The Differences Between Dementia and Alzheimer's Disease

As soon as we notice memory problems, especially with our aging parents, we fearfully wonder: “Could it be Alzheimer’s?”

Let’s get clear on what Alzheimer’s is and isn’t.

Dementia is the deterioration of our cognitive abilities. There are many causes for dementia, and it can be progressive or stable. It targets the mental functions of the brain, like memory, orientation, problem solving and attention. Unlike Alzheimer’s, dementia is not a disease and it has a variety of causes.

Dementia is caused by various diseases or conditions with symptoms that may include changes in personality, mood and behavior. In some cases, the dementia can be treated and cured because the cause is treatable, as in dementia caused by substance abuse, the
improper mixing of prescription medications and hormone or vitamin imbalances.

Dementia occurs when the mental functions of the brain are affected by one or more of the items listed below:

• Diseases that cause degeneration or loss of nerve cells in the brain i.e., Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's.
• Diseases that affect blood vessels, such as a stroke.
• Excessive alcohol or drug use.
• Nutritional deficiencies.
• Infections that affect the brain and spinal cord, such as AIDS and Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease.
• An accumulation of fluid in the brain.
• Lewy Body Disease and Pick's Disease.

Treatable Dementias

• Dementia due to long-term substance abuse.
• Tumors that can be removed.
• Head injury — either a single severe head injury or longer-term smaller injuries.
• Kidney, liver and lung disease can all lead to dementia.
• Broken blood vessels in the outer covering of the brain, usually the result of a head injury.
• Normal-pressure hydrocephalus.
• Metabolic disorders, such as a vitamin B12 deficiency.

Alzheimer’s, on the other hand, is a disease —an untreatable form of dementia caused by an abnormally high quantity of plaques and tangles in the brain that interfere with the brain’s ability to function properly.

Some common symptoms of Alzheimer's are:

• Confusion; reaction time becomes faulty.
• Less energy and spontaneity.
• Disturbances in short-term memory (they may forget to pay bills).
• Problems with attention and spatial orientation; get confused, wander off and get lost easily.
• Personality changes.
• Language difficulties.
• Unexplained mood swings, restlessness and irritability.

The end result of Alzheimer's is the person’s inability to comprehend the who, what, why, when and where of their days.

Home Instead Senior Care, Attleboro will be donating a matching $1 to the Alzheimer’s Association Memory Walk for every new like to their Facebook page. Please consider "liking" —it’s a good cause and the cost to you is zip!

For more information on Alzheimer’s Volunteering and Fundraising Opportunities, click here.

Also, for a good read, that chronicles a son and his mother’s dementia success story (that’s right, success) take a look at "Ma Is Back" by Brad Pittman, an Attleboro resident who witnessed and participated in his mother’s increasing vitality.

Sara-Lynn Reynolds has a Degree in Health Education from UMASS, Amherst and is currently the Community and Education Liaison for Home Instead Senior Care Northern Bristol County, office located in Attleboro, MA. Her columns will offer advice, articles, stories and pertinent information regarding health, wellness and fitness.