Here you will find information on Alzheimer's Disease and other Alzheimer's Disease related help and tips.
Alzheimer's Disease The most common form of dementia among older people is Alzheimers disease, which initially involves the parts of the brain that control thought, memory, and language. Although scientists are learning more every day, right now they still do not know what causes Alzheimers disease, and there is no cure. Dementia is a brain disorder that seriously affects a persons ability to carry out daily activities. The most common form of dementia among older people is Alzheimers disease, which initially involves the parts of the brain that control thought, memory, and language. Although scientists are learning more every day, right now they still do not know what causes Alzheimers disease, and there is no cure. Alzheimers disease is named after Dr. Alois Alzheimer, a German doctor. In 1906, Dr. Alzheimer noticed changes in the brain tissue of a woman who had died of an unusual mental illness. He found abnormal clumps (now called amyloid plaques) and tangled bundles of fibers (now called neurofibrillary tangles). Today, these plaques and tangles in the brain are considered signs of Alzheimers disease. What is Dementia The term "dementia" describes a group of symptoms that are caused by changes in brain function. Dementia symptoms may include asking the same questions repeatedly; becoming lost in familiar places; being unable to follow directions; getting disoriented about time, people, and places; and neglecting personal safety, hygiene, and nutrition. People with dementia lose their abilities at different rates. Dementia is caused by many conditions. Some conditions that cause dementia can be reversed, and others cannot. The two most common forms of dementia in older people are Alzheimer's disease and multi-infarct dementia (sometimes called vascular dementia). These types of dementia are irreversible, which means they cannot be cured. Reversible conditions with symptoms of dementia can be caused by a high fever, dehydration, vitamin deficiency and poor nutrition, bad reactions to medicines, problems with the thyroid gland, or a minor head injury. Medical conditions like these can be serious and should be treated by a doctor as soon as possible. Causes of Alzheimer's Disease Scientists do not yet fully understand what causes Alzheimer's Disease. There probably is not one single cause, but several factors that affect each person differently. Age is the most important known risk factor for Alzheimer's Disease. The number of people with the disease doubles every 5 years beyond age 65. Family history is another risk factor. Scientists believe that genetics may play a role in many Alzheimer's Disease cases. For example, early-onset familial Alzheimer's Disease, a rare form of Alzheimer's Disease that usually occurs between the ages of 30 and 60, is inherited. The more common form of Alzheimer's Disease is known as late-onset. It occurs later in life, and no obvious inheritance pattern is seen in most families. However, several risk factor genes may interact with each other and with non-genetic factors to cause the disease. The only risk factor gene identified so far for late-onset Alzheimer's Disease is a gene that makes one form of a protein called apolipoprotein E (ApoE). Everyone has ApoE, which helps carry cholesterol in the blood. Only about 15 percent of people have the form that increases the risk of Alzheimer's Disease. It is likely that other genes also may increase the risk of Alzheimer's Disease or protect against Alzheimer's Disease, but they remain to be discovered. More information: The NIA-sponsored Alzheimer's Disease Genetics Study seeks to learn more about risk factor genes for late onset Alzheimer's Disease. Scientists still need to learn a lot more about what causes Alzheimer's Disease. In addition to genetics and ApoE, they are studying education, diet, and environment to learn what role they might play in the development of this disease. Scientists are finding increasing evidence that some of the risk factors for heart disease and stroke, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and low levels of the vitamin folate, may also increase the risk of Alzheimer's Disease. Evidence for physical, mental, and social activities as protective factors against Alzheimer's Disease is also increasing. Symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease What are the Symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease? Alzheimer's Disease begins slowly. At first, the only symptom may be mild forgetfulness, which can be confused with age-related memory change. Most people with mild forgetfulness do not have Alzheimer's Disease. In the early stage of Alzheimer's Disease, people may have trouble remembering recent events, activities, or the names of familiar people or things. They may not be able to solve simple math problems. Such difficulties may be a bother, but usually they are not serious enough to cause alarm. However, as the disease goes on, symptoms are more easily noticed and become serious enough to cause people with Alzheimer's Disease or their family members to seek medical help. Forgetfulness begins to interfere with daily activities. People in the middle stages of Alzheimer's Disease may forget how to do simple tasks like brushing their teeth or combing their hair. They can no longer think clearly. They can fail to recognize familiar people and places. They begin to have problems speaking, understanding, reading, or writing. Later on, people with Alzheimer's Disease may become anxious or aggressive, or wander away from home. Eventually, patients need total care. Other Causes of Dementia Symptoms Many different medical conditions may cause symptoms that seem like Alzheimer's disease, but are not. Some of these medical conditions may be treatable. Reversible conditions can be caused by a high fever, dehydration, vitamin deficiency and poor nutrition, bad reactions to medicines, problems with the thyroid gland, or a minor head injury. Medical conditions like these can be serious and should be treated by a doctor as soon as possible. Stages of Alzheimer's Disease Stages of Alzheimer's Disease Alzheimer's disease develops slowly and causes changes in the brain long before there are obvious changes in a person's memory, thinking, use of words or behavior. Stages and changes the person will go through are outlined below. Common Changes in Mild Alzheimer's Disease Common Changes in Moderate Alzheimer's Disease Common Changes in Severe Alzheimer's Disease Common Changes in Mild Alzheimer's Disease - Loses spark or zest for life - does not start anything. - Loses recent memory without a change in appearance or casual conversation. - Loses judgment about money. - Has difficulty with new learning and making new memories. - Has trouble finding words - may substitute or make up words that sound like or mean something like the forgotten word. - May stop talking to avoid making mistakes. - Has shorter attention span and less motivation to stay with an activity. - Easily loses way going to familiar places. - Resists change or new things. - Has trouble organizing and thinking logically. - Asks repetitive questions. - Withdraws, loses interest, is irritable, not as sensitive to others' feelings, uncharacteristically angry when frustrated or tired. - Won't make decisions. For example, when asked what she wants to eat, says "I'll have what she is having." - Takes longer to do routine chores and becomes upset if rushed or if something unexpected happens. - Forgets to pay, pays too much, or forgets how to pay - may hand the checkout person a wallet instead of the correct amount of money. - Forgets to eat, eats only one kind of food, or eats constantly. - Loses or misplaces things by hiding them in odd places or forgets - where things go, such as putting clothes in the dishwasher. - Constantly checks, searches or hoards things of no value. Common Changes in Moderate Alzheimer's Disease - Changes in behavior, concern for appearance, hygiene, and sleep become more noticeable. - Mixes up identity of people, such as thinking a son is a brother or that a wife is a stranger. - Poor judgment creates safety issues when left alone - may wander and risk exposure, poisoning, falls, self-neglect or exploitation. - Has trouble recognizing familiar people and own objects; may take things that belong to others. - Continuously repeats stories, favorite words, statements, or motions like tearing tissues. - Has restless, repetitive movements in late afternoon or evening, such as pacing, trying doorknobs, fingering draperies. - Cannot organize thoughts or follow logical explanations. - Has trouble following written notes or completing tasks. - Makes up stories to fill in gaps in memory. For example might say, "Mama will come for me when she gets off work." - May be able to read but cannot formulate the correct response to a written request. - May accuse, threaten, curse, fidget or behave inappropriately, such as kicking, hitting, biting, screaming or grabbing. - May become sloppy or forget manners. - May see, hear, smell, or taste things that are not there. - May accuse spouse of an affair or family members of stealing. - Naps frequently or awakens at night believing it is time to go to work. - Has more difficulty positioning the body to use the toilet or sit in a chair. - May think mirror image is following him or television story is happening to her. - Needs help finding the toilet, using the shower, remembering to drink, and dressing for the weather or occasion. - Exhibits inappropriate sexual behavior, such as mistaking another individual for a spouse. Forgets what is private behavior, and may disrobe or masturbate in public. Common Changes in Severe Alzheimer's Disease - Doesn't recognize self or close family. Speaks in gibberish, is mute, or is difficult to understand. - May refuse to eat, chokes, or forgets to swallow. - May repetitively cry out, pat or touch everything. - Loses control of bowel and bladder. - Loses weight and skin becomes thin and tears easily. - May look uncomfortable or cry out when transferred or touched. - Forgets how to walk or is too unsteady or weak to stand alone. - May have seizures, frequent infections, falls. - May groan, scream or mumble loudly. Sleeps more. - Needs total assistance for all activities of daily living. *Adapted from Caring for People with Alzheimer's Disease: A Manual for Facility Staff (2nd edition), by Lisa P. Gwyther, 2001. Published by the American Health Care Association (1201 L Street, NW, Washington, DC 20005) and the Alzheimer's Association (919 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 1100, Chicago, IL 60611). Alzheimer's Disease Diagnosis How is Alzheimer's Disease Diagnosed? Today, the only definite way to diagnose Alzheimer's Disease is to find out whether there are plaques and tangles in brain tissue. To look at brain tissue, however, doctors must usually wait until they do an autopsy, which is an examination of the body done after a person dies. Therefore, doctors can only make a diagnosis of "possible" or "probable" Alzheimer's Disease while the person is still alive. At specialized centers, doctors can diagnose Alzheimer's Disease correctly up to 90 percent of the time. Doctors use several tools to diagnose "probable" Alzheimer's Disease, including: - questions about the person's general health, past medical problems, and ability to carry out daily activities; - tests to measure memory, problem solving, attention, counting, and language; - medical tests - such as tests of blood, urine, or spinal fluid; and - brain scans. Sometimes these test results help the doctor find other possible causes of the person's symptoms. For example, thyroid problems, drug reactions, depression, brain tumors, and blood vessel disease in the brain can cause Alzheimer's Disease-like symptoms. Some of these other conditions can be treated successfully. What is the outlook for someone diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease? The course the disease takes and how fast changes occur vary from person to person. On average, Alzheimer's Disease patients live from 8 to 10 years after they are diagnosed, though the disease can last for as many as 20 years. Why is early diagnosis important? An early, accurate diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease helps patients and their families plan for the future. It gives them time to discuss care options while the patient can still take part in making decisions. Early diagnosis also offers the best chance to treat the symptoms of the disease. Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease What drugs are currently available to treat Alzheimer's Disease? No treatment can stop Alzheimer's Disease. However, for some people in the early and middle stages of the disease, the drugs tacrine (Cognex®), donepezil (Aricept®), rivastigmine (Exelon®), or galantamine (Razadyne®, formerly known as Reminyl®) may help prevent some symptoms from becoming worse for a limited time. Another drug, memantine (Namenda®), has been approved to treat moderate to severe Alzheimer's Disease, although it also is limited in its effects. Also, some medicines may help control behavioral symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease such as sleeplessness, agitation, wandering, anxiety, and depression. Treating these symptoms often makes patients more comfortable and makes their care easier for caregivers. What potential new treatments are being researched? The National Institute on Aging (NIA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is the lead Federal agency for Alzheimer's Disease research. NIA-supported scientists are testing a number of drugs to see if they prevent Alzheimer's Disease, slow the disease, or help reduce symptoms. Some ideas that seem promising turn out to have little or no benefit when they are carefully studied in a clinical trial. Researchers undertake clinical trials to learn whether treatments that appear promising in observational and animal studies actually are safe and effective in people. Mild Cognitive Impairment: During the past several years, scientists have focused on a type of memory change called mild cognitive impairment (MCI), which is different from both Alzheimer's Disease and normal age-related memory change. People with MCI have ongoing memory problems, but they do not have other losses such as confusion, attention problems, and difficulty with language. The NIA-funded Memory Impairment Study compared donepezil (Aricept), vitamin E, or placebo in participants with MCI to see whether the drugs might delay or prevent progression to Alzheimer's Disease. The study found that the group with MCI taking the drug donepezil were at reduced risk of progressing to Alzheimer's Disease for the first 18 months of a 3-year study when compared with their counterparts on placebo. The reduced risk of progressing from MCI to a diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease among participants on donepezil disappeared after 18 months, and by the end of the study, the probability of progressing to Alzheimer's Disease was the same in the two groups. Vitamin E had no effect at any time point in the study when compared with placebo. Neuroimaging: Scientists are finding that damage to parts of the brain involved in memory, such as the hippocampus, can sometimes be seen on brain scans before symptoms of the disease occur. An NIA public-private partnershipthe Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI)is a large study that will determine whether magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) scans, or other imaging or biological markers, can see early Alzheimer's Disease changes or measure disease progression. The project is designed to help speed clinical trials and find new ways to determine the effectiveness of treatments. Alzheimer's Disease Genetics: The NIA is sponsoring the Alzheimer's Disease Genetics Study to learn more about risk factor genes for late onset Alzheimer's Disease. To participate in this study, families with two or more living siblings diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease should contact the National Cell Repository for Alzheimer's Disease (NCRAD) toll-free at 1-800-526-2839. Information may also be requested through the studys website: http://ncrad.iu.edu. Inflammation: There is evidence that inflammation in the brain may contribute to Alzheimer's Disease damage. Some studies have suggested that drugs such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) might help slow the progression of Alzheimer's Disease, but clinical trials thus far have not demonstrated a benefit from these drugs. A clinical trial studying two of these drugs, rofecoxib (Vioxx) and naproxen (Aleve) showed that they did not delay the progression of Alzheimer's Disease in people who already have the disease. Another trial, testing whether the NSAIDs celecoxib (Celebrex) and naproxen could prevent Alzheimer's Disease in healthy older people at risk of the disease, has been suspended. However, investigators are continuing to follow the participants and are examining data regarding possible cardiovascular risk. Researchers are continuing to look for ways to test how other anti-inflammatory drugs might affect the development or progression of Alzheimer's Disease. Antioxidants: Several years ago, a clinical trial showed that vitamin E slowed the progress of some consequences of Alzheimer's Disease by about 7 months. Additional studies are investigating whether antioxidantsvitamins E and Ccan slow Alzheimer's Disease. Another clinical trial is examining whether vitamin E and/or selenium supplements can prevent Alzheimer's Disease or cognitive decline, and additional studies on other antioxidants are ongoing or being planned. Ginkgo biloba: Early studies suggested that extracts from the leaves of the ginkgo biloba tree may be of some help in treating Alzheimer's Disease symptoms. There is no evidence yet that ginkgo biloba will cure or prevent Alzheimer's Disease, but scientists now are trying to find out in a clinical trial whether ginkgo biloba can delay cognitive decline or prevent dementia in older people. Estrogen: Some studies have suggested that estrogen used by women to treat the symptoms of menopause also protects the brain. Experts also wondered whether using estrogen could reduce the risk of Alzheimer's Disease or slow the disease. Clinical trials to test estrogen, however, have not shown that estrogen can slow the progression of already diagnosed Alzheimer's Disease. And one study found that women over the age of 65 who used estrogen with a progestin were at greater risk of dementia, including Alzheimer's Disease, and that older women using only estrogen could also increase their chance of developing dementia. Scientists believe that more research is needed to find out if estrogen may play some role in Alzheimer's Disease. They would like to know whether starting estrogen therapy around the time of menopause, rather than at age 65 or older, will protect memory or prevent Alzheimer's Disease. DiseasesnDiagnosis.com Copy Rights 2008-2009. All Rights Reserved. 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