Dementia is, by definition, a decline in a person’s mental ability that can lead to interference with daily life. Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of dementia. Alzheimer’s is a specific disease, dementia is not. Many different types of dementia exist, and many conditions cause it. As a result, each patient’s case is as individual as their treatment.
It should be noted that in 2018, 5.7 million Americans were living with Alzheimer’s disease, and by 2025 it will approach 7.1 million. In West Virginia, 38,000 people were known to have Alzheimer’s in 2019. Nearly 50,000 West Virginians are expected to have Alzheimer’s by 2025. Not only will this significantly impact patients but their families and caregivers as well. However, these numbers only tell part of the story.
Other types of dementia include:
- Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease
- Down Syndrome
- Frontotemporal Dementia
- Huntington’s Disease
- Korsakoff Syndrome
- Lewy Body Dementia
- Mixed Dementia
- Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus
- Parkinson’s Disease
- Posterior Cortical Atrophy
- Parkinson’s Disease
- Vascular Dementia
To learn more about the different types of dementia and for additional resources, please visit the Alzheimer’s Association website.