Learn more about the most common types of dementia from BrightStar Care. For more information on BrightStar Care's person-centered approach to Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care, please visit http://www.brightstarcare.com/alzheimers-dementia-care.

1. The Three Most Common
Types Of Dementia

2. It’s not uncommon to hear the terms “dementia” and
“Alzheimer’s disease” used interchangeably, but the two are quite
different. Dementia is a general term for a severe loss of memory
and other cognitive capacities caused by physical changes in the
brain. Alzheimer’s disease is just one of several types of dementia.

3. In keeping with Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, we’ve provided
snapshots of three of the most common dementia types below.
Note that while some cognitive impairment is normal with
advancing age, in the case of dementia, symptoms are usually
severe enough to interfere with everyday activities.

4. Alzheimer’s Disease
Accounting for 60 to 80 percent of cases, Alzheimer’s disease is
the most common type of dementia. It arises when plaques and
bundles of proteins build up between nerve cells in the brain,
causing atrophy and, ultimately, brain cell death.
While Alzheimer’s begins well before the first symptoms register,
the earliest detectable signs include trouble with memory, such
as struggling to remember names and conversations, apathy, and
depression. As the disease progresses, more severe symptoms—
including impaired communication, poor judgment, and
disorientation—emerge.

5. Vascular Dementia
Vascular dementia accounts for roughly 10 percent of dementia
cases. Befitting its name, vascular dementia is associated with
damaged and blocked blood vessels in the brain. This leads to
decreased blood flow to areas of the brain and, as a result, dead
tissue. The severity of a case will depend on the location,
number, and size of the damage or blockages.
Unlike Alzheimer’s, where memory loss typically emerges first,
with vascular dementia, the earliest symptoms tend to include
impaired judgment or ability to make decisions, plan, or
organize.

6. Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB)
One of the most common types of dementia after Alzheimer’s
and vascular dementia, DLB results when abnormal clumps of
protein (called Lewy bodies) develop around the cortex. Like
Alzheimer’s patients, people with DLB often experience memory
loss and cognitive issues. However, they are more likely to suffer
initial symptoms such as sleep disturbances, visual
hallucinations, and imbalanced gait, similar to those with
Parkinson’s.

7. In Brief: Less Common Types of Dementia
• Mixed dementia arises when two or three forms of dementia
occur at once.
• Motor difficulties are one of the signature symptoms
of Parkinson’s disease, which otherwise manifests similarly to
DLB.

8. • There are several subtypes of frontotemporal dementia,
which leads to language difficulties and changes in personality
and behavior.
• Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, a.k.a. “mad cow disease,” is a
rapidly fatal disorder that triggers changes in behavior,
memory, and coordination.
• Caused by excess fluid in the brain, normal pressure
hydrocephalus results in impaired memory, difficulty walking,
and incontinence. It can sometimes be treated with the
draining of fluid.

9. • Huntington’s disease is a progressive brain disorder caused by
a chromosomal defect. Its symptoms include abnormal
involuntary movements, a severe decline in thinking, and
mood disturbances.
• Commonly associated with alcohol misuse, Wernicke-
Korsakoff Syndrome is a chronic memory disorder.

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