Description

Dementia is a term that we often hear when discussing elderly individuals with cognitive imparement(s). However, Alzheimer's disease is also often used interchangeably with dementia. But is it the case that dementia and Alzheimer's disease are the same thing? The short answer is no!! Dementia is not a specific disease. It is a descriptive term for a collection of symptoms that can be caused by a number of disorders that affect the brain. Symptoms of dementia can include memory loss, name finding difficulty, changes in mood/affect and paranoia. However, one of the most common forms of dementia is Alzheimer's disease. There are other medical conditions that can cause dementia-related symptoms such as metabolic problems, anoxia, hypoxia just to name a few. It is important to make this distinction since forms of dementia can have varied neuropathologies. Furthermore, understanding the specific form of dementia will also lead to better treatment and care.

Common Forms of dementia:

• Alzheimer's disease

• Frontotemporal dementia

• Lew-Body dementia

• Vascular dementia

• Mixed dementia

• Parkinson's disease with dementia