Alzheimer's vs. Dementia: Understanding the Key Differences

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia. Dementia is not a specific disease, and it can be cause by various factors.

Definition

• Dementia is a term used to describe a group of symptoms caused by brain disorders or injury. Alzheimer's disease is a specific disease, which generally afflicts those over the age of 60 and causes dementia.

Symptoms

• Dementia refers to a decline in mental function such as cognition, memory, reasoning and language capability. Symptoms of Alzheimer's disease include altered personality and behavior, mood disturbances and difficulty performing daily tasks.

Cause

• According to the NIH, the cause of Alzheimer's is unclear, but it is likely to be caused by a combination of such factors as genetics, environment, brain chemistry, and diet. Dementia is caused by the destruction of brain cells due to brain damage or other specific disorders.

Treatment

• The cause of dementia determines how it is treated. Alzheimer's disease has no cure, but symptoms may be treated by medications including Aricept, Exelon, and Razadyne.

Types

• Dementia is typified by its cause. Other than Alzheimer's disease, dementia can be caused by Parkinson's disease, brain tumors, strokes, and protein deposits, known as Lewy bodies, in brain cells.