‘Dementia’ is a term referring to changes in our mental abilities to the extent that these changes affect our day-to-day functioning and worsen over time. Dementia can be caused by different diseases or conditions that affect the brain in different ways. Although Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia are the most common forms of dementia, there are many.
The term ‘rare dementia’ is normally used to refer to dementia diagnoses that are less common than Alzheimer’s disease, often occurring at a younger age (under 65) and can cause symptoms that are not memory-led.
They include but are not limited to:
Rare forms of dementia can also be diagnosed at a later age.
Like the term ‘dementia’, ‘young onset dementia’ is a term to indicate dementia occurring at a young age. Although frequently used, it does not distinguish the type of condition or disease (the medical diagnosis) that is causing someone’s dementia.
There are other types of dementia that can affect younger people such as:
- Vascular dementia
- Alcohol-related dementia
- Mixed dementia
- Huntington’s disease
- Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
- ALS
If you would like more information, you can contact us at rdscanada@nipissingu.ca.