| Introduction | | | | neuropsychological testing can reveal mild cognitive |
| Alzheimer's disease (AD), also called Alzheimer | | | | difficulties even eight years before a person fullfils |
| disease, and simply known as Alzheimer's, is a | | | | clinical criteria of diagnosis. |
| neurodegenerative disease that, in its most | | | | Symptoms |
| common form, is found in people over 65 years | | | | Symptoms of AD include memory loss, language |
| old. Alzheimer's disease has been identified as a | | | | deterioration, impaired ability to mentally |
| protein misfolding disease, or proteopathy, due to | | | | manipulate visual information, poor judgment, |
| the accumulation of abnormally folded A-beta and | | | | confusion, restlessness, and mood swings. But |
| tau proteins in the brains of AD patients. | | | | treatments for symptoms, combined with the |
| Alzheimer's destroys brain cells, causing problems | | | | right services and support, can make life better |
| with memory, thinking and behavior severe | | | | for the millions of Americans living with |
| enough to affect work, lifelong hobbies or social | | | | Alzheimer's. 30% of the patients also develop |
| life. Alzheimer's disease is the most frequent type | | | | illusionary misidentifications and other delusional |
| of dementia in the elderly and affects almost half | | | | symptoms. All these symptoms probably make |
| of all patients with dementia. Alzheimer's is a | | | | this stage the most stressful of all for relatives |
| major public health challenge since the median age | | | | and caretakers, increasing the likelihood of ending |
| of the industrialized world's population is increasing | | | | home care. |
| gradually. | | | | Treatment |
| Diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease | | | | Traditional medical treatment may depend on the |
| There is a great deal of optimism that early | | | | developmental stage of the disease. Treatment |
| screening and diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease will | | | | modalities include counseling, psychotherapy (if |
| result in treatments that may reduce some of | | | | cognitive functioning is adequate), reminiscent |
| the risk factors. At the time of a diagnosis, an | | | | therapy, reality orientation therapy, and behavioral |
| individual is not necessarily in the early stage of | | | | reinforcements as well as cognitive rehabilitation |
| the disease; he or she may have progressed | | | | training. Treatment includes relieving the patient's |
| beyond the early stage. | | | | symptoms and alleviating stress on care givers |
| Accordingly; for most of the twentieth century, | | | | through support groups and counseling services. |
| the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease was reserved | | | | Conclusion |
| for individuals between the ages of 45 and 65 | | | | The average course of the disease from the time |
| who developed symptoms of dementia. In most | | | | it is diagnosed to death is about 6 to 8 years. |
| people with the disease the increasing impairments | | | | Alzheimer's disease cannot be definitely diagnosed |
| in learning and memory will lead to diagnosis, while | | | | until after death, when the brain can be closely |
| in a small proportion of them language, executive | | | | examined for certain microscopic changes caused |
| or visuoconstructional dificulties will be more salient. | | | | by the disease. Alzheimer's disease has a |
| However, a definitive diagnosis of Alzheimer's | | | | tremendous impact at any age. With new |
| disease as a particular cause of dementia must | | | | treatment its more important than ever that you |
| await microscopic examination of brain tissue; | | | | recognize early symptoms and get help as soon |
| which generally occurs at autopsy and less often | | | | as possible. |
| with a pre-mortem brain biopsy. Careful | | | | |