Fact 7: Alzheimer’s and Vascular Dementia – The Diagnosis Challenge
Diagnosing Alzheimer’s and VaD poses significant challenges, given their similar presentation. Both diseases manifest as cognitive decline, and both can involve memory loss, attention deficits, and impaired decision-making abilities. However, the exact pattern of cognitive impairment can provide clues to the underlying cause.
Memory loss is often the most prominent symptom in Alzheimer’s, particularly in the early stages. Individuals with Alzheimer’s frequently struggle with recalling recent events or newly learned information. As the disease progresses, this memory impairment becomes more pervasive, eventually extending to long-held memories. Other cognitive domains, such as language and problem-solving abilities, are affected as the disease advances.
On the other hand, VaD often presents initially with symptoms other than memory loss. These may include difficulties with planning and organization, slowed thinking, or problems concentrating. While memory loss can occur in VaD, it’s usually not as pronounced as in Alzheimer’s and tends to occur later in the disease course. (7)
