1.1.3 Types of Dementia

Dementia is a disease that develops as a result of progressive and permanent loss of neurons and brain function resulting from neurodegenerative illnesses. These illnesses are currently incurable.

The primary types of dementia are:

• Alzheimer’s – The most typical dementia diagnosis in older persons is Alzheimer’s disease. It is brought on by alterations in the brain, such as aberrant protein accumulations called tau plaques and amyloid tangles.
• Lewy Body dementia – Lewy bodies, an aberrant buildup of the protein alphasynuclein, cause Lewy body dementia.
• Mixed Dementia – Dementia caused by a wide range of conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, and Lewy body dementia, was found in the brains of adults 80 and older who underwent autopsy investigations. Research is still being done to determine how mixed dementia impacts symptoms and therapies.