Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's Disease

The last time you visited your elderly mother, she seemed confused and disoriented. She kept asking the same question over and over again and couldn't remember that you'd already given her an answer a dozen times. She laughed uproariously over something you said that wasn't meant to be funny and spend a good deal of your visit staring into space with a blank expression in her eyes. When you got ready to leave she became quite upset because she couldn't find her purse and accused you of hiding it. None of the behaviors is typical for her, and you can't help wondering; could this be Alzheimers disease?

Alzheimer's 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 or 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 Alzheimer's disease. Scientists have also found other brain changes in people with Alzheimer's disease. Nerve cells die in areas of the brain that re vital to memory and other mental abilities, and connections between nerve cells are disrupted. There also are lower levels of some of the chemicals in the brain that carry messages back and forth between nerve cells. Alzheimer's disease may impair thinking and memory by disrupting these messages.

It is not fully understood what causes Alzheimer's disease; there may not be one single cause, but several factors that affect each person differently. Age is the most important known risk factor. 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 cases. A rare form; early-onset familial Alzheimer's disease usually occurs between the ages of 30 and 60, is inherited. The more common form of Alzheimer's is known as late -onset. It occurs later in life, and no obvious inheritance patters in seen in most families. However; several risk factor genes may 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 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. Scientists are studying education, diet, and environment to learn what role they might play in the development of this disease. Scientists are finding 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 foliate, may also increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease is a physical illness that caused changes in the brain. It is a form of dementia. Alzheimer's disease begins slowly, at first; the only symptom may be mild forgetfulness; which can be confused with age related memory changes. Most people with mild forgetfulness do not have AD. In the early stage of Alzheimer's disease, People may have trouble remembering recent events, activities, or the names of familiar people or things.

The person has difficulty remembering things or learning new information. In the later stages of the disease, long-term memory loss occurs, which means that the person can't remember personal information, such as his or her place of birth or occupation, or names of close family members.

People with Alzheimer's disease may get lost when out on their own and may not be able to remember where they are or how they got there. They may not recognize previously familiar places and situations. They also may not recognize familiar faces or know what time of the day it is, or even what year it is.

The person forgets where he or she put things used every day, such as glasses, a hearing aid, keys, etc. The person may also put things in strange places, such as leaving their glasses in the refrigerator.

People with Alzheimer's disease may find certain tasks -- such as balancing a checkbook -- more difficult than usual. For example, they might forget what the numbers mean and what needs to be done with them.

The person begins to have difficulty performing daily tasks, such as eating, dressing, and grooming. Planning for normal day-to-day tasks is also impaired.

The person becomes unusually angry, irritable, restless, or quiet. At times, people with Alzheimer's disease can become confused, paranoid, or fearful.

People with Alzheimer's disease may leave the house on a cold day without a coat or shoes, or could go to the store wearing their pajamas.

The person has difficulty understanding simple commands or directions. The person may get lost easily and begin to wander.

The person can't recall words, name objects (even ones that are very familiar to them -- like a pen), or understand the meaning of common words.

The person loses spatial abilities (the ability to judge shapes and sizes, and the relationship of objects in space) and can't arrange items in a certain order or recognize shapes.

The person may become very passive and require prompting to become involved and interact with others.

The person may sleep during the day and be wide-awake at night.

It is important to visit a doctor if you or a loved one experiences any of these symptoms so you can receive the proper evaluation and diagnosis. There are other conditions -- such as depression, a head injury, certain chemical imbalances, or the effects of some medications --that can produce symptoms that are similar to Alzheimer's disease. Many of these conditions are treatable.

A doctor can only determine if the symptoms are probably due to Alzheimer's disease after a thorough medical, psychiatric, and neurological evaluation. He will evaluate other possible causes of dementia to rule out all other factors before settling on Alzheimer's