The difference between Alzheimer's and dementia, the two diseases that cause dementia

Examples of brain diseases that are often discussed are dementia or Alzheimer's disease. Many think that they are the same disease, even though they are actually different. Let's get to know more about the differences between dementia and Alzheimer's disease in the following review.

What is the difference between dementia and Alzheimer's disease?

So that you can recognize the two diseases that attack in old age better, pay attention to the differences.

Based on the definition of disease

In order to know the difference, you need to understand the definition of each disease. Dementia is a group of symptoms that affect a person's ability to remember, think and socialize. In severe cases, this disease can cripple daily activities.

While Alzheimer's disease is a progressive disease that causes a person to have problems with memory, behavior and thinking abilities.

The explanation of the two definitions is almost the same. However, if you look closely, you can conclude the difference between dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

According to the Mayo Clinic, dementia is not actually a disease, but a collection of various symptoms of brain disorders. Therefore, dementia is described as an umbrella covering several diseases, one of which is Alzheimer's disease.

So, you can also call Alzheimer's disease as a type of dementia. In fact, it is much more common than other types of dementia. That is why, the terms dementia and Alzheimer's disease are quite popular.

Apart from Alzheimer's disease, other types of disease that fall under the scope of dementia are:

Vascular dementia (impaired brain function caused by reduced blood flow to the brain).
Lewy body dementia are (disorders of the brain due to protein buildup Lewy body)
Frontotemporal dementia (a brain disorder that affects the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain, the front and sides of the brain).

Based on the cause of the disease

The difference between dementia and Alzheimer's disease can also be observed from the underlying causes. The causes of dementia vary widely, depending on the types.

Vascular dementia, for example, occurs due to a lack of blood flow to the brain. Whereas brain cells need oxygen and nutrients from the blood to keep functioning normally. When the blood supply to the brain is insufficient, brain cells will be damaged and eventually die.

This condition may occur in people who have high blood pressure (hypertension), stroke, diabetes, or have a smoking habit.

Furthermore, Lewis body dementia is caused by small clumps of protein called alpha-synuclein which can develop in brain cells. These clots damage the way cells work and communicate with each other so that the cells eventually die. This type of dementia is closely related to Parkinson's disease.

Then, frontotemporal dementia is caused by clumping of tau protein on the front and sides of the brain. This clotting can cause the affected area of the brain to shrink.

This type of dementia is more likely to occur in families and is recognized at an easier age, namely 45-65 years of age because it is caused by the inheritance of certain genes.

Well, all these causes could be the difference between dementia and Alzheimer's disease. The reason is, the cause of Alzheimer's disease is a deposit called amyloid plaque in the brain which can cause damage and clumping of tau protein which causes tangles in the brain.

Usually, the area of the brain that is commonly affected by this disease is the hippocampus, which is responsible for regulating memory.

Based on the symptoms caused

Apart from the causes, the differences between dementia and Alzheimer's disease can also be seen from the symptoms experienced by the sufferer. In people with vascular dementia, symptoms include:

Difficulty concentrating and confusion to decide what to do next when doing something.
It is difficult to make plans and communicate the plans to others.
Easily restless and sensitive.
Indifferent and experiencing depression.
Easy to forget and unable to control the urge to urinate.

It is different with people affected by Lewis body dementia, they will generally experience the following symptoms:

Slows down, muscle stiffness, tremors and frequent falls.
Susceptible to headaches and indigestion, such as constipation.
Difficulty concentrating, memory loss, and speaking irregularly.
Hearing, smelling, and feeling touch that doesn't really exist (hallucinations).
Has difficulty sleeping at night, but can sleep very long during the day.
Depression and loss of motivation.

Then, the symptoms of frontotemporal dementia that may appear include:

Feeling muscle stiffness or spasms, difficulty swallowing, and tremors and poor body balance.
Difficulty understanding a person's language and writing and difficulty composing sentences when speaking.
Lack of attention and difficulty judging something.
Performing abnormal repetitive movements, such as patting the cheeks.
Often put something that is not food into the mouth.

Meanwhile, the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease are slightly different from the types of dementia that have been mentioned, including:

Experiencing memory loss or forgetting the names of people you recognize or objects around them. They also often get lost in familiar places, or put recently used objects where they shouldn't.
Often talks repeatedly or repeats the questions asked.
Depression, mood swings, and withdrawal from social activities.
Poor in making decisions, difficulty in thinking, and difficulty in carrying out daily activities such as bathing.

Based on the patient's treatment

You can also observe the difference between dementia and Alzheimer's disease from the recommended medication. Alzheimer's disease drugs that are often prescribed are cholinesterase inhibitor drugs, such as donepezil (Aricept), galantamine (Razadyne) and rivastigmine (Exelon) and the drug memantine.

People with Lewy Body dementia also take cholinesterase inhibitors, but they are also provided with several drugs to treat Parkinson's disease.

This is different from people with vascular dementia who are usually prescribed drugs to lower blood pressure and cholesterol and prevent blood clots. Meanwhile, frontotemporal dementia patients will be prescribed antidepressants and antipsychotics.

Although the drugs are prescribed differently, both patients with dementia and Alzheimer's disease usually need to undergo therapy to help reduce symptoms.