http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/09/health/dementia-alcohol-alzheimers.html 2014-09-15 23:26:05 Exploring the Connection Between Alcohol and Dementia Even in patients with “pure” Alzheimer’s disease or another kind of dementia, most experts recommend greatly moderating alcohol consumption or eliminating it. === Q. Is there a difference between alcoholic dementia and “regular” dementia in the elderly? A. Alzheimer’s and what doctors call alcohol-related dementia affect parts of the brain cortex that control memory, language and the ability to follow motor commands. Because Alzheimer’s and excessive drinking are relatively common in the older population and can occur at the same time, and because many of their clinical features overlap and affect similar parts of the brain, “it is more accurate to say that each condition potentially exacerbates the other,” Dr. Lachs said. Abstinence is the treatment of choice in alcohol-related dementia, with or without concurrent Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia. Even in patients with “pure” Alzheimer’s disease or another kind of dementia, Dr. Lachs said, most experts recommend greatly moderating alcohol consumption or eliminating it, as even occasional drinking “can serve as a brain stress test for a patient with impaired cognition from any cause.”