Alzheimer’s Research UK describes dementia as ‘a group of symptoms that occur when brain cells stop working properly.’
Because of this broad definition, dementia can undertake many different forms. Current research has discovered the condition has over 100 manifestations, all of which are progessive.
Despite how vast the condition can be, some forms are a lot more common than others.
Here, NR Times takes a look at the symptoms and causes of the most frequent types of dementia.
Alzheimer’s
As the most well-known form, Alzheimer’s disease is also the most common type of dementia, making anywhere up to 80 percent cases in the UK.
The condition usually begins to take shape when the neurotransmitters that move information around the brain are damaged, eventually causing them to die.
With Alzheimer’s, this damage normally starts in the region of the brian that controls memory, which is why memory loss is normally the first notable symptom of the condition.
However this damage to neurons normally occurs years before any noticeable symptoms start.
Researchers believe the cause of this damage can be traced to two abnormal proteins called plaques and tangles.
The risk factors behind developing Alzheimer’s are normally uncontrollable, with a person’s age most likely to be the largest influence.
However, healthy individuals are at a much lower risk of developing the disease.
A person’s family history and genetics can also play a part, and some studies have shown consistent social interaction can reduce the chance of Alzheimer’s progressing.
Vascular dementia
Although this is not the most common form, there are still around 150,000 cases of vascular dementia in the UK.
The main difference with vascular dementia is that it takes place after narrowing arteries and reduces the amount of blood travelling to the brain, thus lowering its oxygen supply.
In many cases, the development of this is linked to underlying health conditions like high blood pressure.
However it can also occur after a large stroke or number of ‘mini strokes’ (known as transient ischaemic attacks) which reduce blood-flow to the brain.
Mixed dementia
When more than one form of dementia develops in the brain, this is known as mixed dementia.
Vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s are the two most common types which can lead to this.
Researchers are unsure how many people have mixed dementia, but autopsies have shown that it may be a lot more common than first thought.
[activecampaign form=35]Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB)
This is another type which shares a lot of the common symptoms of Alzheimer’s, but muscle stiffness, tremors, unsteadiness can also take place.
The main distinction with DLB is the appearance of an abnormal protein which appears in the areas of the brain that are responsible for things like movement and perception.
These proteins are known as Lewy bodies and are also found in Parkinson’s patients.
They restrict the passage of information in neurons, but scientists are still unsure as to exactly why they appear.
Frontotemporal dementia (FTD)
FTD is also caused by the build up of proteins inside the brain’s cells, this time in the front and side regions of the brain.
Depending on which areas of the brain are affected influences what symptoms will occur. It most often disrupts a person’s behaviour or language.
Again, it is unknown why these proteins begin to build up, but researchers suggest genetics can play a role, with around one in eight FTD patients having a history of the condition in their family.
The early stages of this type of dementia is what separates it from Alzheimer’s, but once symptoms fully develop it can be difficult to distinguish.
