What are the different types of progressive dementia?
This is the most common form of dementia. In this type of dementia, different parts of the brain deteriorate causing a progressive decline in memory and mental abilities. Almost half of people over the age of 85 suffer from Alzheimer’s disease, but only about 5% between the ages of 65 and 75. People with Alzheimer’s tend to have memory loss, they may forget conversations or forget people’s names; they may become disoriented easily; lose their judgment; have problems with abstract thinking; have difficulty performing tasks that were familiar to them; and/or have changes in mood/personality. No one knows what causes Alzheimer’s, but we do know that there are two types of cell damage common in Alzheimer’s. Persons with Alzheimer’s typically have either plaques or tangles, which form in their brain tissue. Two different forms of proteins that normally help the brain cause plaques and tangles, but when they accumulate at abnormal levels, problems occur and Alzheimer’s disease is the result.
