As you get older, it can be harder to match names to faces, remember where you left your keys or express your thoughts aloud. These incidents can be frustrating, especially if they become increasingly frequent, and may raise concerns about Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia.
Cognitive decline often begins around age 30, as the brain’s processing speed slows down and there is less content held in working memory. However, long-term drug and alcohol abuse can also cause brain damage that resembles dementia. Because the symptoms sometimes overlap, a thorough medical evaluation is the best way to get an accurate diagnosis.
November is National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month, making it an appropriate time to explore the relationship between substance use and cognitive health, particularly among older adults.
How Does Alzheimer’s Disease Affect the Brain?
Alzheimer’s is a progressive neurological disease and the most common cause of dementia. It gradually damages brain cells, interfering with their ability to process and retain information. Unlike typical age-related forgetfulness, Alzheimer’s symptoms also cause difficulties with independence and daily functioning.
Though Alzheimer’s can affect younger people, the risk increases significantly after age 65. These early symptoms may be subtle enough to chalk up to ordinary forgetfulness, but they will become more pronounced as the disease advances.
- Forgetting recently learned information or repeatedly asking the same questions
- Confusion about dates, locations or familiar routines
- Struggling to follow conversations or find the correct words for everyday items
- Trouble managing finances, medications or household responsibilities
- Judgment, mood or personality changes
- Becoming disoriented in familiar surroundings
How Substance Use Can Mimic Dementia
Chronic substance use can interfere with many of the same cognitive abilities affected by Alzheimer’s disease, including memory formation, learning and decision-making.
For example, alcohol-related brain damage often causes confusion, disorientation, poor judgment and difficulty concentrating. A severe vitamin B1 deficiency associated with chronic alcohol misuse can also cause Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, aka “wet brain,” a serious, degenerative neurological condition involving confusion, poor coordination, eye abnormalities and potentially persistent memory impairment. Wet brain damages the thalamus and hypothalamus, and untreated cases can eventually progress into alcoholic dementia, associated with profound memory gaps, hallucinations and behavioral changes.
Other substances can create similar problems. Long-term sedative use may affect attention and memory. Opioids can cause sedation and impaired thinking, while an overdose that deprives the brain of oxygen may result in lasting neurological damage. These effects can become especially concerning in older adults, whose bodies often process medications and alcohol differently than they did earlier in life.
Why Distinguishing Between the Two Can Be Difficult
Alzheimer’s disease and cognitive impairment stemming from substance abuse share several symptoms, including forgetfulness, confusion, behavioral changes and difficulty completing familiar tasks. One distinction is that Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia are progressive, while some drug- and alcohol-related cognitive symptoms improve when people begin medically supervised detoxification followed by participation in an inpatient recovery program.
Complicating the situation, Alzheimer’s and substance use disorders aren’t mutually exclusive. Someone with early dementia can worsen their problems by abusing alcohol or prescription medications. Additionally, depression, sleep disorders, medication side effects, nutritional deficiencies and other medical conditions can produce symptoms that resemble dementia. That’s why it’s essential to avoid making assumptions based on someone’s age or history of substance use.
The Importance of a Comprehensive Medical Evaluation
Seek medical attention if you notice significant changes in your memory, personality or ability to function independently. A comprehensive evaluation may include a review of your medical history, prescription medications, alcohol and drug use, nutritional status and cognitive functioning. Your health provider may also recommend blood tests, neurological examinations, brain imaging or specialized addiction assessments to determine the most effective course of action.
Sudden confusion or a rapid change in your mental status requires prompt medical attention, since it may indicate delirium, intoxication, withdrawal, infection or another urgent condition rather than Alzheimer’s disease.
Can Your Cognitive Function Improve After Substance Abuse Treatment?
A quality called neuroplasticity gives the brain a remarkable capacity to adapt and reorganize itself. Some people notice dramatic improvements in their memory, attention span and other cognitive abilities after getting sober, eating a more balanced diet and receiving appropriate medical care.
However, substance-related brain damage is often irreversible, and people living with an Alzheimer’s diagnosis will continue to need specialized care even if they successfully address a co-occurring substance use disorder.
Older adults may also experience additional recovery challenges, including chronic pain, isolation, grief, mobility limitations and prescription drug interactions. Effective treatment should account for these factors rather than approaching addiction as an isolated problem.
Specialized Addiction Treatment Made for You
Hemet Valley Recovery Center & Sage Retreat recognizes that substance use disorders can affect people at any age. Our 55+ program addresses the medical, emotional and social challenges that can complicate recovery later in life, while clients between the ages of 18 and 25 will benefit from our therapies designed to benefit young adults.
As a Joint Commission-accredited, hospital-based addiction treatment center, we provide medically supervised detoxification and individualized rehabilitation services in a warm, homelike environment. Our experienced team understands the importance of addressing co-occurring health concerns for improved functioning and quality of life.
Memory loss and confusion are not inevitable consequences of aging. Whether you worry about your substance use habit or have noticed a loved one’s changing cognitive abilities, request help today.