Dementia vs. Alzheimer's Disease: How to Know the Difference

It’s easy to confuse dementia and Alzheimer's diseases because their symptoms are so similar. In fact, Alzheimer’s is a form of dementia. Dementia is a rather broad term that encompasses several diseases, the most common being Alzheimer’s.

Similar Symptoms

When looking at dementia vs. Alzheimer's disease, while the symptoms are similar, the causes are different. Dementia is a collection of symptoms which all affect an individual’s ability to think and carry out their daily routines. Some signs of dementia are:

• Difficulty in making plans


• Forgetfulness


• Problems with language


• Increasing anxiety


• Becoming disoriented

These symptoms are present in Alzheimer’s as well. What has to be examined is the cause behind dementia vs Alzheimer’s. The symptoms can be caused by Alzheimer’s and they can also develop if a person has vascular dementia (the most common form of dementia after Alzheimer’s). Those with Parkinson’s disease and Huntington’s disease also exhibit similar symptoms. Even people with substance abuse problems or a vitamin deficiency can show these symptoms.

Alzheimer’s Is Unique

Alzheimer's disease makes up approximately 60 percent of all dementia cases. While many elderly people can suffer from mild dementia, with Alzheimer’s the dementia continues to progress until the person suffering from it can no longer care for them self at all. In the later stages, there can be drastic personality changes and a tendency to wander off if not closely monitored.

When considering the differences between dementia vs. Alzheimer's, one type of dementia that accounts for twenty to thirty percent of all dementia cases is Lewy body dementia. Scientists have developed advanced brain imaging techniques that make it easier to tell the differences between this kind of dementia vs. Alzheimer’s disease.

Lewy Body Dementia

People with Parkinson’s disease often have Lewy body dementia, which is characterized by groups of proteins in the brain. These groups tend to be found near the area of the brain that controls muscle function, but they also show up in the brain’s cortex, where thought processing takes place.

This kind of dementia is commonly confused with Alzheimer’s because people with it experience fluctuating lapses in thinking and concentration. The individual seems to just zone out.

However, researchers now believe that by looking at specific aspects of these episodes they can tell the difference between Lewy body dementia vs. Alzheimer’s.

Those with this type of dementia showed a great deal of daytime drowsiness, taking naps lasting two hours or longer. They also stared vacantly into space for long periods of time, and often spoke in ways that made no sense. These symptoms are not usually present in those with Alzheimer’s.

With identifying dementia vs Alzheimers disease, one thing is true for both. The earlier a proper diagnosis is made, the better the treatment options.