(Based on author's site http://www.geocities.com/alzdem)



Alzheimer's disease is often confused with dementia ~almost identical in effect each are caused differently -symptoms of each differ (yet are misleadingly same or similar to those of other health problems)...

This seeks to explain the difference between Alzheimer's disease and dementia for coping with both better ~with often omitted academic but useful knowledge in layman's terms on Alzheimer's disease and dementia -also some helpful diet and memory stimulating reality-orientation suggestions from various sources on the subject, including exercise for the main side effects of both Dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

Dementias differing on the onset and in progression, not in effect, the essential professional medical consultation involves the elimination of all other possible causes ~because the same effects are caused by and can be due to many other health problems -such as: controllable chemical deficiency e.g. Parkinson's disease; usually treatable severe depression; sometimes curable brain-tumours, strokes or head injuries; completely curable thyroid gland or vitamin deficiency, most infections of the body e.g. kidney infection or pneumonia (and indeed in the older person the effects of sleeping-pills or drugs taken in combination, distressing change or loss in relationships, even changes in usual habits or environment)...

'Dementia' means in Latin 'out of the mind' and was used to be the name given to any and every thing which involved deteriorated mental functions of which the cause of was not know ~indeed the name for schizophrenia (known popularly as 'split personality') of which the sufferers were noticed to be mostly not the elderly at one time was 'dementia praecox' the latter word meaning early or youthful -as in time in many kinds dementia differences came to be noticed as having also to do with or affecting also the biochemical functioning of the nervous system and sometimes the structure of the brain the word 'dementia' has come to refer only to such cases of mainly mental failures where previously the brain was well-formed and faculties were well-functioning (as distinct from by birth, due mostly to oxygen deficiency at the time of birth caused, intellectual inability called 'amentia').

Dementia is, nowadays, the name used for the condition that results to such an exceptional extent in the hardening and thickening and the loss of the elasticity of the blood vessels resulting in inadequate oxygen supply in the blood sometimes also to the brain by the arteries by old age (as a result of cholesterol and saturated fats deposited in them due to neglect in diet and cleansing by proper inhalation and exhalation and exercise) as to, as in the case of only some 10% of those above 70-80 years of age, so abnormally cause cell-death in parts of the brain as results to such an extent of the nervous system's loss of control of one's functions, more so mental, that necessitates medical treatment and aiding by reality-orientation including as to time and space and other persons as well as oneself -mostly manifesting as loss of (first short-term) memory and concentration.

Multi Infarct Dementia, also called 'senile dementia' or 'arterio-sclerotic dementia' or 'vascular dementia', is what is coming increasingly to be meant by the term 'dementia' ~among persons mostly over the age of 75 and exceptionally with such extreme and widespread loss of nerve cells and brain-tissue loss it occurs that it causes deterioration in mental functions affecting mostly memory but sometimes also e.g. judgement and language -it arises from a vascular condition (abnormally high blood pressure ['hypertension'] or some other condition relating to blood vessels ~multiple-sclerosis or e.g. Parkinson's disease or Huntington's chorea may also lead to it) which may be sudden at the onset and with mini strokes destroys small portions of the brain, although for periods of time it may not get worse and even may misleadingly appear to improve; but, as the second most common type of dementia, if the condition is treated it can slow down, even be prevented.

Alzheimer's Disease (the name refers to its discoverer) is a dementia also called 'Alzheimer's sclerosis' (meaning hardening of biological tissue -mostly arteries and nerves) discovered to involve the tangling of tiny threads ('neurofibril' -where molecules of protein 'tau' if incorrectly processed clump together) that run through nerve fibres serving as neural conductors with abnormal concentrations accumulated in them of aluminium, deficiency at neurotransmitter level of an important chemical compound ('acetylcholine') which certain nerve endings release to help transmit electrical impulses, and deteriorated neural matter ('neurotic plaques') around deposits of a kind of protein ('amyloidB') ~atrophy of the brain, the shrinkage, being coupled and probably caused by the hardening of the cover of it as a result, at ages often 40-60 (for which reason it was also called 'pre-senile dementia' or 'pre-senile sclerosis' ~'senile' pertaining to old age when dementia exceptionally occurs), of loss of brain tissue (which unlike the fallacy has nothing to do with under or over use of the brain) -'Pick's disease' being the form of it (otherwise known as 'Pick's convolutional atrophy' where the shrinkage is of the cortex of the brain, in these cases also sometimes with hallucinatory effects and in women sometimes some emotional instability [although science is uncertain if atrophy is not cause but effect]).

This type is some 50% of dementia suffered ~on the outset it is gradual and irreversible brain-cell loss, slow but regular with increasing irritability-anxiety-anger-depression, and in advanced stages unresponsiveness and loss of control of bodily functions as well as immobility leading typically between 5-10 years sometimes 2-20 years later to death -but science is discovering that only in 10% of the cases it is happening before the age 60 where some inherent genetic mutation may be involved (in chromosomes 1 and 14 mostly, and also chromosome 21 [this only to the extent that it causes increased production or depositing of 'amyloidB' forming the core of 'neurotic plaques']) and even then not always on the early onset (as in the case of a defective chromosome 19 [responsible for 'apoliproteinE' used in cholesterol transport]) and 90% of this is after 65 years of age (and that sometimes a drug ['tacrine'] has slowed progression).

Coping with any dementia, including multi infarct dementia, Alzheimer's Disease, without professional medical consultation is not possible and should never be attempted (because dementias differently develop among sufferers) -nor should any drugs be used without professional medical advice (because even 'tacrine' is not in all cases effective, and in some sufferers become toxic to the liver) ~the following are generally agreed by to be helpful in coping with Alzheimer's Disease...

Senses of touch-hearing-sight of the Alzheimer's Disease sufferers deteriorate (sensory impulses are transmitted by nerve tissue [optic thalamus] to sensory areas on sides of the brain); better lighting, definite touches, clearer speech, help much in caring in Alzheimer's Disease...

Perception decrease is common in Alzheimer's Disease (the frontal lobe of the brain controls perception) ~avoid reflective surfaces, shadows (draw curtains at night), confusion (use 24 hour clocks -or marked 'am/pm') for the sufferers of Alzheimer's Disease...

Behavior may change in Alzheimer's Disease (the above may cause dissociative reaction) with wandering at night ~keep busy during day to reasonably tire by night -have a name bracelet and a name and address card in a pocket...

Memory is most affected in Alzheimer's Disease ~first short term memory ('the law of recency' [last learned best remembered] ceases to apply), then long term -but it helps to know and bear in mind that the ability to learn/re-learn continues and reality orientation (a therapy to keep in touch with time-space-people) is simply to often ask and get to say what is doing, how, why, where, what next ('the law of exercise' -repetition aids memory), and to do so nicely ('the law of effect' -stimuli response connection is stronger when consequences are pleasant), and family albums and photographs help greatly in Alzheimer's Disease .

Exercise by swimming, gardening, dancing, walking/strolling (physical functions controlled by the brain [e.g. complex voluntary movements by the frontal lobe] become affected) -and the bladder can be trained. Exercise helps in Alzheimer's disease.

Diet for Alzheimer's Disease should include vitaminB: yeast, peas, fish (lack of it aggravates possible hallucinations), to prevent constipation and de-hydration plenty of water (less salt retains body fluids) and lettuce (a smooth roughage)~also tea and especially coffe in the case of women (more so if 80 or over) has been discovered to help (this is not so for men because of different male and female metabolisms) -caffeine may affect blood-pressure and moderation is suggessted.

Few psychologist considered dementias mental conflicts -now medicine on evidence of biochemical changes consider them an organic syndrome, including Alzheimer's disease.

One must, in case of concern, consult medically.

The author has a website at: http://www.geocities.com/eoa_uk