Do You Know the 4 Most Common Types of Dementia?

Have you ever forgotten where you put your keys, why you walked into another room, or what you needed at the grocery store? There’s no question that having memory problems can be a big concern for many people, especially as they get older. Occasionally misplacing something or momentary forgetfulness does not necessarily mean you’re going to get dementia. However, having regular problems with your memory is not normal at any stage in life—even for senior citizens. Having regular problems with your memory is not normal at any stage in life—even for senior citizens.

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The 4 Most Common Types of Dementia

Although our brains change and tend to shrink a little with advancing age, having dementia is much more than losing your memory. The term itself refers to a category of neurodegenerative diseases that gradually diminish the brain’s ability to function. And while these conditions have some overlapping symptoms, the various dementing conditions generally attack different areas of the brain. These are the 4 most frequently diagnosed types of dementia:

1. Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is the most common type, affecting between 60% to 80% of dementia cases. It is caused by a build-up of beta-amyloid plaques between brain cells and abnormal tangles of tau protein inside the cells. This disease tends to target 3 particular areas in the brain:

• Temporal lobes (memory, learning, and emotional regulation)
• Parietal lobes (sensory processing and orientation to time and place)
• Posterior cingulate (plays a role in cognition and mood)

In addition to memory problems, some of the earlier signs of AD include:

• Getting lost in previously familiar places, such as not being able to find your way home
• Becoming easily confused
• Difficulty constructing things, like a fisherman no longer being able to attach a lure

2. Vascular Dementia is the second most common type and is caused by blood vessel changes or from either a large stroke or multiple small ones. These cause damage by interfering with healthy blood flow to brain cells. Depending on which areas of the brain have blood vessel problems, the symptoms of vascular dementia can vary, but some of the more common ones are:

• Memory issues
• Being mentally disorganized and/or confused
• Feeling agitated or restless

3. Lewy Body Dementia (LBD), which is the 3rd most common dementing illness, is associated with Parkinson’s disease. It is caused by the build-up of proteins, called Lewy bodies, in brain cells. It often starts with damage to the occipital lobe, which is in the back of the brain and is involved with vision processing. LBD leads to distressing visual hallucinations. The beloved actor and comedian, Robin Williams, suffered from this condition.

Other common symptoms of LBD include:

• Cognitive problems, like memory and attentional issues and confusion
• Sleep difficulties from verbally and physically acting out dreams
• Parkinsonian symptoms, such as tremors, rigid muscles, or shuffling

4. Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) affects approximately 5% of dementia cases. As the name implies, it attacks the temporal lobes where memories are stored and the frontal lobes which are critical for all of our cognitive abilities, including reasoning and judgment, as well as empathy and impulse control.

In addition to problems with those functions, early in the progression of FTD, a person may exhibit:

• Personality changes, such as becoming uncharacteristically depressed or apathetic
• Obsessive behaviors, like shoplifting or collecting certain things
• Lack of inhibition, including swearing, saying inappropriate things, or indecent exposure

Regardless of which condition is diagnosed, finding out that a parent, sibling, friend, or spouse has dementia can be utterly devastating.

The Importance of Brain SPECT Imaging for Memory Problems

All too often, the early signs of dementia might be overlooked—even normalized—so there may not be a red flag until it’s too late to do much about it. However, like other diseases, the earlier a person is diagnosed with memory problems and follows a comprehensive treatment plan, the better the chances are for a more favorable outcome. Did you know that dementia processes start developing in the brain decades before the onset of observable symptoms? This is one of the important reasons the doctors at Amen Clinics use brain SPECT imaging as part of a patient’s full evaluation. SPECT, which stands for single-photon emission computed tomography, is a functional scan that assesses blood flow patterns. It identifies areas of the brain that have:

• Healthy blood flow
• Low blood flow or too little activity
• High blood flow or too much activity

The various dementing diseases are generally associated with areas of low blood flow. SPECT scans can show the pattern of each type of dementia, which is necessary for providing a correct diagnosis, especially because there are overlapping symptoms, such as memory problems. SPECT can also confirm a suspected diagnosis or identify if a person’s cognitive changes are not dementia at all but are caused by a potentially reversible condition such as an infection, toxic exposure, head trauma, or depression. Furthermore, SPECT can identify the pattern of dementia many years before the onset of symptoms, which is another and very important reason that early detection and treatment are so critical. While it may be scary to hear about the possibility that you—or someone you love—could be vulnerable to developing dementia, knowledge is power. You can use that information to your advantage by making healthy lifestyle changes that could potentially alter the course of a devastating disease. The Memory Rescue Program at Amen Clinics was designed to give you a better brain. It provides guidance and the steps needed to get your brain health back under control so you can live a long and fulfilling life for the years to come. If you are concerned about memory problems—or have a loved one who is—it’s vital to get assessed and treated as soon as possible. At Amen Clinics, we’re here for you. We offer in-clinic brain scanning and appointments, as well as mental telehealth, remote clinical evaluations, and video therapy for adults, children, and couples. Find out more by speaking to a specialist today at 888-288-9834 or visit our contact page here.