Types of Dementia

Types of Dementia

Alzheimer’s Disease

  • Most common type of dementia.
  • Characterised by a gradual degeneration of brain cells, which begin in the hippocampus, a region responsible for memory.
  • Symptoms progress slowly and include memory loss, confusion, mood swings, difficulty with spatial awareness and language problems.

Vascular Dementia

  • Caused by reduced blood supply to the brain, often due to a stroke or transient ischaemic attack (TIA).
  • Can develop suddenly or more gradually.
  • Symptoms include problems with speed of thinking, attention, memory loss, mood changes, and physical weakness or paralysis.

Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB)

  • Third most common type of dementia.
  • Involves tiny abnormal protein deposits (Lewy bodies) developing in brain cells.
  • DLB often causes problems with attention, alertness and vision.
  • Patients may also experience movement problems similar to those in Parkinson’s disease such as slowed movement and tremors.

Frontotemporal Dementia

  • Includes several types of dementia affecting the front and sides of the brain (areas responsible for personality, behaviour and language).
  • Usually diagnosed at a younger age (45-65 years).
  • Symptoms include changes in personality and behaviour, language problems, and problems with mental abilities.

Mixed Dementia

  • Describes a condition where a person has more than one type of dementia at the same time, often Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia.
  • Symptoms may be a mix of the symptoms of the specific types of dementia the person has.

Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI)

  • A condition that can be a precursor to dementia, but not everyone with MCI will develop dementia.
  • Characterised by slight but noticeable changes in cognitive abilities, including memory and thinking skills.
  • MCI patients have an increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease or another type of dementia.

Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD)

  • A rare and fatal condition that affects the brain.
  • It causes rapidly progressive dementia along with neurological symptoms such as muscle stiffness, twitching, weakness, and changes in personality and behavior.

Note: For each type of dementia, understand the typical progression, symptoms and key characteristics.