Symptoms And Progression Of Alzheimer 's Disease Essay

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

Dementia, defined by the Alzheimer’s Association, is the overall term for diseases and conditions characterized by a decline in memory or other thinking skills that affects a person’s ability to perform everyday activities. More than 250,000 Americans will develop dementia (including Alzheimer 's) when they are sixty-five or older and at eighty-five the risk of developing Alzheimer’s is fifty percent. Since this disease was found in 1907 by Alois Alzheimer, there have been thousands of dollars, research, and clinical trials put into finding a cure for this horrible disease. This literature review examines the effects of the type of Dementia known as

Dementia is not a disease but rather a group of symptoms caused by disorders that affect the brain (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, n. d). The hallmark of dementia, memory impairment, is accompanied by deficits in language, motor function, recognition, or executive function (Stahl, 2013). The most common forms of dementia are caused by Alzheimer’s disease (AD), vascular dementia, Lewy body dementia, and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (Prince et al., 2013). The risk of dementia increases with age. Dementia is rare below the age of sixty but affects about 17% of those between 80 and 85 years of age, 33% of those between 85 and 90 years old, and 50% of those over 90 years of age (Tom et al., 2015). As the

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

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), first described and named after Dr Alois Alzheimer in 1906, is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, neuropathologically characterised by gross cerebral atrophy, extracellular senile plaques and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles (Zetterberg & Mattsson, (2014). Clinically, AD is characterised by memory loss, cognitive impairment and behavioural and psychological changes (Carter, Resnick, Mallampalli & Kalbarczyk, 2012). The Behavioural and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD) have a significant impact on the quality of life of the person with dementia and the caregiver (Rouch et al, 2014). The existence and intensity of the BPSD has a greater negative impact on caregivers then the actual cognitive decline (Rouch et al, 2014).

Alzheimer's is the most common type of dementia that causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior. According to the mayo clinic staffs article “Definition,” In Alzheimer's disease, the brain cells themselves degenerate and die, causing a steady decline in memory and mental function. Alzheimer's is a progressive disease. This means that gradually, over time, more parts of the brain are damaged. As this disease progresses, more symptoms develop, and with time becomes more severe.

Alzheimer’s is a neurological disease, which causes memory loss, and other cognitive impairment due to the degeneration of the brain. It’s also a progressive disease, since its symptoms develop slowly, and gradually get worse over time. It usually occurs in three stages, which include early (mild), middle (moderate), and late (severe). In the early stages of this disease, memory loss is most common, whereas in the late stages, it becomes severe enough to affect daily tasks, such as communicating with friends and family. Moreover, Alzheimer’s symptoms, include memory loss, delusions, mood swings, etc., thus it causes issues with the individual’s memory, thinking and behavior. Furthermore, an individual diagnosed with Alzheimer’s can live up

Alzheimer’s is a genetic disease that affects the brain. It destroys neurotransmitters and eventually shrinks the brain cells. Some symptoms include forgetfulness, confusion, changes in behavior, inability to think properly, and the most common, memory loss. It progressively gets worse over time. Most people affected by this disease are over 65 years old. Because there are no specific tests to diagnose this disease, it is based off a doctor’s judgment. Scientists have created medicines to slow Alzheimer’s down, but there is sadly no cure for this tragic illness.

In the present day, there are quite several diseases that have yet to be treated and or prevented. One of those is a neurodegenerative disease called Alzheimer’s. Alzheimer’s is defined by a depreciation of memory and other cognitive functions that can lead to death with in 3 to 9 years after it is properly diagnosed. The disease effects more than 35 million people in the world, 5.5 million are effected right here in the United States. The main factor that is known to cause this disease that we know of right now is age. (Querfuth & LaFerla, 2010) As people start to get older their body’s start to deteriorate and this is when Alzheimer’s is known to start taking over in the body, more specifically the brain.

Over the years, the definition of the term “dementia” has broadened to include other mental diseases, such as Alzheimer’s. Although previous descriptions of dementia involve the onset of memory loss, the fourth edition of The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder (also known as DSMV-IV-TR) define dementia as “the development of multiple cognitive deficits (including memory impairment) that are due to the direct physiological effects of a general medical condition, to the persisting effects of a substance, to multiple etiologies” (e.g., the combined cerebrovascular

Alzheimer’s disease, also known as senile dementia, is defined as a progressive disease that destroys memory and other important mental functions. It is very traumatic for many people and has the capability to rob someone of their entire memory. Many are affected by it every year. Within the U.S. alone, there are over 3 million known cases of Alzheimer’s per year. Alzheimer’s is a stressful and frightening disease that may allow one to actively endure in rehabilitation practices and various other activities to help ease the rapid increase of this devastating disease.

Finkel, S.I., Costa e Silva, J., Cohen, G. (1996). Behavioral and psychological signs and symptoms of dementia: a consensus statement on current knowledge and implications for research and treatment. Int Psychogeriatr. 8(3). 497–500.

Alzheimer is a disease that affects the elderly most. The disease was discovered by Dr. Alois Alzheimer in the year 1906 when he was examining a female’s brain. He found out that the woman displayed memory loss, language problems and some inexplicable changes in behavior. The disease was named after the doctor who was a German psychiatrist and a neuropathologist. Alzheimer’s disease is a degenerative brain disorder that leads to memory loss, personality changes, and language problems (Gilbert & Julie 2). The disease is mostly diagnosed in people over the age of 65 years, though there is a small minority of people under the age of 50 who get the disease. Studies show that 1% of a whole population aged between the ages 65-75 have severe

mental activity can maintain good blood flow to the brain as to encourage new brain cells.

Cognitive decline, particularly dementia, remains among the most frightening and baffling effects of aging in humans. Among the spectrum of conditions which are encompassed by the phrase, Alzheimer’s Disease is perhaps the best-known and most prevalent. (NIH Alzheimer’s Disease Education and Referral Center)