Alzheimer's

Alzheimer's disease is one of the most serious and progressive forms of mental deterioration known as dementia, and the most common type of dementia to affect older people in America. Alzheimer's impacts a part of the brain that controls cognitive function, including memory, comprehension, thought processing, and language capabilities. All people who develop Alzheimer's disease become unable to care for themselves once the condition reaches its final stages.

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive brain disorder that gradually destroys a person’s memory and mental functioning, including the ability to reason, learn, and communicate. It may also be marked by changes in personality and behavior, including increasing anxiety, agitation, and delusion.

The vast majority of cases of Alzheimer's disease are sporadic, meaning that they are not genetically inherited although some genes may act as risk factors. On the other hand around 0.1% of the cases are familial forms of autosomal-dominant inheritance, which usually have an onset before age 65.

What Causes Alzheimer’s Disease? Experts are not sure exactly how Alzheimer’s develops, but there is evidence that it may be linked to the deposit of beta-amyloid protein plaques (abnormal patches of material) in the brain. Post-mortem, these plaques have been found in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients in the areas of the brain related to memory.

Although the course of Alzheimer's disease is unique for every individual, there are many common symptoms. The earliest observable symptoms are often mistakenly thought to be 'age-related' concerns, or manifestations of stress. In the early stages, the most commonly recognised symptom is memory loss, such as difficulty in remembering recently learned facts. When a doctor or physician has been notified, and Alzheimer's disease is suspected, the diagnosis is usually confirmed with behavioural assessments and cognitive tests, often followed by a brain scan if available.