Alzheimer’s disease is a situation that affects the brain and gets worse over time. It starts with mild symptoms and becomes more severe as time goes on. The condition is named in honor of Dr. Alois Alzheimer, who first described it in 1906.
Some common signs of Alzheimer’s disease are memory loss, trouble with language, and unidentified behavior.
One key feature of Alzheimer’s is the presence of abnormal structures in the brain called tangles and plaques. Another important characteristic is the connections lost between nerve cells in the brain.
These changes make it difficult for information to move between different areas of the brain and between the brain and the rest of the body.
As the disease progresses, people find it harder to remember recent cases, think clearly, and recognize familiar faces. Eventually, individuals with Alzheimer’s may require full-time care.
Symptoms
Alzheimer’s disease is a continuing condition, meaning the symptoms get bad over time. One of the first and most noticeable symptoms is memory loss, which can significantly impact daily life.
The symptoms of Alzheimer’s develop slowly, over months or even years. If symptoms appear suddenly, about hours or days, it could indicate a medical emergency such as a stroke, and immediate medical attention is required.
Memory Loss
Memory loss is a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease. Individuals may struggle to take in new information and recall existing information. This can manifest in several ways:
- Repeating conversations or questions frequently.
- Misplacing objects often.
- Forgetting about appointments or events.
- Wandering or getting lost in familiar places.
Cognitive Deficits
People with Alzheimer’s often experience cognitive deficits, which affect reasoning, difficult tasks, and judgment. This can result in:
- A diminished understanding of risks and safety.
- Difficulties handling money or paying bills.
- Trouble making decisions.
- Challenges completing multi-step tasks, such as dressing.
Problems with Identification
As Alzheimer’s progresses, individuals may have trouble recognizing objects or faces or using everyday tools, even though their vision is not impaired.
Problems with Spatial Awareness
Spatial awareness issues are common in Alzheimer’s patients. They may struggle with balance, spill or trip things more frequently, or have difficulty orienting their clothes to their bodies when dressing.
Problems with Communication
Reading, speaking, and writing can become challenging. Individuals might have trouble finding common words or make more frequent errors in spelling, speech, or writing.
Behavior and Personality Changes
Changes in personality and behavior are also typical. These can include:
- Becoming more angry, upset, or anxious.
- Losing interest or motivation in activities they previously enjoyed.
- Showing less empathy towards others.
- Engaging in obsessive, compulsive, or socially unsuitable behavior.
Stages of Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s disease progresses from light to heavy stages. It starts with light impairment, advances to normal impairment, and eventually leads to serious cognitive decline.
Mild Alzheimer’s Disease
In the mild stage, people begin to experience memory problems and cognitive difficulties. Symptoms may include:
- Taking more time to perform daily tasks.
- Difficulty managing money or paying bills.
- Wandering and getting lost.
- Experiencing changes in behavior and personality, such as becoming easily angry or upset, and hiding things.
Moderate Alzheimer’s Disease
As the disease progresses to the moderate stage, the brain areas responsible for senses, language, consciousness, and reasoning, become damaged. This results in:
- Greater confusion and memory loss.
- Difficulty identifying friends or family members.
- Challenges in performing actions with multiple steps, such as getting ready.
- Difficulty facing new situations.
- Impulsive behavior.
- Experiencing delusions, hallucinations, or paranoia.
Severe Alzheimer’s Disease
In the severe stage, tangles and plaques are widespread across the brain, leading to significant shrinkage of brain tissue. This leads to:
- Difficult to communicate.
- Depends on others for care.
- Being confined to bed for most or all of the time.
Diagnosis
To diagnose Alzheimer’s disease, a person must be facing and the family notices these symptoms before the individual does. There is no single test for Alzheimer’s; instead, doctors rely on a comprehensive evaluation. This includes discussions with the patient and sometimes their caregivers or family about experiences, symptoms, and medical history.
Doctors may also perform several tests to confirm the diagnosis. These can include memory and cognitive tests to evaluate thinking and recall abilities, neurological function tests to assess senses, balance, and reflexes, as well as blood and urine tests.
Imaging tests like CT or MRI scans of the brain can reveal structural changes, and genetic testing may be conducted, especially if there is a family history of dementia-related conditions like Huntington’s disease. Some ways of the APOE e4 gene are linked to a higher risk of Alzheimer’s, and early genetic testing can indicate the likelihood of developing the disease. However, this genetic examination is controversial due to its limited reliability.
Treatments
There is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease, and once brain cells die, they cannot be revived. However, treatments are available that can help relieve symptoms and boost the quality of life for patients and their families.
Effective dementia care includes several key elements. Managing any other health conditions the person may have, participating in actions and daycare programs, and getting support from services and groups are all important. Below, we will discuss treatments and medications for behavioral changes associated with Alzheimer’s.
Treatment for Cognitive Symptoms
While no drugs can cure or stop Alzheimer’s disease, some medications can reduce symptoms and help boost the quality of life. Cholinesterase inhibitors are a type of medication that can help with cognitive symptoms like confusion, memory loss, and difficulties with thinking and judgment. These drugs work by improving communication between nerve cells in the brain and may slow the progression of these signs.
Three common cholinesterase inhibitors approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat Alzheimer’s symptoms are:
- Donepezil (Aricept) for all stages of Alzheimer’s.
- Galantamine (Razadyne) for mild-to-moderate levels.
- Rivastigmine (Exelon) for mild-to-moderate levels.
Another drug, memantine (Namenda), is approved to medicate moderate-to-severe Alzheimer’s disease. Additionally, a combination of donepezil and memantine is available for treatment. These medications do not cure Alzheimer’s but can help manage symptoms and improve daily functioning.
Causes
Alzheimer’s disease, like all kinds of dementia, happens because brain cells die. It is a neurodegenerative condition, meaning the death of brain cells occurs gradually over time.
In individuals with Alzheimer’s disease, the brain tissue slowly loses nerve cells. Additionally, small deposits called tangles and plaques build up in the nerve tissue. Plaques form between dead brain cells and are made of a protein called beta-amyloid. Tangles form inside the nerve cells and are made of a protein called tau.
Researchers do not realize why these changes happen, but several factors may play a role. The Alzheimer’s Association has created a visual guide to illustrate the process of growing Alzheimer’s disease. This guide helps to explain the progression of the disease and the changes in the brain.
Summary
Alzheimer’s disease is a condition that causes the brain to deteriorate over time. This happens because of the buildup of tangles and plaques in the brain, which, along with the death of brain cells, leads to memory loss and difficulties with thinking.
Although there is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease at the moment, medications and other treatments can help slow down or reduce the symptoms. These treatments can improve memory, mood, and behavior, helping to enhance the quality of life for those affected by the disease.
