Causes of Dementia
Learn about the various causes of dementia, including brain cell death, vascular dementia, injury, prion diseases, HIV, and reversible factors.
Types of Dementia
Dementia encompasses several distinct types, including:
- Alzheimer's Disease: Characterized by protein abnormalities that form "plaques" between dying brain cells and "tangles" within the cells, causing brain tissue to shrink over time.
- Dementia with Lewy Bodies: Involves abnormal structures in the brain called Lewy bodies, linked to the protein alpha-synuclein.
- Mixed Dementia: Involves two or more types of dementia, such as Alzheimer's and vascular dementia.
- Parkinson's Disease: Primarily recognized for movement disorders but can also cause dementia symptoms due to Lewy bodies.
- Huntington's Disease: Known for uncontrolled movements but includes dementia symptoms as well.
Other dementia-related disorders include:
- Frontotemporal Dementia (Pick's Disease): Affects the frontal and temporal lobes, causing changes in personality and behavior.
- Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus: Accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain, leading to dementia-like symptoms.
- Posterior Cortical Atrophy: Resembles Alzheimer's but affects a different part of the brain, causing visual and spatial impairments.
To find out more about our Dementia Care, click here.
