A form of dementia, a brain disorder that causes memory loss, ability to recall, remember, reason, relate to others and learn.
It is a condition which gets worse and worse and can lead to nerve damage, loss of personality, body system failure and death.
In Alzheimer’s disease/dementia the grey matter (temporal cortex- responsible for memory) of the brain is usually affected.
Alzheimer’s disease usually begin in the medial temporal lobes, particularly the hippocampus and the entorhinal cortex. of the brain,
Such brain changes occur decades before any signs or symptoms occur. As Alzheimer’s disease progresses, parietal, temporal, and frontal association cortices are affected.
Initial mild symptoms include:
Mood and personality changes; increased anxiety
Confusion about the location of familiar places
Forgetting recent events, conversations, or newly acquired information
Taking longer to accomplish normal, daily tasks
Trouble handling money and paying bills
Compromised judgment, often leading to bad decisions
Loss of spontaneity and sense of initiative
Moderate stages symptoms include:
Shortened attention span
Repetitive statements or movement; occasional muscle twitches
Difficulty with language; problems with reading, writing, and working with numbers
Increasing memory loss and confusion
Problems recognizing friends and family members
Difficulty organizing thoughts and thinking logically
Inability to learn new things or to cope with new or unexpected situations
Restlessness, agitation, anxiety, tearfulness, and wandering, especially in the late afternoon or at night
Hallucinations, delusions, suspiciousness or paranoia, and irritability
Loss of impulse control (shown through behavior such as vulgar language or undressing at inappropriate times or places)
Perceptual motor problems (such as trouble getting out of a chair or setting the table)
Medscape
Diagnosis Tests
There are many test available include (these test should be used as a guide and does not substitute medical advice from a medical doctor):
Short Blessed Test (Orientation-Memory-Concentration test)
The Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive Subscale test (ADAS-Cog)
Cause
Unknown:
Buildup of beta-amyloid protein in the brain- when this is broken down it causes problems in the communication between our neurons affecting the nerve signals.
Neurofibrillary tangles are composed of a protein called tau protein.
Tau proteins play a crucial role in the structure of the neuron.
In people with Alzheimer’s tau proteins cause abnormality through overactive enzymes resulting in the formation of neurofibrillary tangles.
Neurofibrillary tangles result in the death of the cells.
Gene regulating the apolipoprotein E- This gene, which has three variants (epsilon 2, epsilon 3, epsilon 4), is involved in several functions, including cholesterol transport, lipid metabolism, and metabolism of beta-amyloid protein in the brain.
Pick’s disease (rare type of age-related dementia that affects the frontal lobes of the brain and causes speech problems like impairment of language, affecting the production or comprehension of speech and the ability to read or write, behavior difficulties and eventually death)
Lewy body disease (Slow shrinking of brain cells due to protein build up. First sign: personality change, can’t do basic functions)
Disruption of the gut microflora may lead to production of toxic metabolites that can pass through the blood-brain barrier and trigger neuroinflammation
Forget names and objects or forget entire conversations regularly?
Withdrawn from usual interest?
Confused and irritated when performing a routine?
Lost in familiar place?
Problem with language?
Poor or decreased judgement (making decisions, planning)?
Changes in personality?
Difficulty with:
Speaking (expressive aphasia)?
Understanding speech (receptive aphasia)?
Reading?
Writing?
Using numbers?
Dealing with money?
Telling the time?
Affect one’s daily routine?
Overactive (urgency to go to toilet) or underactive bladder?
Cannot control bladder?
Poor Visuospatial (ability refers to a person’s capacity to identify visual and spatial relationships among objects. Visuospatial ability is measured in terms of the ability to imagine objects, to make global shapes by locating small components, or to understand the differences and similarities between objects)?
Complications /Information to beware of/General tips:
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) and dementia
UTIs can cause sudden confusion (also known as delirium) in older people and people with dementia.
If the person has a sudden and unexplained change in their behaviour, such as increased confusion, agitation, or withdrawal, this may be because of a UTI.
The person may not be able to communicate how they feel, therefore it is helpful to be familiar with the symptoms of UTIs and seek medical help to ensure they get the correct treatment.
It is also important to be aware that any infection could speed up the progression of dementia and so all infections should be identified and treated quickly.
Please talk to your healthcare professional (i.e. Medical Doctor/Pharmacist) for further advice
Detailed Information
Please copy and paste any key words from the title: Alzheimers/Dementia Disease in the following respective 'Medtick References and/or Sources' to find out more about the disease (this also may include diagnosis tests and generic medical treatments).
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