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Pick's Disease vs. Alzheimer's

Pick's disease and Alzheimer's disease are both progressive conditions that lead to the onset of dementia over time. Despite this similarity between the two diseases, a number of differences differentiate Pick's and Alzheimer's.

  1. Area of the Brain

    • Pick's disease affects the front parts of your frontal and temporal lobes in your brain, while Alzheimer's is not localized to one area and affects every part of the brain.

    Prevalanece

    • Over 5.3 million people in the United States suffer from Alzheimer's, according to the Alzheimer's Association. Pick's disease is far rarer, and fewer than 200,000 Americans have the disease, according to the National Institutes of Health.

    Time Frame

    • The average age that Pick's disease first develops is 54, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Alzheimer's is much more common in older people, particularly those over the age of 85 as more than 50 percent of people in this age group have the disease, according to the Mayo Clinic.

    Heredity

    • There appears to be some genetic link to Alzheimer's, which makes the disease run in families, reports the Mayo Clinic. Pick's disease does not appear to be hereditary, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

    Prognosis

    • People who develop Pick's disease typically die within three to 10 years, while those with Alzheimer's die three to 20 years after diagnosis, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

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