Dementia vs Alzheimer's Disease: What's the difference?

3. Symptoms and early signs

The early signs of dementia and Alzheimer's can be subtle – often starting with simple forgetfulness. But as they progress, these symptoms extend beyond misplacing keys to more pervasive memory loss and confusion, which can significantly disrupt daily life. In Alzheimer's, this may present as difficulty remembering newly learned information, as brain changes associated with the disease typically begin in the part of the brain that affects learning. As Alzheimer's advances through the brain, it leads to increasingly severe symptoms, including disorientation, mood and behavior changes, and deepening confusion about events, time, and place.