What is the difference between Alzheimer’s and Dementia?

Are Alzheimer’s and dementia the same thing?

There is a difference between Alzheimer’s and dementia, but they’re closely related.

Alzheimer’s disease is is a form of dementia. It’s the most common type and accounts for 60–80% of all dementia cases. However, not all dementia is caused by Alzheimer’s.

Dementia is an umbrella term for a collection of symptoms and isn’t a disease. It’s caused when the brain is damaged by diseases, like Alzheimer’s or small strokes. Aside from Alzheimer’s, there are 8 other types of dementia you might not have heard about.

The specific symptoms that someone with dementia experiences depends on the parts of the brain that are damaged and the disease that’s causing the dementia.

What is Alzheimer’s disease?

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive brain disease. It causes problems with cognitive functions like memory, judgement, decision-making, and behavior. Symptoms are unpredictable, but usually develop slowly and worsen over time.