How to Distinguish Alzheimers Dementia

Alzheimers and dementia are not the same thing, but they are very closely related. Most distinction can be observed in the early stages. For instance, in the early stages of Lewy Body Dementia, signs of Alzheimers forgetfulness are not as prevalent as a suddenly diminished attention span, recurrent hallucinations and alarming bouts of lucidity followed by confusion. However, as the dementia progresses, it's almost indistinguishable from Alzheimers Dementia.

Alzheimers Dementia is characterized by increasing and persistent forgetfulness. Alzheimers patients routinely forget names of loved ones, appointments, words to express themselves, or even entire events. Balancing the checkbook or cooking a meal suddenly becomes overwhelming. Emotional mood swings are common, as the Alzheimers patient struggles to deal with confusing emotions and frustration. Unfortunately, the causes of Alzheimers are not widely understood, although visible brain effects include tau protein tangles and beta-amyloid protein plaques. Inflammation and brain cell death are also triggered in the Alzheimers brain. The average person lives with Alzheimers Dementia for eight years before dying, so it's important than caregivers and patients seek counsel on coping skills.

Alzheimer's & Dementia by Jennifer Hay (1996)
US $0.99 (0 Bid)
End Date: Friday Dec-05-2008 17:56:06 PST
Bid now | Add to watch list
DEMENTIA with LEWY BODIES Sourcebook Alzheimer's
US $9.99 (0 Bid)
End Date: Sunday Dec-07-2008 17:24:01 PST
Bid now | Add to watch list
The Memory Cure - Alzheimer's / Dementia by Fotuhi
US $9.50
End Date: Monday Dec-08-2008 19:20:51 PST
Buy It Now for only: US $9.50
Buy it now | Add to watch list

Lewy Body Dementia is characterized by the loss of ability to reason, think and remember. Like Alzheimers Dementia, it causes Alzheimers symptoms like confusion, memory loss, decreased awareness, delusions and depression; and like Parkinson's, it causes physical disturbances like tremors and rigidity. Some people with Lewy Body Dementia even suffer hallucinations. The causes aren't known but researchers feel it's somehow linked to Alzheimers and Parkinson's and they've noticed a common protein in patients that may be the key to preventative measures.

In some cases, dementia appears as a symptom of another serious disease. For instance, Huntington's disease patients often suffer the personality changes and motor impairments most commonly associated with progressive Alzheimers Dementia. Similarly, Parkinson's disease can cause shaking, speech impairment and cognitive confusion similar to Alzheimers patients. AIDS and the rare Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease may all result in dementia.