The “A” word is one we’d rather not hear.
It makes us imagine the worst. People losing their ability to think and act. Minds slipping away as family members and friends become distant strangers – an unstoppable progression to the bitter end.
But there’s more. While Alzheimer’s risk is nearly twice as high in Black people as it is in white people, not all neurodegenerative conditions fall into this category. In fact, many cognitive and neurological problems have symptoms similar to Alzheimer’s.
Not sure what to make of a certain condition or disease? Let’s cover the five conditions that get confused with Alzheimer’s and how you can get the correct diagnosis.
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First Off, What Makes Alzheimer’s Alzheimer’s?
In most cases, the first symptom to appear is memory loss, especially when it comes to remembering things that happened recently. As time goes on, sufferers may become confused and disoriented and show significant changes in how they act. In other words, new personalities and behaviors.
When it comes to physical signs of the disease, Alzheimer’s presents with what are called amyloid plaques and ‘tangles’ inside the brain. As a result of this plaque buildup, the neurons actually die, leading to loss of brain function.
MRI scans are usually used to detect Alzheimer’s and will show abnormalities in the hippocampus, a brain region responsible for learning and memory. In terms of testing for cognitive function, assessments like the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) can also help diagnose the condition.
Now let’s get into the other five conditions similar to Alzheimer’s…
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1. Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD)
While FTD affects memory like Alzheimer’s, memory is actually the last thing to go. The first symptom of FTD is usually personality and behavior changes, followed by difficulty speaking or understanding language. Loss of memory typically comes last.
The reason FTD impacts personality and language capacity is that it affects the frontal and temporal lobes of your brain. The best way to make an FTD diagnosis is with MRIs, behavior exams, and language processing tests.
2. Lewy Body Dementia (LBD)
Unlike Alzheimer’s, LBD tends to cause more physical symptoms in the early stages. These include everything from hallucinations to tremors and stiffness. While changes in cognitive abilities do occur, they are not necessarily the primary symptom.
The reason it’s called “Lewy Body” is because it’s caused by protein buildups in the nerve cells called Lewy bodies. MRIs may pick up some of this, but PET scans are usually more effective, and can actually show changes in the chemicals of your brain.
3. Vascular Dementia
As the name suggests, vascular dementia is caused by restrictions in blood flow to your brain. In many cases, these are due to strokes or other forms of brain damage. Unlike your typical Alzheimer’s diagnosis, vascular dementia comes with problems in executive functioning. This means people with the disease will struggle with organizing and planning. Memory loss is less common.
Thankfully, MRIs can usually pick up on this, especially white matter lesions that may indicate the presence of brain damage. A doctor will also evaluate any personal history of strokes or cardiovascular issues.
RELATED: Alzheimer’s vs. Other Dementias: What’s the Difference?
4. Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD)
A rare and aggressive disease, CJD can come out of nowhere, inflicting everything from memory loss to visual problems, issues with coordination, and changes in behavior or personality. In other words, it hits you a lot faster than Alzheimer’s.
The cause of CJD is believed to be what is called ‘prions,’ which are proteins that misfold repeatedly, quickly leading to brain damage. The best bet for detecting this rapid brain damage is with MRIs and EEGs, which measure the electrical activity in your brain.
5. Parkinson’s Disease Dementia (PDD)
Similar to Parkinson’s disease, PDD onsets with the typical symptoms: stiffness, tremors, and mobility issues. From there, gradual cognitive degeneration is typical. This is different from Alzheimer’s, which usually begins with cognitive decline, namely, memory loss.
If you have PDD, you can expect to see MRI results similar to those for Lewy body dementia. PET scans will also show decreases in certain neurochemicals, which may coincide with symptom onset. Overall, the best way to know if you have PDD is to determine if you have a history of Parkinson’s!
Taken together, these five conditions share many things in common with Alzheimer’s. However, they certainly have their differences. Fortunately, by knowing what to look for, and how to properly diagnose, you and a team of neurologists and geriatricians can quickly get to the bottom of it.
After all, there’s nothing better than catching a progressive disease early! With a great approach and just a little bit of luck, you can effectively manage all the problems that may come your way.
