Dementia and Alzheimer's disease aren't the same thing. Here's why.
"While a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease or dementia understandably brings fear and uncertainty, we are living in a time of unprecedented knowledge and more comprehensive care for patients than ever before," says Dr. Nathaniel Chin, medical director and clinical core co-leader of the Wisconsin Alzheimer's Disease Research Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Here's what Alzheimer's disease is, what dementia is and how the two diagnoses differ.
What is Alzheimer's disease?
Alzheimer's disease is a progressive brain disorder that often begins years or even decades before symptoms appear. Eventually though, the abnormal biological processes occurring in the brain of someone with Alzheimer's will lead to the cognitive decline we associate with dementia, says Chin.
"Alzheimer's disease is defined by two key proteins called beta-amyloid and tau," he explains. "Each builds up in the brain and leads to the death of brain cells, called neurodegeneration." When brain cells die, he adds, they can no longer communicate, "which is when people develop symptoms."
Some of these symptoms include forgetfulness, difficulty finding words and struggles with reasoning, problem solving and judgment. 'Common signs include forgetting new information like recent conversations and having trouble coming up with common words and names,' says Jessica Caldwell, director of the Women's Alzheimer's Movement Prevention and Research Center at Cleveland Clinic.
While some of these symptoms may be mild at first, Alzheimer's continues to damage the brain, which usually leads to more severe cognitive and functional decline.
What is dementia?
While Alzheimer's is a specific disease and the most common cause of dementia, dementia is a broader, "umbrella term that describes a collection of cognitive, functional and behavioral symptoms that are caused by a variety of specific diseases, Alzheimer's being one of them," explains Courtney Kloske, PhD, director of scientific engagement for the Alzheimer's Association.
Other causes of dementia include vascular disease, frontotemporal degeneration, cerebrovascular disease, Parkinson's disease, Lewy body disease and even brain trauma. These different causes of dementia can present with varying symptoms and varying degrees of progression.
Whether it's Alzheimer's disease or another cause, the symptoms of dementia typically include "short-term memory loss, repeating questions, misplacing items and struggling with everyday activities like managing medications, cooking and using technology,' says Chin.
Eventually, dementia usually results in enough cognitive decline to "make it impossible for someone with it to function independently,' says Caldwell.
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What is the difference between dementia and Alzheimer's?
Because Alzheimer's is just one of several diseases that cause dementia, the key distinction lies in their scope. 'Alzheimer's disease is a specific condition resulting from an abnormal biological process," explains Chin, "while dementia is a clinical syndrome.'
One way to understand the difference: Dementia refers to the symptoms you see such as memory loss and confusion while Alzheimer's is causing those symptoms. 'Just like two people with cancer might have different types like skin cancer or breast cancer," says Caldwell, "two people with dementia might both have Alzheimer's, or one might have Alzheimer's while the other has a different condition entirely."
One reason the terms are often used interchangeably is because Alzheimer's is the most common and most heavily researched form of dementia. And new treatments aimed at slowing its progression often bring it into the spotlight, sometimes blurring the lines between the terms in everyday use.
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How are dementia and Alzheimer's disease treated?
There's no cure for dementia nor Alzheimer's disease, but treatments are improving, with early detection and new medications offering patients and their families more reasons to hope. 'Both Alzheimer's and dementia are progressive and incurable,' says Chin, 'but Alzheimer's disease can now be identified in people without symptoms, sometimes as early as 20 years in advance.' Early detection allows patients and their families more time to access treatments, make plans and reduce uncertainty.
Advancing treatments and new drugs are also helping. For example, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration has recently approved two new Alzheimer's medications: donanemab-azbt (brand name Kisunla), and lecanemab (brand name Leqembi). "These treatments have been shown to slow disease progression and reduce the rate of cognitive and functional decline," says Kloske.
Additional research is continuing, care strategies are evolving and more people are being diagnosed earlier and earlier. "Getting diagnosed early," Caldwell says, "is the best way to have a chance to treat the disease, receive support and have a better quality of life."
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