Difference between Alzheimer's and Dementia

Dementia and Alzheimer's disease are two of the greatest fears many people have as they face old age - and the two terms are often used interchangeably, or confusingly. Technically, the difference between Alzheimer's and dementia is that dementia is a term for the deterioration or progressive impairment of mental capacity, and Alzheimer's disease is one of the most common causes of dementia. Dementia is also a symptom of a number of other conditions, many of them associated with aging.

Dementia refers to the abnormal deterioration in mental function, beyond what is normally expected from aging. The most well-known and recognizable consequence of dementia is serious and progressive memory loss, but the term refers to a more general loss of cognitive function, as well. Dementia is most common among the elderly. In addition to being a symptom of Alzheimer's disease, it can also result in aging patients as a result of vascular dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies, Parkinson's disease, and a number of other less common conditions.

Non-elderly adults, and particularly those below 40 or 50, are especially unlikely to develop dementia, especially as a result of the conditions described above, which are normally associated with aging. However, it can develop at a younger age as a result of a brain injury, or as a result of some much more rare conditions. These include Huntington's disease, a hereditary disorder. In addition, very severe and sudden dementia is also the stereotypical symptom of Creutzfeld-Jakob disease, the human variant of mad cow disease.

However, the most common cause of dementia, particularly in elderly populations, is Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's is a progressive dementia which usually first becomes noticeable through memory impairment, beginning with the deterioration of new and short-term memory and then extending to long-term memory and control over basic bodily functions. Despite many years of research, medical researchers still know frustratingly little about the causes or potential treatments of Alzheimer's. What they do know is that it is associated with the development of plaque formations and tangled neurons within the brain. Several medications are now used to restrict the disease's symptoms and potentially slow its progression, although there is not yet a way to stop the disease entirely or to truly reverse damage once it has been done.

There is a considerable amount of publicly available information regarding Alzheimer's disease and dementia. However, if you are particularly concerned that you or a loved one is showing early warning signs of dementia, or more specifically of Alzheimer's disease, you should discuss your concerns with your family doctor.

source: helium