There are approximately 120 different identified types of dementia.
"I've heard that there's 120 different types of dementia, and not all dementia is Alzheimer's." (said at 0:50:53)
The speaker's claim consists of two distinct assertions: that Alzheimer's is not the only type of dementia, and that there are approximately 120 different identified types of dementia. The first part of the statement (that not all dementia is Alzheimer's) is well-established medical consensus. Dementia is an umbrella term for cognitive decline, with Alzheimer's disease accounting for an estimated 60-80% of cases, while other major types include vascular dementia, Lewy body dementia, and frontotemporal dementia. However, the specific figure of "120 different types of dementia" is an imprecise or informal count found in some educational or advocacy literature (which aggregates numerous rare genetic, metabolic, infectious, toxic, and secondary causes of cognitive decline) rather than a formal, standard epidemiological or diagnostic classification. Standard clinical frameworks (such as the DSM-5 or ICD-11) classify dementia into a smaller set of primary neurodegenerative diseases and distinct underlying etiologies. No formal scientific publication establishing an official taxonomy of exactly or approximately 120 distinct dementia types was located; this does not prove the figure false, but reflects that the number relies on informal counting of underlying conditions rather than a standardized scientific classification.
- context: The Use of Music Playlists for People with Dementia: A Critical Synthesis. (Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD 2017)
"The use of pre-recorded music to ease behavioral and psychological symptoms associated with dementia is popular in health-care contexts in both formal music therapy settings and in non-therapist led interventions." (abstract, background, passage verified)
pubmedfull study (doi)