Age-related brain degeneration: how to distinguish Alzheimer's disease from dementia

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The most common types conditions caused by age-related brain degeneration include Alzheimer's disease and dementia.

As we age, our organs become less efficient. This also applies to the brain: with aging, its cells begin to degenerate. At the same time, the risk that a person will develop Alzheimer's disease or dementia increases.

Here is what doctors advise you to know about the difference between the two conditions.

How to distinguish Alzheimer's disease from dementia? Alzheimer's disease means atrophy of brain cells, which causes impaired memory and cognitive functions. There is no certain explanation of the reasons leading to the development of this progressive condition. One of the most famous scientific hypotheses links the occurrence of Alzheimer's disease with the accumulation of proteins in the brain: beta-amyloid and tau protein.

Dementia is a general term for the processes of age-related decline in cognitive function. Alzheimer's disease is one type of dementia. Others include dementia with Lewy bodies, vascular dementia and frontotemporal diseases. Patients suffering from dementia have difficulties in communication, problems with feelings and emotions.

The age factor. Scientists call age a key factor in the development of various types of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease. The condition usually affects the area of ​​the brain associated with learning, where difficulty with remembering new information first occurs.

However, although most Alzheimer's patients are 65 and older, they also there is a form of this disease with an earlier onset that affects people at a much younger age.

Different causes. If Alzheimer's, as already mentioned, is caused by the “stuck” of beta-amyloids and tau protein in the brain, the cause of dementia may be the deterioration of blood flow to the brain (for example, due to atherosclerosis), increased pressure in the brain or suffered a stroke. Diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol are also risk factors. In addition, vitamin deficiency and thyroid hormone imbalance increase the tendency to dementia.

Signs of dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Dementia: the most common signs include:

• inability to communicate with other people,
• difficulties remembering places, names, received information,
• inability to engage in everyday tasks,
• repetition of actions and words,
• forgetfulness.

Alzheimer's disease: its common symptoms are:

• decrease in communication (a person stops communicating even with loved ones),
• misunderstanding of visual forms of communication,
• confusion of consciousness,
• changes in mood and behavior,
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• neglect of hygiene,
• memory loss.

Dementia and its forms, including Alzheimer's disease, are progressive diseases: their characteristic symptoms worsen over time , becoming more and more difficult. As a prevention of dementia, it is important to maintain the physical activity of the body and mind with the help of exercises, yoga, meditation, as well as to be a socially active person – to maintain contact with family and friends.