Unit 40 P1 Types of dementia Megan Scully
P1: Describe types of dementia and common signs and symptoms
Types of dementia:
Alzheimer’s disease
Frontotemporal dementia
Vascular dementia
Creutzfeldt–Jakob’s disease (CJD)
Huntington’s disease
Early signs and symptoms of Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia:
Memory loss in relation to daily life
Hardship in planning and problem solving
Hardship with the completion of familiar tasks at work, home or at leisure
Confusion with regards to location or time
Hardship with understanding spatial relationships and visual images
Developing problems with words with regards to speaking and writing
Losing items and being unable to retrace previous locations
Developing poor judgement
Developing withdrawal from leisure activities or work
Changes in the mood and/ or personality
Alzheimer’s disease
Alzheimer’s is the most conventional form of dementia. Dementia is a typical term for cognitive
impairments such as memory loss and other intellectual aptitudes severe enough to impede on
every-day life. Alzheimer’s is usually present in around 60 – 80% of dementia related cases. Contrary
to belief Alzheimer’s and dementia are not customary components of the ageing process, although
the highest risk for dementia is known to be increasing ag. Most individuals who have Alzheimer’s
disease are aged 65 and above. Alzheimer’s is a progressive disease, not a disease of increasing age.
Around 5% of people with Alzheimer’s have what is referred to as early onset Alzheimer’s or
younger-onset, this may develop in individuals aged between 40 and 50. Alzheimer’s disease is the
4th leading cause of death in the United Kingdom. Alzheimer’s does not currently have a cure;
however, treatments are available for the symptoms that Alzheimer’s presents.
Symptoms for Alzheimer’s may include;
Hardship in remembering newly learnt information
Disorientation
Behavioural and mood fluctuations
Worsening confusion regarding location, time and events
Suspicions about caregivers, friends, professionals and family members
Worsening memory loss
Worsening behavioural fluctuations
Difficulty speaking
Difficulty walking
Difficulty swallowing
Frontotemporal dementia
This form of dementia is an ‘umbrella term’ for a variety of rare disorders that predominantly affect
the frontal and temporal lobes within the brain. These areas are largely associated with behaviour
and personality. In frontotemporal dementia, segments of the frontal and temporal lobes
P1: Describe types of dementia and common signs and symptoms
Types of dementia:
Alzheimer’s disease
Frontotemporal dementia
Vascular dementia
Creutzfeldt–Jakob’s disease (CJD)
Huntington’s disease
Early signs and symptoms of Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia:
Memory loss in relation to daily life
Hardship in planning and problem solving
Hardship with the completion of familiar tasks at work, home or at leisure
Confusion with regards to location or time
Hardship with understanding spatial relationships and visual images
Developing problems with words with regards to speaking and writing
Losing items and being unable to retrace previous locations
Developing poor judgement
Developing withdrawal from leisure activities or work
Changes in the mood and/ or personality
Alzheimer’s disease
Alzheimer’s is the most conventional form of dementia. Dementia is a typical term for cognitive
impairments such as memory loss and other intellectual aptitudes severe enough to impede on
every-day life. Alzheimer’s is usually present in around 60 – 80% of dementia related cases. Contrary
to belief Alzheimer’s and dementia are not customary components of the ageing process, although
the highest risk for dementia is known to be increasing ag. Most individuals who have Alzheimer’s
disease are aged 65 and above. Alzheimer’s is a progressive disease, not a disease of increasing age.
Around 5% of people with Alzheimer’s have what is referred to as early onset Alzheimer’s or
younger-onset, this may develop in individuals aged between 40 and 50. Alzheimer’s disease is the
4th leading cause of death in the United Kingdom. Alzheimer’s does not currently have a cure;
however, treatments are available for the symptoms that Alzheimer’s presents.
Symptoms for Alzheimer’s may include;
Hardship in remembering newly learnt information
Disorientation
Behavioural and mood fluctuations
Worsening confusion regarding location, time and events
Suspicions about caregivers, friends, professionals and family members
Worsening memory loss
Worsening behavioural fluctuations
Difficulty speaking
Difficulty walking
Difficulty swallowing
Frontotemporal dementia
This form of dementia is an ‘umbrella term’ for a variety of rare disorders that predominantly affect
the frontal and temporal lobes within the brain. These areas are largely associated with behaviour
and personality. In frontotemporal dementia, segments of the frontal and temporal lobes
