Q. What is the main difference between dementia and Alzheimer’s disease?
Answer By: Eric R. Kandel, M.D.
University Professor
Fred Kavli Professor and Director
Kavli Institute for Brain Science
Senior Investigator
Columbia University / Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Dementia is a cognitive impairment that interferes with daily living and daily working. There are a number of dementias: fronto-temporal dementia, vascular dementia and Alzheimer's disease. So, Alzheimer's disease is only one of several dementias that increase in likelihood with age. It is distinguished from the other dementias in being the most common in people over 70 years of age.