A Closer Look at What Makes Dementia Types Different
There are different types of dementia.
Cancer is an umbrella term. Under the term cancer are several types of cancer, for example:
- pancreatic cancer
- lung cancer
- breast cancer
- skin cancer, and others.
Dementia is also an umbrella term. Under the term dementia are several types of dementia, for example:
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Lewy Body Dementia
- Frontotemporal Dementia
- Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, and others.
To see a more complete list of dementias and information about each one, click here.
Different types of dementia may start in different parts of the brain.
For example, Frontotemporal dementias typically begin in the front of the brain, the frontal lobe, and the part of the brain at your temples, the temporal lobe. These areas of the brain are important for functions such as social behavior, judgment, problem solving, sequencing, directing attention, and language.
In contrast, Alzheimer’s Disease more often begins in the temporal and parietal lobes which are important for visuospatial skills, memory, and language. Other dementias may affect functions on just one side of the brain at the start. Knowing what functions are affected, such as social behavior, memory, or language, and the order, first symptom, second symptom, is helpful in determining a diagnosis.
Different types of dementia progress (get worse) at different speeds.
A person may live 5-20 years with Alzheimer’s disease, 6-8 years with frontotemporal dementia, and only 1-2 years with a rapidly progressing dementia. These are just estimates, the actual number of years will vary across individuals and how advanced the dementia is at the time of diagnosis.
All dementias get worse over time and eventually the person with dementia will require help with bathing, toileting, feeding, oral care, grooming, and dressing, and 24-hour supervision for safety.
Lastly, sometimes it is the case that someone has more than one type of dementia.
Stages of Dementia
Dementia progresses through different stages
Pre-Clinical phase
No changes are evident. This is an area where exciting research is happening, trying to determine if dementia can be identified before it begins to exert noticeable effects.
Mild Cognitive Impairment
There is a change in one area of thinking and no change in the person’s ability to care for themselves or complete daily activities such as bathing, dressing, cooking, driving, or bill paying.
Some people with mild cognitive impairment will not progress any further, they do not have dementia. Others with mild cognitive impairment do have dementia and will go on to develop changes in additional areas of thinking and will begin to have trouble completing their usual activities of daily living.
Dementia
Progressive changes in memory, language, problem solving, visuospatial skills, and other thinking abilities. Increasing difficulty completing activities of daily living and eventually, self-care. Dementia may be categorized as mild, moderate, or severe.
- Mild Dementia
Early stages, mild cognitive (thinking) impairments, some mild changes in ability to complete activities of daily living, e.g., you give up trying to coordinate timing dishes for large dinner such as Thanksgiving, you may give up driving because you become confused a few times and are no longer comfortable driving or your visuospatial skills no longer allow you to drive asfely. If you are working, typically this is the time to discuss a retirement plan.
- Moderate Dementia
Mid stages, moderate cognitive impairments, more changes in ability to complete activities of daily living. This is when families may first face having to make a decision about a move into assisted living or a memory care unit. Six of ten patients with dementia will wander, and this represents a safety risk if 24-hour supervision is not available in the home. A person with dementia at this phase may have lost their ability to see their deficits and deny them, making safety even more difficult.
- Severe Dementia
End stages, severe cognitive impairments, fully dependent on others for care including toileting, bathing, and feeding. Although a person may not recognize you, they still benefit from hearing your voice, having their hand held, and gentle care through bathing, massage, or brushing their hair.