Alzheimer’s Disease and the Symptoms

Alzheimer’s disease is a common dementia that slowly causes problem with your memory and behavior. Since the symptoms are not noticeable in the beginning the disease is hard to detect. alzheimers is said to affect people who are in their middle age or old age. Alzheimers disease was discovered by german physician dr. Alois alzheimer in 1906 when he discovered changes in patients brain tissues and changes in their behavior and the patient having a difficult time recalling memories.

In 1968 researchers develop the first approved measurement scale for measuring each decline of function an adult has.

this scale measures the damage of the brain with estimates of the number of brain lesions and the total of damaged or abnormal tissues. The brain contains a nucleus that contains the instructions also known as neurons on how to the regulate the brains activities. The function of neurons depend upon the process of communication metabolism and repairs.

Alzheimers destroys neurons and the way they connect to each part of the brain including the entorhinal cortex hippocampus and an enlargement of the ventricles. It will later affect the cerebral cortex and the patient will lose control of their behavior and language:

• stage 1: during this stage the disease is not detectable and the patient can still function individually. No symptoms are detected.
• stage 2: the patient may notice minor memory problems but not to the point where it can be distinguished with testing.
• stage 3: the patients performance on memory test will be affected and physicians will be able to detect disabled thinking. Symptoms will start to appear as the disease spreads. It takes seven years for it to make its way to stage 4.
• stage 4: the patient will notice clear symptoms of disease and will begin to see signs of short term memory loss. This stage usually last two years.
• stage 5: the patient will begin to have no memory of doing daily activities and will need to be assigned a caregiver. This stage usually last one and a half years.
• stage 6: the patient will have personality changes such as being more aggressive anxiety and delusions. They will have no memory of close friends or family members. this stage will last about two and a half years.
• stage 7: at this stage most people will have lost the ability to do any adl and will need around the clock assistance. Often during stage 7 the patient may lose the psychomotor capabilities such as dressing themselves such as needing assistance with ambulation. This stage will last about two and a half years.

Neurologist a specialist who deals with diseases of the nervous system psychiatrist a specialist who deals with disorders that affect the patient’s mood and the way the mind works psychologist someone who has special training to help test memory and function. Geriatrician someone who specializes in the issues of older adults the fda approved of two types of medication that lessen the symptoms.

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