April 1st Edition: Dementia Vs. Alzheimers & Chronic Stroke Disease

Dementia vs. Alzheimers- The Differences

By: Avantika Samanta

The tragedy of memory loss impacts 16 million people in the United States in the form of Dementia. These two terms are often seen when medical memory loss is discussed, but many don’t understand the difference between the two. Dementia is a term used to describe a group of symptoms affecting memory, thinking, and social species. It is not a specific disease, but many diseases can cause dementia. Alzheimers, on the other hand, is a disease; it’s a brain disorder that slowly destroys and individual’s thinking and memory skills. Each term is unique, and it is important to recognize the differences between them.

There are many causes of dementia, and although it generally involves memory loss, having memory loss alone does not mean that the individual suffers from dementia. It is caused by damage to, or loss of, nerve cells which connect to the brain. There are different types of dementias, one of them being progressive dementias. Alzheimers is one of them, but other progressive dementias include vascular dementia (caused by damage to vessels that supply blood to the brain), frontotemporal dementia (characterized by the breakdown of nerve cells in the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain), lewy body dementia (abnormal balloonlike clumps of protein that are found in the brain), and mixed dementia (patients who suffer from many of these progressive dementias). Some causes of dementia are reversible – brain tumors, infections, side effects to medication, and more. There are several risk factors for dementia including; diet, age, smoking, diabetes, depression, vitamin deficiencies, family history, down syndrome, etc. There are many temporary medications and therapies, but a cure has not yet been discovered. Doctors and researchers are working daily to find a cure, and there is surely hope for the future.

Alzheimer’s disease, on the other hand, is a specific type of dementia. It is currently the 7th leading cause of death in the United States, and the most common form of dementia in adults. Scientists still haven’t discovered the exact cause of Alzheimer’s, and although there is more to learn, they have uncovered great amounts of valuable information. When suffering with Alzheimer’s, the brain experiences many changes, which may not be visible even decades after symptoms have been shown. At the very early stages, abnormal buildup of proteins that form amyloid plaques and tau tangles occur, and previously healthy neurons lose function and connection with other neurons, causing them to die. These damages initially appear in the hippocampus and the entorhinal cortex, essential memory forming parts of the brain. As the brain continuously changes and more neurons die, it begins to shrink, and by the final stage, the brain tissue has shrunk significantly. Symptoms include; loss of memory, difficulties with movement, problems with the sense of smell, spatial issues, impaired judgements, etc. Causation factors may be genetic but scientists have yet to find a specific gene, but have discovered regions of interest along with the formation of a common protein, both which may lead to advancements for treatment in the future. Due to the complexity of the disease, it is unlikely that a singular medicine will be able to treat Alzheimers, but researchers are exploring many methods, and it is always possible.

Chronic stroke disease

By: MariaJose Flores

“Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States and Hawaii, and a leading cause of serious, long-term disability” (hawaii,gov). Strokes in the United States are more common than any other disease. They tend to happen every 40 seconds and one person dies from a stroke every 4 minutes. The age adjusted mortality rate for strokes has been decreasing but remains the third leading cause of death.

What is a stroke? A stroke occurs when flow of oxygen rich blood to a portion of the brain is blocked. Without oxygen brain cells start to die after a few minutes. There are two main types of strokes: ischemic and hemorrhagic. An ischemic stroke happens if the artery that supplies oxygen rich blood to the brain becomes blocked. A hemorrhagic stroke happens if an artery in the brain leaks blood or breaks. The pressure damages brain cells.

A similar condition? A similar condition to a stroke is a transient ischemic attack or mini stroke. The damage in the brain cells isn’t permanent, which increases the risk of an actual stroke. They require emergency care just like a normal stroke would.

Preventing a stroke is the main goal for anyone. You can achieve this by maintaining a healthy lifestyle: eat a healthy diet, maintain a healthy weight, be active, don’t smoke, and limit your alcohol use.

Work Cited:

Dementia vs. Alzheimers- The Differences

Alzheimer’s Association. (n.d.). Dementia vs. Alzheimer’s Disease: What is the Difference? Dementia vs. Alzheimer’s Disease: What is the Difference? | alz.org. Retrieved March 29, 2022, from https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/difference-between-dementia-and-alzheimer-s 

Mayo Clinic. (2021, June 17). Dementia. Dementia – Diagnosis and treatment – Mayo Clinic. Retrieved March 29, 2022, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/dementia/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20352019 

National Institute on Aging. (2021, July 8). Alzheimer’s Disease Fact Sheet. Alzheimer’s Disease Fact Sheet | National Institute on Aging. Retrieved March 29, 2022, from https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/alzheimers-disease-fact-sheet 

National Institute on Aging. (2021, July 8). What Is Alzheimer’s Disease? What Is Alzheimer’s Disease? | National Institute on Aging. Retrieved March 29, 2022, from https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/what-alzheimers-disease 

Chronic stroke disease