The Difference Between Amnesia and Dementia

by Casey Walter

Many people use the terms Amnesia or Dementia without fully understanding what these words entail. Yet, they represent distinct conditions with diverse societal impacts. While both involve memory issues, their causes, effects, and trajectories differ significantly. Though Amnesia and Dementia are similar in many ways they are completely different for many reasons. In this short blog post, I will describe some of the ways the diseases differ and the societal impacts of these differences. It is deeply important to debunk these myths to fully understand the human brain.

Amnesia is a memory condition where individuals struggle to learn new things and remember events from their past that were once familiar. It can develop due to various reasons, such as brain injury, stroke, brain inflammation, or long-term alcohol misuse. When someone has amnesia, they might struggle to learn new information and recall past events that were once familiar. It's like having a big gap in their memory, but it doesn't affect their intelligence or personality. In everyday life, this can be challenging because they might forget important things like appointments or the names of people they know. It can also make it hard to follow conversations or remember recent events. This memory loss can impact their health, as they might forget to take medications or have trouble remembering vital information about their health conditions. Relationships might be affected too, as they may forget special moments shared with loved ones or have difficulty recognizing friends and family. It can be tough for both the person with amnesia and those close to them, as they navigate these memory-related challenges together. People with amnesia often rely on strategies like notes or reminders to help them remember things and try various memory exercises or therapies to improve their recall abilities.

Similarly, Dementia is another condition where memory loss is greatly affected. It is a complex condition that affects thinking, memory, and behavior. Although most people only think about Dementia in terms of memory loss, it involves various other cognitive issues that gradually diminish a person's ability to handle daily tasks. It is common for people with Dementia to experience memory loss, difficulties in communication and finding words, struggle with spatial awareness leading to getting lost even in familiar places, challenges in reasoning, solving problems, and executing complex tasks, as well as difficulties in planning and organizing. People experiencing dementia may also face changes in mood, personality, and behavior, alongside confusion and disorientation in their surroundings. In everyday life, dementia can significantly impact individuals. Simple tasks like remembering appointments or following a conversation may become increasingly challenging. It can have a great impact on relationships as the person with dementia may have difficulty recognizing loved ones or recalling shared experiences, causing distress for both the individual and their family and friends. The film and novel “Still Alice'' by Lisa Genova provide the perspective of a woman with Alzheimer’s disease, one of the diseases that lay under the Dementia umbrella. Genova shows how difficult it is for not only Alice but also the impact on her family. We see her slowly lose the memory of her children and husband and how devastating it is for them to no longer be recognized by Alice. Additionally, the progressive nature of dementia can impact a person's overall health. As the condition advances, individuals may struggle with coordination and movements, leading to potential accidents or difficulties in performing routine activities. This memory and cognitive decline can affect their health management, as they might forget to take medications or overlook essential health-related information. Ultimately, while dementia presents multifaceted challenges impacting memory, cognition, health, and relationships, early detection, and compassionate support can significantly enhance the well-being and quality of life for both individuals navigating dementia and their loved ones.

Though these diseases have many similarities and tend to be categorized together there are also some large differences between the two of them. One fundamental contrast is in the role of age as a risk factor. Dementia typically appears older, often associated with age-related physiological changes. In contrast, Amnesia isn't centered around age boundaries, occasionally affecting younger individuals due to factors like traumatic brain injuries or chronic alcohol misuse. While both conditions result in cognitive decline and memory lapses, the causation for each condition varies. Dementia often starts because of genetic predisposition or heart-related problems. Amnesia usually occurs because of a sudden head injury or prolonged alcohol abuse which is more sudden and easier to diagnose with. Also, the trajectory of these conditions is different. Dementia takes its time, slowly and progressively damaging cognitive functions over an extended period, while amnesia tends to emerge suddenly, causing an abrupt change to one’s memory. These distinctions in age, causes, and progression highlight the unique nature of these memory-related disorders.

On the more neurological side, a study conducted in 2016 was created to study the Comparison of the semantic networks in patients with dementia and amnesia. Researchers studied how people with different brain conditions organize their thoughts and associations. They gave tasks to 60 people—some with Alzheimer's, some with Huntington's, some with memory problems, and some without any conditions. They found that the way thoughts were connected in the brains of those with Alzheimer's was very different from others. In Alzheimer's, the connections were changed in a few key ways: they were focused on different things, had fewer common links, and the strength of connections was unusual. This suggests that in Alzheimer's, the way thoughts are organized in the brain is altered, which isn't the case in all types of memory-related conditions. This is important because it shows that in Alzheimer's, the way thoughts are organized in the brain is unique. This could help doctors diagnose it better and earlier. Also, understanding these differences might lead to better treatments for Alzheimer's and other brain issues in the future.

There are many misconceptions when it comes to Dementia and Amnesia. It is a myth that all types of memory loss are a sign of dementia. There could be many different explanations. It is common for someone to use the terms Dementia and Amnesia interchangeably but as we know this is not the case. It is important to realize that these two conditions are far from the same and that there are many subcategories within them. If we can distinguish between the two terms we can have a better understanding of how our minds work.

Sources:

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/amnesia/symptoms-causes/syc-20353360

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/dementia/symptoms-causes/syc-20352013

https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1995-29957-001