Diagnosing Alzheimer's Disease

Dementia is an umbrella term used to describe a group of diseases that may cause the brain to fail. The most common one is Alzheimer’s followed closely behind by Parkinson’s. Alzheimer’s was discovered in 1906 by Dr. Alois Alzheimer, who discovered changes in the brain of a woman who died of an unusual mental. Her symptoms included memory loss, language problems, and unpredictable behavior. Doctor’s now look at brain scans to see abnormal changes in the brain. Doctors may ask questions both to the patient and a family member of the patient, such as, over-all health, past medical problems, ability to carry out daily activities, and changes in behavior and personality. They also might conduct tests of memory, problem solving, attention, counting, and language

Certain qualities are consistently observed in the Alzheimer’s victim. These dysfunction’s, though, are not exclusive to Alzheimer’s disease. Consequently, declaring Alzheimer’s by these parameters is a matter of degree rather than an absolute. Characteristic dysfunction’s have been noted in Alzheimer’s victims, but the degree and severity of these varies from patient to patient. Thus, evaluation of the patient’s mental status must be made based on the sum, rather than a single characteristic. Memory is one of the first noticed deficiencies, beginning typically with the recent and short term memory, and progressing from there as the disease grows more severe. In addition, deterioration in language skills, attention span, praxis (performance of an action), and visuospatial skills are commonly seen. Also observed are changes in the actions and personality of the Alzheimer’s victim. These include changes in mood, motor activities, activities of daily living, socialization skills, psychotic disturbances, vegetative symptomology, and rise in anxiety levels. Again, the

Alzheimer’s is a disease in the brain that affects a person’s memory, thinking, and behavior. It is the most common form of dementia and is common in adults older than 65. More than five million Americans are being affected by Alzheimer’s at this moment. Alzheimer’s comes in three stages; early, middle, and advanced. The disease is caused by the shrinking of the brain due to many risk factors and genetics.

Alzheimer’s disease is a chronic neurodegenerative disease that accounts for sixty to seventy percent of Dementia cases. It is characterized by the development of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles, the loss of connection between neurons in the brain and the death of nerve cells. There are two types of Alzheimer’s Early on-set Alzheimer’s which occur from the ages of thirty to sixty is very rare and makes up less than five percent of the cases of Alzheimer’s . The second type is Late on-set Alzheimer’s which is the most common type and it is found in those of ages sixty and up. The progression of Alzheimer’s is a lengthy progress from the time of diagnosis the average life expectancy is three to nine years. In the early stages people have difficulty with short term memory loss as the disease progresses symptoms include difficulties with language, disorientation, mood swings, loss of motivation, loss of self-care and behavioral issues. As Alzheimer’s progresses a person slowly withdraws from family life and society due to the jumbled state of their memory. On a physical level the body’s physical function slowly degenerates and eventually leads to death.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive and fatal form of dementia, frequently seen in the elderly altering their cognition, thought process and behavior. AD is reported in about half of patients that have a dementia diagnosis; one study states that about 10.3% of the population over 65 years is affected by dementia with an increase to almost 50% over the age of 8 (Beattie, 2002). Alzheimer’s disease is not a normal part of the aging process in humans, but rather found in a group of diseases that affect the brain leading to a decline in mental and physical control. AD when diagnosed has a very slow and gradual course, initially affecting the individual’s short term memory (Beattie, 2002). Alzheimer’s disease is the 6th leading cause of death, affecting more than five million people in the United States and is also one of the most common forms of dementia. Dementia can be defined as a disorder of progressive cognitive impairment severe enough to affect daily functions of an individual’s life (Fillit, et al., 2002).

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive brain disease which slowly destroys thinking and memory skills. These changes are severe enough to interfere with day to day life. This irreversible disease is the most common cause of dementia amongst the elderly, with an appearance of first symptoms after age 60.

What is Alzheimer’s disease and how is it affecting lives in the world today? The Alzheimer’s Association state that every 67 seconds someone is diagnosed with the Alzheimer’s disease (Alzheimer’s Association, 2). The Alzheimer’s disease occurs in middle to older ages, and is a general deterioration of the brain. Symptoms of the Alzheimer’s disease include memory loss within the daily lifestyle, hard time completing tasks and problems, misunderstanding time and/or place, clarity problems with relationships or visual images, personality and mood deviations, and removing oneself from social and work activities that are in their normal lifestyle. The Alzheimer’s disease does get worse and progress overtime, and is one of the leading diseases for the cause of death. Bright Focus Foundation

Alzheimer's is a type of dementia that causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior. It is the most common form of Dementia which is a general term for a decline in mental ability severe enough to interfere with daily life. Alzheimer’s accounts for 60-80% of dementia cases. Based on 2018 Alzheimer’s Association statistics, there are more than 5 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s over the age of 65 (Alzheimer’s Association, 2018). Many scientists state the death rate for heart disease has declined by 11% while death by Alzheimer’s has raised by 123% (Alzheimer’s Association, 2018). It is considered to be the 6th leading cause of death in the United States (Alzheimer’s Association, 2018). Alzheimer’s disease(AD) is an abnormal aging

Alzheimer’s disease is an irreversible, degenerative brain disorder that slowly diminishes memory and thinking skills, eventually destroying the brain’s cognitive ability to carry out even the simplest of tasks. Alzheimer’s disease is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. One in three seniors in America dies with Alzheimer’s disease or some other form of dementia.

Alzheimer’s Dementia has seven stages. Stage one is no impairment or normal function. Stage two is very mild cognitive decline. This stage can be the earliest signs of Alzheimer’s or age-related changes such as forgetfulness. Stage three is mild cognitive decline. This is when doctors can diagnose the beginnings of Alzheimer’s. Common stage three difficulties include trouble remembering names, greater difficulty completing or staying on task, and increased trouble with organizing and planning. Stage four is moderate cognitive decline. Symptoms in this stage become more clear such as forgetting recent events, becoming moody or withdrawn, and greater ability to perform complex tasks. Stage five is moderately severe cognitive decline or mid-stage Alzheimer’s. During this stage the patient may not be able to remember his or her address or telephone number and become confused about where he or she is and what day it is. The patient will still be able remember significant details about his or her family and past. Stage six is severe cognitive decline. During this stage memory continues to worsen and personality changes may begin to take place. This stage also includes wandering, changes in sleep patterns, incontinence, and remembering names of family members. The final stage is seven: very severe decline or late-stage Alzheimer’s. In this final stage the patient will lose his or her ability to respond, have a

There are many symptoms of Early Onset Alzheimer's. The symptoms are divided into two categories: early and late. Early symptoms include: forgetting things one would usually remember; asking for the same information again; poor judgement; easily losing track of date, time, and where one is; difficulty solving problems; changes in personality and lack of motivation. Some of the late symptoms are: severe mood swings; confusion about time, date and year; not knowing/being suspicious of who family/friends are; severe memory loss and difficulty swallowing, walking, and

In stages, one and two the disease does not impact the person because it is only the start of the disease. As the disease progresses the person, as well as the person’s family, will be impacted greatly. In stage three the decline in the person is mild, the person will experience difficulty finding the right words during conversation, and he or she will frequently lose personal items (What are the 7 Stages of Alzheimer’s Disease?). During this stage, family and loved ones will start to notice the changes in the person’s thinking and reasoning. In this stage of the disease the person who is affected with Alzheimer’s might ask the same question over and over again, the person also has troubles remembering the names when meeting new people

Alzheimer’s is a disease that affect the brain and it is a form of dementia. It causes problems with cognition such as memory, thinking, visual perception and behavior. It is a progressive disease, in other words, it worsens over time. The exact cause of this disease is unknown, however, studies have shown that certain conditions may predispose a person to Alzheimer, such as smoking, depression, diabetes and midlife high blood pressure, to name a few (McCane, Huerther, 2015)

Alzheimer’s disease is a very slowly progressive disease that occurs inside the brain in which is characterized by damage of memory. Also this type of disease can lead into interruption in language, problem solving, planning and perception. The chance of a person developing Alzheimer’s disease increases enormously after the age of 70 (Crystal, 2009). Also people who are over the age of 85 have over a 50 percent chance of developing Alzheimer’s disease. This type of disease is not at all normal in the aging process and is also not something that happens out of no where in a person’s life.

Alzheimer’s is a progressive disease that impairs memory, thoughts and behavior. The impairment of Alzheimer’s can lead to symptoms of forgetfulness, difficulty with time, language problems or the inability to recognize loved ones. (Colbert, 2013) The early stages of Alzheimer’s can be subtle; beginning with lapses in memory or difficulty remembering the words for objects. (Alzheimer's Disease, n.d.) Common symptoms of Alzheimer’s vary with each individual according to the affected areas of the brain (as seen in appendix one).