There are over 200 types of Dementia that we know about! This is a staggering number and so we don’t intend to go through each and every one of them here but we will take you through some of the most common types of Dementia.
It is important to remember that everyone’s Dementia journey will be different…even if they have the same ‘type’ of Dementia. So many factors can affect and influence a person’s journey.
Here we hope to give a better understanding of some of the most common types of Dementia.
Dementia is often considered a disease although this is not correct; Dementia is a condition that affects the mind and impacts on an individual’s behaviour, thought process, feelings, decision making ability, their ability to make judgements and their speech. Dementia is a term used to describe the symptoms caused by a range of different diseases that affect the brain. ⠀
Dementia is an umbrella term that includes many different diseases, the most common being Alzheimer’s, Vascular Dementia, Dementia with Lewy Bodies, Frontotemporal Dementia & Mixed Dementia. ⠀
Dementia is often associated with an individual’s lack of ability to recall information or a notable decline in their memory, so much so that they have difficulty in performing daily tasks and carrying out day-to-day activities.⠀
It is a common misconception that Dementia only affects the elderly however, research is evidencing Dementia in younger people although over 65’s still make up the large proportion of the population affected by the condition.
Alzheimer’s
The most common cause of Dementia is Alzheimer’s disease which is caused by a loss of brain cells.
People living with Alzheimer’s disease will usually suffer with some form of memory loss. Alzheimer’s disease can cause problems in completing daily activities especially if any sort of organisation or planning is required, such as going out for grocery shopping. Alzheimer’s disease can also cause difficulties when handling money or understanding and dealing with numbers and calculations.
Those with Alzheimer’s disease may become upset or agitated in unfamiliar environments as this can cause confusion for them and this can cause them to become very withdrawn and lonely.
Vascular Dementia
Vascular Dementia is the second most common cause of dementia with 17% of those living with dementia having Vascular Dementia.
The symptoms displayed by those living with Vascular Dementia are often similar to the symptoms displayed by those with Alzheimer’s disease. However, memory loss is not as evident in those with Vascular Dementia, especially at the early stages.
Vascular Dementia usually, although not always, develops gradually and so the symptoms may gradually get worse over time and become more apparent, or the symptoms may increase as the Vascular Dementia sets in over a longer period.
Vascular Dementia has a physical impact on the individual living the condition and they will experience weakness within the muscles and possibly even temporary paralysis, much like with a stroke. The individual may also have difficulty in walking or moving around compared to how they were able to previously.
Those suffering with Vascular Dementia often display difficulties in keeping their attention on an activity and are unable to carry out tasks that require planning or reasoning as these are all skills that are affected by Vascular Dementia.
Individuals living with Vascular dementia may also display noticeable differences in their mood and may well become a lot more emotional than they were previously and even show symptoms of depression.
Dementia with Lewy Bodies
Lewy Bodies (clumps of protein) developing within the brain cells is another common cause of Dementia.
Lewy Bodies damage the brain cells and the way in which the brain cells work and communicate with one another, eventually causing the brain cell to die.
Lewy Bodies accounts for the cause of 4% of those living with Dementia. Notably, Dementia with Lewy Bodies is what famous actor, Robin Williams, suffered with before his passing.
Frontotemporal Dementia
Frontotemporal Dementia occurs when the nerve cells in the frontal lobes of the brain are damaged or die and this causes the messages and links being sent between the brain cells to fail.
The frontal lobes control an individual’s behaviour, speech and emotions as well as their ability to problem-solve and plan. The temporal lobes are found on both the left and right side of the brain and deal with the meaning of words, names of objects, facial recognition and the familiarity of objects.
Frontotemporal Dementia can cause a change in personality or behaviour and the individual may also display difficulties with speech and language.
Mixed Dementia
Mixed Dementia is the term used to describe circumstances where more than one type of Dementia is prevalent (thus, Mixed Dementia).
The most common type of Mixed Dementia is when both Alzheimer’s and Vascular Dementia are present. Although, another common combination is Alzheimer’s and Dementia with Lewy Bodies.
The symptoms caused by Mixed Dementia will not only depend on the individual but also on the combination of the types of Dementia, however it is common for one type of Dementia to be more evident and be the predominant type.