You may have heard people use dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and sundowning interchangeably when referring to cognitive conditions that cause memory loss in older adults. However, these terms are not the same. In this guide, we’ll clarify how Alzheimer’s disease, sundowners syndrome, and dementia are related yet used to describe different conditions.
- What Is Dementia?
- What Is Alzheimer's Disease?
- What Is Sundowners Syndome?
- What’s the Difference Between Dementia, Alzheimer's Disease, & Sundowning?
What Is Dementia?
Dementia is a general term for the loss of memory and the decline of cognitive functions. It can be caused by several different disorders that impair the brain or cause damage to brain cells. In addition to memory loss, confusion, and thought-processing, dementia can also cause changes to personality and behavior and lead to difficulty performing daily activities or following normal routines.
What Causes Dementia?
There are several diseases that impair or damage brain cells and can lead to dementia. These diseases include:
- Alzheimer’s disease is by far the most common type of dementia, representing 60-70% of all people with dementia.
- Lewy body dementia (LBD) is the second most common type and is characterized by abnormal deposits of protein inside nerve cells.
- Vascular dementia is caused by damage to blood vessels in the brain, resulting in cognitive decline, mood changes, and behavioral disturbances.
- Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) includes a group of brain diseases that mainly affect the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain, which are related to personality, behavior, and language.
- Parkinson’s disease dementia may develop after a Parkinson’s disease diagnosis (typically years later); impaired attention and difficulties interpreting visual information are common.
- Mixed dementia is a condition where brain changes occur as the result of more than one cause of dementia.
While these diseases are the most common causes of dementia, there are other risk factors that can lead to older adults developing dementia, such as:
- Being age 65 or older
- Family history of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease
- Chronic health conditions like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes
- Smoking and/or alcohol use
Signs & Symptoms of Dementia
Memory loss and confusion are two of the most common signs of dementia, but they’re not the only indicators. Dementia symptoms can include:
- Difficulty with word retrieval (i.e., word finding)
- Repeatedly misplacing items or using common items for the wrong purpose
- Making questionable financial decisions
- Difficulty with visual perception
- Getting lost when walking, driving, or taking public transportation
- Excessively repeating stories or statements
- Forgetting processes and doing things out of order
- Difficulty multitasking or completing multi-step tasks in order
- Behavioral or personality changes
- Feeling anxious, angry, or sad
- Changes in sleep habits
- Hallucinations
Keep in mind that there are degrees of severity with each sign of dementia. For example, misplacing your keys isn’t typically something to be concerned about, but forgetting what keys are used for is more likely to be a sign of dementia.
What Is Alzheimer’s Disease?
Alzheimer’s disease is a type of dementia, most often occurring in adults age 65 or older, that causes loss of cognitive functions. The brain changes that cause Alzheimer’s begin about 20 years before memory loss and other signs of disease are noticeable. The disease typically progresses through early (mild), middle (moderate), and late (severe) stages.
What Causes Alzheimer’s Disease?
Scientists still don’t entirely know what causes Alzheimer’s disease, but they believe it’s a combination of increased age, family history of dementia, and history of concussions or traumatic brain injuries (TBIs).
Other potential risk factors of developing Alzheimer’s disease include:
- Hearing loss
- Depression
- Smoking and/or alcohol use
- Unhealthy diet
- Lack of physical activity
- Poor sleep habits
- Chronic health conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes
Signs & Symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease
Since Alzheimer’s disease typically begins in the part of the brain that affects learning, you may first notice symptoms related to short-term memory. The most common warning signs include:
- Memory loss that disrupts daily life
- Challenges in planning or solving problems
- Difficulty completing familiar tasks
- Confusion with time or place
- Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships
- New problems with words in speaking and/or writing
- Misplacing things and being unable to retrace steps
- Decreased or poor judgment
- Withdrawal from work or social activities
- Changes in mood and personality
What Is Sundowners Syndrome?
Sundowners syndrome—or sundowning—refers to a state of confusion and other behavioral changes that typically occur when the sun goes down. Even though it’s called a “syndrome,” sundowning is not a disease. It’s a set of dementia-related behaviors specific to the time of day that can impact those with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.
What Causes Sundowning?
Sundowning may occur due to disease progression and changes in the brain related to dementia, but the exact cause hasn’t been identified. That said, sundowning is triggered during the shift from day to night. Additional factors can make the symptoms of sundowning worse, including:
- Insomnia, disrupted sleep patterns, or fatigue
- Medication side effects
- Infections or physical illnesses
- Low light
- Overstimulation
- Pain
- Excessive thirst or hunger
Signs & Symptoms of Sundowners Syndrome
Signs of sundowning often appear in the late afternoon, early evening, and night. They can also overlap with common signs of dementia, though sundowning symptoms more often appear as behavioral or emotional changes, such as:
- Anxiety
- Confusion or disorientation
- Shadowing (i.e., following a loved one or caregiver closely)
- Paranoia, hallucinations, or delusions
- Insomnia or other sleep problems
- Mood swings, including anger, agitation, and sadness
- Pacing or wandering
- Sudden surge of energy
What’s the Difference Between Dementia, Alzheimer's Disease, & Sundowning?
While there are several similarities between dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and sundowning—particularly with symptoms—they’re all terms describing different conditions.
- Dementia is a broad term for memory loss and cognitive decline that includes Alzheimer’s disease and sundowning behaviors.
- Alzheimer’s disease is a specific type of dementia with symptoms that increase in severity over time.
- Sundowners syndrome (or sundowning) is a set of behavioral and emotional changes related to dementia that occur as the sun goes down.
BrightStar Care® Can Support Those with Dementia
BrightStar Care helps clients and families facing the challenges of dementia with the compassionate care services they need. We offer specialized in-home dementia and Alzheimer’s care, as well as more advanced memory care for those who need more structured environments.
Our team is sensitive to the unique challenges of dementia and can assist with home care conversations to provide peace of mind for your family. We also provide respite care services for family caregivers who need time to recover and attend to other matters.
Our experienced local team members are here to help you. Find a location near you, contact us online, or call 877.318.2606. We offer a free, no-obligation in-home assessment conducted by a registered nurse. Reach out today to learn how we deliver A Higher Standard® of care.