The four main types of dementia that we see being diagnosed here in Australia are Alzheimer’s disease, Vascular Dementia, Dementia with Lewy Bodies and Frontotemporal Dementia.
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia in Australia, accounting for approx 45% of dementia cases. Alzheimer’s is caused by either protein plaques or tangles of fibres in the brain which in turn cause a problem with messages in the brain cells. These cells will die and problems with that part of the brain become apparent.
Vascular dementia is the 2nd most common form of dementia found in Australia. It accounts for about 10-15% of all cases and is most common with advancing age. The risk factors are identical to cerebrovascular disease including hypertension, diabetes & Cardiovascular disease. It is caused by a reduced blood supply to the brain cells due to blocked or leaking blood vessels.
Dementia with Lewy Bodies is caused by an accumulation of Lewy Bodies in the brain. Lewy bodies are abnormal clumps of protein that develop inside the brain’s nerve cells.
Frontotemporal Dementia was once known as Pick’s Disease and as the name suggests it affects the frontal and temporal lobes. Brain atrophy results from the accumulation of neuronal proteins and affect planning & judgement, behaviour, moods, attention span and self-control. This is one of the most common forms of younger onset dementia. Within this dementia there are three subtypes.
- Behavioural Variant, as the name suggests people with Behavioural Variant Frontotemporal Dementia experience significant changes mainly in behaviour, personality and habits.
- Semantic Dementia affects mainly language
- Progressive non-fluent aphasia affects the ability to speak fluently which causes problems with communication.
Stay connected for more information on each of these types of dementia
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