Explore the different types of dementia, including Alzheimer's, Lewy body dementia, mixed dementia, and others, and how they affect the brain.
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.
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