Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia in the UK. It is a physical condition caused by changes in the structure of the brain, due to a build-up of “plaques” and “tangles”, and this can result in a shortage of important chemicals that help with the transmission of messages. Alzheimer’s disease can affect concentration, decision making and everyday living skills.

Alzheimer’s symptoms tend to develop gradually over time. These may include:

• Difficulty remembering recent events while having a good memory for past events
• Poor concentration
• Issues recognising people or objects
• Poor organisational skills
• Confusion
• Disorientation
• Slow, muddled or repetitive speech
• Reduced ability to perform everyday tasks such as cooking, bill paying, shopping etc.
• Problems with decision making

Medication is available to help slow progression but it does not prevent or cure Alzheimer’s disease.

Vascular dementia is the second most common type of dementia. It is caused by problems in the supply of blood to the brain, commonly due to strokes or a series of small strokes, known as Trans Ischemic Attacks (TIAs) which cause areas of cell damage in the brain.

Changes in a person’s condition as a result of TIAs or a larger stroke are often sudden, before their condition plateaus. But the damage caused often means the person does not function quite the same way as they did before.

The signs and symptoms of vascular dementia depend on which area of the brain has been affected. Language, reading, writing, and communication can be affected in vascular dementia. Memory problems may not be an issue initially, if this area of the brain has not been damaged, although they may occur later on.

Frontotemporal dementia is a progressive condition, which tends to affect younger people, usually aged 45 to 65 ears, and can be difficult to diagnose. The region of the brain most affected is the frontal lobes.

Frontotemporal dementia affects behaviour and personality, and this can cause disinhibition and inappropriate social behaviour. Eating patterns can also be affected, with people suddenly bingeing on food, especially sweet foods. This form of dementia can sometimes be confused with depression, stress, anxiety, psychosis or obsessive compulsive disorder.

Dementia with Lewy bodies is a progressive condition that affects movement and motor control. A person with dementia with Lewy bodies might:

• Be prone to falls
• Have tremors (similar to Parkinson’s disease)
• Have trouble swallowing
• Shuffle when they walk
• Experience disrupted sleep patterns due to intense dreams/nightmares
• Have visual and auditory hallucinations due to nerve cell damage.

Memory is often less affected than with other types of dementia, but a person might experience sudden bouts of confusion which can change on an hourly basis.

It is possible to have not just one but two types of dementia. The most common is a combination of Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia, known as mixed dementia. A person with mixed dementia would experience a mixture of the symptoms associated with the types of dementia they have.