June 2026 Understanding Different Alzheimer's Dementias and How to Prevent Them
June 2026 Topic:
Understanding different Alzheimer’s Dementias and how to prevent them
June is Alzheimer’s and Brain awareness Month. Advocacy and information are an important part of preventing any disease. Misinformation leads to fear and a feeling of hopelessness and despair. Without advocacy and accurate up to date information, we cannot empower others to make better decisions for their brain health. Empowered with the understanding of the most current research and healthcare evidence, we can set each other up for success.
Let’s unpack the most common kinds of Dementias:
All dementias have a component of memory loss and changes in executive brain function, but there are nuances in each type that impact progression, severity and the specific symptoms that may occur.
Alzheimer's is one type of dementia and is often a blanket term, used by the lay person for any aging person with memory loss and behavioral and personality changes. Unfortunately, it may also be a common diagnosis used by physicians. Paper-based testing alone cannot support this diagnosis. Exclusive testing such as a PET scan with contrast, and blood work to look at the presence of the APOE genes as well as prevalence of amyloids plaques and tangles, combined with evidence of cognitive changes should be considered the gold standard for final diagnosis.
Alzheimer’s (abnormal buildup of protein plaques and tangles in the brain) may still occur in the absence of the Alzheimer’s APOE 4 gene. (Having one APOE 4 gene indicates 4x higher risk and having one from each parent indicates 8x higher risk than the average population)
Vascular Dementia is characterized by underlying vascular changes in the brain most often caused by chronic head injury such as during sports; external brain trauma such as car accidents or soldiers during deployment; uncontrolled high blood pressure; high cholesterol and high blood sugar. Progression can be prevented or delayed by addressing underlying causes.
Parkinsons and Parkinsonism's are movement disorders not characterized by memory loss as the first component but more so movement disorder. 80% of persons diagnosed with Parkinsons will develop dementia/neuro-cognitive decline. Both Parkinson’s and the more common parkinsonism, Lewy Bodies Dementia, have the abnormal protein alpha synuclein in common. Distinctive of Lewy Bodies Dementia is symptoms of hallucinations, delusions, and paranoia combined with decline in balance and continence.
Fronto-Temporal Dementia is thus called due to the location of brain decline. It can be caused by alpha-synuclein breakdown, or amyloid plaques and tangles, or head injury and other vascular changes. There are different types of Fronto-Temporal dementia, but the important thing to remember is that this person may lack social insight and social filters, thus being challenged during social interactions. This person may have some memory intact but may not be able to express themselves and their own needs due to Broca aphasia – the temporal area in the brain that produces intelligible language. This may add to their frustration and challenge interactions even more.
Depending on which literature you may study you will find that authors describe anywhere from 40-400 different kinds of dementia. It is very common to have more than one kind of dementia, and it is important that the person receives a comprehensive cognitive analysis to establish the correct diagnosis and baseline cognitive strengths.
Infographic: Understanding Different Types of Dementia | National Institute on Aging
The Good News:
The Botes Analysis of Functional Cognition is a pathway of obtaining accurate functional data and a baseline impression of a person’s cognitive strengths and deficits. Using the Memory Bouquet Approach, families and healthcare providers alike can meet each person on their unique journey and provide successful and accurate interventions. Connect with us for more info:
