{"id":6336,"date":"2018-10-26T19:01:12","date_gmt":"2018-10-26T19:01:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/braintest.com\/?p=6336"},"modified":"2019-12-06T20:22:14","modified_gmt":"2019-12-06T20:22:14","slug":"normal-brain-aging-vs-alzheimers-dementia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/braintest.com\/es\/normal-brain-aging-vs-alzheimers-dementia\/","title":{"rendered":"Normal Brain Aging vs. Alzheimer\u2019s and Dementia"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">People are often confused about the difference between normal brain aging and <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">dementia<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">-related conditions like <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Alzheimer\u2019s<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> disease. Some are even under the erroneous belief that dementia is an unavoidable part of aging. While it is true that a minor decline in certain mental abilities can be expected as we get older, there is a large number of people who live well into their later years while remaining fully functional from a psychological perspective.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Normal Aging in the Brain<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">All parts of the human body are subject to the effects of time. There is simply no way to avoid it, though the makers of numerous beauty and supplement products would likely disagree. The brain goes through several <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nia.nih.gov\/health\/how-aging-brain-affects-thinking\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">physical changes<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> as we reach an advanced age (around 60+):<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some brain areas shrink<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Connections between <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">neurons<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> weaken<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Inflammation is more likely to occur<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Veins and other parts of the vascular system deteriorate<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hormone levels change<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As may be expected, these biological developments are accompanied by some alterations in <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/alzheimer.ca\/en\/Home\/About-dementia\/What-is-dementia\/Normal-aging-vs-dementia\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">mental processes<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, such as:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Loss of older memories (especially the details)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Less retention time for new information<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Trouble finding the right words from time to time<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Occasionally forgetting names<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reduced ability to multitask<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Slower overall mental processing<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is very difficult to predict how aging will impact mental functions on a person to person basis. Individuals exhibit a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/memory.ucsf.edu\/healthy-aging\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">unique mix<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of symptoms due to brain aging, and it is likely that certain effects will be more prominent than others. Some people may display little to no ill effects at all.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Aging With Alzheimer\u2019s and Other Dementias<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unfortunately, a significant portion of the population will be stricken with an age-related disorder like Alzheimer\u2019s or another form of dementia (<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/national\/health-science\/research-shows-that-the-prevalence-of-dementia-has-fallen-in-the-united-states\/2018\/06\/15\/636d61ac-6fd1-11e8-bf86-a2351b5ece99_story.html?utm_term=.04ad03d432e0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">about 10%<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">). There are no physical brain changes shared between all types of these disorders, though specific conditions may be identified by the presence of biological features that are not a part of normal aging:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Alzheimer\u2019s disease is associated with the abnormal accumulation of proteins in the brain, resulting in the formation of plaques and tangles.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lewy body dementia<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is also linked to abnormal protein accumulation in the brain, but of a different variety than Alzheimer\u2019s disease.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vascular dementia<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is a result of damage to the brain\u2019s vascular system (blood-carrying structures, such as veins) due to a medical condition (like a stroke) or traumatic injury.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Frontotemporal dementias<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are a group of afflictions that are identified by a significant reduction in the amount of matter in the <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">frontal<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">temporal<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> lobes of the brain.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are no physical symptoms shared among all dementia-related disorders. However, there are a number of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC3345875\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">behavioral changes<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that may serve as common signs of abnormal cognitive decline:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Becoming lost in familiar areas<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Quickly forgetting recent events<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Loss of language comprehension skills<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mood swings<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Drastic changes in personality<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Asking repetitive questions<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Balance impairment<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Changes to diet and sleep habits<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Symptom Detection<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The early identification of psychological and behavioral changes like those listed above is important to ensure the best possible outcomes. People with developing dementia are commonly unaware that they are displaying any of these symptoms, so the responsibility of early detection is often placed on the people who interact with them the most. However, as we have discussed, it can be difficult to tell the difference between normal and impaired brain aging.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Thankfully, there are support options for people who are worried about abnormal brain aging in themselves or others. The <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/go.onelink.me\/Rk33?pid=blog&#038;c=normalvsAlzDe\"><strong>BrainTest\u00ae app<\/strong><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is an early-detection tool that can help identify the psychological and behavioral warning signs of Alzheimer\u2019s and other dementia-related disorders. It is a simple, self-administered test that can be used by seniors to ensure their own well-being, either of their own volition or at the request of a concerned loved one. Early detection should be immediately followed by professional testing, which is necessary to confirm the presence and extent of even minor impairments at the biological level.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>People are often confused about the difference between normal brain aging and dementia-related conditions like Alzheimer\u2019s disease. Some are even under the erroneous belief that dementia is an unavoidable part of aging. While it is true that a minor decline in certain mental abilities can be expected as we get<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[61,65],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6336","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-alzheimers","category-brain-health"],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":false,"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false,"rp-thumbnail":false,"product":false},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Steven Pace","author_link":"https:\/\/braintest.com\/es\/author\/stevenpace\/"},"uagb_comment_info":1,"uagb_excerpt":"People are often confused about the difference between normal brain aging and dementia-related conditions like Alzheimer\u2019s disease. Some are even under the erroneous belief that dementia is an unavoidable part of aging. While it is true that a minor decline in certain mental abilities can be expected as we get","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/braintest.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6336","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/braintest.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/braintest.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/braintest.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/braintest.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6336"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/braintest.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6336\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7022,"href":"https:\/\/braintest.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6336\/revisions\/7022"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/braintest.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6336"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/braintest.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6336"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/braintest.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6336"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}