Types Of Dementia Other Than Alzheimer’s

It is not yet clear what changes in the brain cause Alzheimer’s disease . Perhaps it is this lack of information that makes us associate different types of dementia with this disease in the wrong way.

If you want to discover what these types of dementia are and how to differentiate them from Alzheimer’s, we recommend reading this article. If you detect some of these symptoms in someone close to you, you may need to see a specialist.

Some facts about Alzheimer’s

We already know the first symptoms of Alzheimer’s and are none other than the difficulty to remember names and recent conversations. As the disease progresses, the signs of Alzheimer’s are also in progress.

In this way,  communication difficulties, changes in behavior and judgment and even complications to eat or to appear. to walk.

A person’s risk for Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia comes down to bad luck on the genetic side in most cases.

Alzheimer’s is not the only cause of dementia, but it is the most common. And this may be the reason why it is confused by almost everyone.

Types of dementia that are not Alzheimer’s

Now that you’ve discovered some facts about Alzheimer’s, it’s time not to confuse it with other types of dementia:

1. Vascular dementia

Vascular dementia is the  reduction of blood flow in the brain due to a blood clot or blockage of blood vessels.

Among the types of dementia, it can cause strokes. Its most characteristic consequence is the difficulty with planning and organization.

To help prevent it, start by taking care of the health of the heart . You should avoid any hardening or blockage of the blood vessels. This means keeping your cholesterol and blood pressure stable. In this way, you will also avoid having diabetes.

2. Lewy body dementia

Lewy bodies are made up of a protein called alpha-synuclein that gathers together in the cortex area of ​​the brain. This results in memory loss and difficulty thinking.

Among the types of dementia, this is the most similar to Alzheimer’s. Additionally, Lewy body dementia ranks second in number of cases.

Lewy bodies and Alzheimer’s differ in that the former involve sleep disturbances, hallucinations, and muscle stiffness. For all the above, the effects also resemble Parkinson’s disease.

When patients with dementia With Lewy bodies they go to a site, they could get lost because known places are no longer familiar.

This could happen, in more advanced cases, when looking for the bathroom and even when going to your own room.

Is it possible to prevent it?

Keep an active brain to help prevent this problem. You can also learn to speak a new language, learn about the history of other places, investigate new cultures …

High levels of education and practicing brain-stimulating hobbies may help prevent many of these symptoms.

3. Dementia caused by Parkinson’s disease

When the alpha-synuclein clumps we discussed earlier gather in a part of the brain called the substantial nigra, they eventually damage the nerve cells that produce dopamine.

It is then that specialists believe that problems begin to occur when performing movements, which is the characteristic of the disease of Parkinson’s .

It is also accompanied by tremors in the body and a slowing of movement.

The worrying thing about Parkinson’s is that a known cause that helps prevent it has not yet been determined. 

4. Frontotemporal dementia

When degeneration occurs in nerve cells, either in the frontal or temporal lobe of the brain, it is said that there is frontotemporal dementia. This can cause changes in the skills of the personality, behavior and in communication.

Those who suffer from this type of dementia are the kind of impulsive people who can go on to make large purchases without consulting their spouse, for example.

At the moment, drugs to control this disease are unknown. Therefore, it is important to adopt healthy lifestyles that reduce injuries and possible strokes.

5. Mixed dementia

As if that were not enough, apart from the types of dementia that we have mentioned, a person can also have a mixture of different changes in their brain at the same time.

This case is called mixed dementia. This is generally defined as the link between vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

In summary…

The best way to prevent these types of dementia is to maintain a brain active and avoid any risk factor, to the best of our ability. We already know that it sounds complicated, but it is possible.