Symptoms And Diagnosis Of Alzheimer 's Disease

Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is a form of dementia which shares characteristics with both Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. It accounts for around 10% of all cases of dementia in older people and tends to be under-diagnosed. 
Named after the doctor who first identified them in 1912, Lewy bodies are tiny, spherical protein deposits found in nerve cells. Their presence in the brain disrupts the brain’s normal functioning, interrupting the action of important chemical messengers. Lewy bodies are also found in the brains of people with Parkinson’s disease, a progressive neurological disease that affects movement. 
Dementia with Lewy bodies is

Dementia is a disorder that leads to a gradual loss of the cognitive capacity of an individual, ultimately affecting one’s daily activities. Dementia does manifests through the accompanying disorders because it does not exist on its own. In other words, dementia is a disorder that comes about through the existence of the related disorders. The main ones are four, but they are not the only disorders that cause dementia. These include Lewy Bodies dementia (LBD), Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and vascular dementia (VD). Others include mixed dementia, Huntington’s disease, Huntington’s disease, Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome, Parkinson’s disease, Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease, Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus and Frontotemporal dementia. According to Ram (2006), these disorders have a broad spectrum of impacts on the patients besides having devastating effects on the overall economy of the world’s nations especially when the number is significantly high. The paper intends to dig out the milestones the dementia disorder has undergone.

An estimated 47.5 million people suffer from dementia. Every 4 seconds one new case of dementia is diagnosed. Dementia is a term that describes certain symptoms such as impairment to memory, communication and thinking. It is a group of symptoms and not just one illness. Even though one‘s chance of getting dementia increase with age, it is not a part of aging. Dementia is usually diagnosed after a series of assessments that includes a physical evaluation, memory tests, imaging studies and blood work. It affects three aspects of one’s mental function, cognitive dysfunction (Problems with memory, language, thinking and problem solving), psychiatric behavior (changes in personality, emotional control, social behavior and delusions) and difficulties with daily living activities (driving, shopping, eating and dressing). “The median survival time in women is 4.6 years and in men 4.1 years” (Warren, 2016).

Alzheimer’s disease, also referred to as AD, is a form of dementia that affects millions of people worldwide. AD is best known for causing memory loss in those who suffer from it, as well as affecting decision-making, language, and decision making progressively over time (Zou et at, 2014). According to Zou et el (2014), the symptoms of AD are caused by a build of plaques in the neurons of the brain. Alois Alzheimer discovered the disease, which was later named after him, when a woman at the age of 51 presented to him with a case of dementia that was new to him. Alzheimer was able to deduce the behavior of the woman with certain cognitive features, as well as through autopsy proceedings, that the symptoms were caused by “senile plaques” within

Alzheimer’s disease, considered the most common form of dementia, is a degenerative brain disorder which leads to loss of memory and decline of cognitive thinking. Alzheimer’s disease effects over 5 million Americans, a number which is expected to triple in the projected future, and is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States (Dougherty, R.J., et al). Majority of these affected people are sixty-five years of age or older and have what is called late-onset Alzheimer’s, whilst a smaller margin of individuals is younger than sixty-five years of age and are said to have early-onset Alzheimer’s. Alzheimer’s disease presents itself in three main stages, is caused by the degeneration of neurons and by the changes in protein composition in the brain, and despite the lack of definitive, early diagnosis or preventative treatment the disease can to a certain degree be detected and managed.

Diagnosing Alzheimer’s may not always be easy for physicians since there are many diseases and disorders that closely relate to Alzheimer’s. Physicians and specialists can diagnose Alzheimer’s by asking the family questions about past health, conducting memory and problem solving tests, and performing a Computed Tomography (CT), a Positron Emission Tomography (PET Scan) or a Magnetic Resonance Imaging test (MRI). Conditions that are related to Alzheimer’s include dementia, psychosis, Parkinson’s, major depression, and insomnia. Since Alzheimer's is a progressive disease, there are many changes that occur in the brain. Abnormal deposits of proteins form plaques and tangles throughout the brain. Once the healthy neurons stop functioning, they lose connections with other neurons and eventually die. The damage mostly appears in the hippocampus, the part of the brain that is essential for forming memories. There is currently no cure for Alzheimer’s but medications can improve symptoms. Cognition-enhancing medications are used to improve mental function and balance

Alzheimer’s disease is a form of dementia affecting the older population. Symptoms are more noticeable over time due to the severity of the stages worsening. Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia. It accounts for fifty to eighty percent of dementia cases. Contrary to belief Alzheimer’s is not a normal part of aging. Different parts of the brain are affected causing multiple symptoms sometimes not diagnosed until later stages in the disease.

The movie Still Alice, portrays the life of Dr. Alice Howland and her family, as they deal with the heartbreaking diagnosis and life tribulations of Alice as she deteriorates with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease at 50 years of age. This heartwarming story will touch the hearts and unravel the emotions of its viewers from the beginning until the end.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common type of dementia, and accounts for more than half of the dementia cases. The disease was named after German psychiatrist and neuropathologist Alois Alzheimer in 1906. Increased levels of protein inside and outside the brain’s nervous cells make it hard to stay healthy, causing them to deteriorate and eventually die. The brain region called the hippocampus is the center of learning and memory in the brain, and the cells in this region are often the first to be damaged. Eventually, the size of the hippocampus will become smaller from lack of cell growth. An MRI

Dementia is a disorder that affects the memory and thinking of whoever has it. It is very important to understand the different types of the disorder to get proper treatment. Dementia also can cause anger issues as it develops over time. Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia as if effects around five million people. Symptoms include forgetting day or year, forgetting where placing things and trying to find them later, and poor judgement. Vascular dementia is usually caused when some has a major stroke or a silent stroke. Symptoms include trouble talking or understanding speech, inability to recognize familiar sounds and sights, and frequent trouble with walking. DLB dementia effects not only a persons mental state, but

Common signs of dementia include memory loss, especially with loss of memory for recent events such as forgetting messages, remembering names or asking the same questions repeatedly. Increasingly having difficulty with tasks and activities which require any organisation and planning. You may become confused in unfamiliar environments and have difficulty finding the right words and also have difficulty with numbers, for example handling money in shops. There would be changes in personality and mood and you might suffer from depression.

In general, each neuron releases a single type of neurotransmitter. Neurons that release the neurotransmitter acetylcholine are called cholinergic neurons and degeneration of cholinergic neurons in the brain are associated with Alzheimer’s (Sherwood). Drugs classified as short-term cholinesterase inhibitors are used to treat Alzheimer’s because the drugs prolong the effect of acetylcholine. There are special cells called microglia that are associated with Alzheimer’s disease as well. Microglia are immune defense cells in the CNS (central nervous system) or brain and spinal cord. The remove foreign and degenerate material in the CNS. Overactive microglia appear to be involved in a variety of inflammation-related disorders like Alzheimer’s (Sherwood). Inflammation is triggered by the body’s immune system and is a factor that plays in the progression of the disease (Alzheimer’s Disease & Dementia).

As the world becomes more happy and joyful, people haven’t stepped into the world of Alzheimer’s yet. Just imagine losing your ability to do normal things you do every day and then you can’t do them anymore. Alzheimer’s is a type of dementia that causes changes and differences in memory, behavior, and how the person’s brain works. The symptoms of Alzheimer’s worsen over time. (Alzheimer’s Association 2015). All of the family members will be affected if one person gets this disease. This is disease is ranking sixth for the leading cause of death in the US; this is how bad it is. This disease is very common in the USA. The stages of this disease can be very graphic and sometimes extremely disturbing for the family. Ultimately people that have Alzheimer’s usually die from the disease. (National Institute of Health 2015).

For decades society has been dealing with the dreadful effects of Alzheimer’s disease, from the emotional diagnosis, to family member involvement, and the demanding needs, financially. Scientist and researchers, with the monetary contributions from fundraising organizations like, The Alzheimer’s Association, The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, along with many additional establishments work around the clock expectantly to find a cure for this mind altering disease. Now a days, there are many groups available for any person needing information on Alzheimer’s disease. Personal experience gained from caring for the elderly in my lifetime, is the motivation behind my awareness of this dreadful disease. It wasn’t until my job as a supervisor of an Alzheimer’s unit, that my understanding of this ghastly disease, made me grasp just how tough it is for every person involved. This unbearable disease, becomes a family disease, family members are faced with many heart wrenching decisions and robbed of their loved ones. Just envision, if you will, awakening one morning and nothing is familiar, your wife/husband, children, or friends. Imagine, if it’s your mom or dad, either way devastation is what comes to mind. This disease steals your memories, the life you once recognized has vanished. The topics covered in the following text include, an overview of Alzheimer’s disease/dementia, some statistics, emotional effect on those with A.D., family member involvement

Alzheimer 's disease is a form of dementia generally known for afflicting memory loss. An estimated 5 million Americans suffer from this disease (NIH, 2014). It is not a normal part of aging. Alzheimer’s is common among the elderly, yet surprisingly, two-thirds of the people affected are women. While two thirds affected are women, they are also more likely to be from an African-American or Hispanic descent. Alzheimer 's disease is present in 60 to 80 percent of dementia patients (Mayo Clinic, 2015). A symptom of Alzheimer 's is difficulty remembering newly obtained information. As time passes, Alzheimer’s symptoms worsen and there is no cure; there are research studies and experimental treatments available. An estimated $226