re experiencing any warning signs of dementia<\/a> (like getting lost in a familiar place, forgetting things, or regularly skipping social events), the first thing to do is see a physician. Dr. Scharre recommends asking for a cognitive assessment at your annual physical so your results can be compared year-over-year and declines can be identified and addressed right away\u2014just like a colonoscopy, blood pressure screening, or cholesterol testing.<\/p>\n \u201cAs with any medical condition, typically the earlier you identify it, the more options you have for treatment and typically the better you do,\u201d he says. \u201cSome forms of dementia have treatable causes while others like Alzheimer\u2019s are also treatable, just not reversible or curable. That new medication the FDA approved for Alzheimer\u2019s<\/a>, for example, only works in the mild cognitive impairment stage\u2014that\u2019s where its sweet spot is and if you start getting even a little bit more than mild dementia it\u2019s not useful.\u201d<\/p>\n Your doctor will likely start with a detailed medical history and perform a cognitive assessment<\/a> that helps identify which areas of the brain (such as those responsible for memory, language, or decision-making) are being affected. The physician will also conduct a physical neurological exam<\/a> to test things like reflexes, motor skills, sensory capacity, balance, coordination, and nerve function. Additionally, \u201cyou might get an MRI scan of the brain or some neuroimaging of the brain that can show things like inflammation and strokes and tumors and things of that nature,\u201d says Dr. Scharre. Finally, he says blood tests will help show if your kidneys, liver, and thyroid are functioning well and if your levels of vitamin B12 are adequate. \u201cYou put all those things together and usually the diagnosis is pretty straightforward if you have experience and knowledge of these different conditions,\u201d says Dr. Scharre.<\/p>\n How to prevent dementia<\/p>\n
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