Tennessee Commission on Aging and Disability
Mike Hann, Executive Director
What is Alzheimer's Disease
Alzheimer's Disease ((pronounced Alz-hi-merz) is a progressive degenerative disease that attacks the brain and results in impaired memory, thinking, and behavior. It is considered to be one of the most common forms of dementia.” – *Alzheimer's Association.
Click Quick Facts" for some statistical information.
The discovery of this disease is attributed to a German physician named Alois Alzheimer - hence the name Alzheimer's Disease. In 1906, he performed an autopsy on the brain of a woman who had exhibited irrational behavior while alive. The autopsy revealed some abnormalities in the brain, specifically plaques and tangles. Click here to see a picture of a brain with Alzheimer's Disease, then click your back button to return to this page; if you click anything else, you will lose this page. (This picture of the brain is on The American Health Assistance Foundation site.) It was not until the 1980’s that scientists pinpointed the proteins that contribute to this condition. Research is providing information as to how these plaques and tangles develop and relate to other alterations in the brain. Nerve cells, when attacked by Alzheimer's Disease, degenerate. Some nerve cells die.
A person suffering with Alzheimer’s faces each day as if it was his first day on earth. Everything and everyone is unfamiliar and the patient has to re-associate himself with all things in his/her environment.
...It’s not just a case of forgetting how to tie one's shoes, but remembering what shoestrings are for
Alzheimer's Disease typically affects people older than 55, although cases of early-onset Alzheimer's Disease have shown up in younger people. Early-onset Alzheimer's is generally more severe and much shorter. Though not commonly presented in younger people, it can show up in adults
of all ages. Its prevalence increases greatly with age. What's not known at this time is if this is just a "normal" progression of old age.
What are the causes of Alzheimer's Disease?
...No one yet knows exactly what causes Alzheimer's
Alzheimer's Disease is a type of dementia. Dementia is a condition of mental deterioration. There are many types of dementia. Not every dementia is Alzheimer's Disease. Some dementias are short-lived, reversible or at least treatable. At this juncture, Alzheimer's Disease is not reversible, and once diagnosed, it is with the person until death. There is no specific treatment for the disease, although some symptoms can be managed with medication. The causes of dementia are numerous. But, if you look at causes of dementia in different age groups you will find that AD accounts for up to 75% of all dementia cases in people over the age of 60. Other causes include multiple strokes or vascular dementia, Huntington's disease, Parkinson's disease, Pick's disease, multiple sclerosis, and many others.
"The reason AD is often 'automatically' diagnosed is because it is so prevalent. Seven out of ten times, even if just randomly guessing, you'd be right if you guessed Alzheimer's Disease. Your mom's age does not argue against a diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease. As a matter of fact, the incidence, or the number of newly diagnosed cases, increases exponentially with age. An 80 year old is much more likely to develop AD than a 70 year old ." "More than 4 million older Americans have Alzheimer's, a disease that usually develops in those age 65 or older. This number is expected to triple in the next 20 years as more people live into their 80s and 90s." (The Mayo Clinic) Source
Research
There is a good deal of research going on about the causes of Alzheimer's Disease. Important information from clinical studies have improved researchers' understanding of the plaques and tangles in the brains of
persons suffering with Alzheimer's disease. This information may one day lead to the creation of treatments to slow the effects of the disease process. Several non-profit and government agencies support basic research in an effort to find a cure.
What are the signs of Alzheimer's Disease?
Note: Only a trained medical professional can correctly diagnose Alzheimer's Disease. Do not rely on the following information, alone.
Memory loss.
Forgetting bits of information is more frequent and the chances of remembering are less.
Routine tasks become unfamiliar.
Most of what we normally do is so commonplace that we don’t even think of how to go about doing them, i.e. making a cup of coffee, but the Alzheimer's patient will not remember how to make that cup of coffee.
Disorientation
getting lost on one’s own street is characteristic of disorientation as is remembering how they arrived where they are or how to get back to where they came from.
Poor judgment
People suffering with Alzheimer’s disassociate actions from reason. For example, they may not dress according to the weather or they may handle money improperly, even giving it away or spending it on unneeded items.
Problems with abstract thinking
such as knowing what numbers are when attempting to do simple tasks like adding.
Misplacing things
Though any person may do this from time to time, the person with Alzheimer's will misplace things in unusual places such as putting a piece of jewelry in the freezer or an iron in the sink.
Moodiness
the mood changes are often sudden and unexplainable. A person might go from a relaxed state to a highly agitated one.
Personality changes
The person you knew becomes someone totally different. An independent person becomes dependent. A confident person becomes someone who is confused and fearful.
Lethargy and disinterest in routine activities.
Recognize any of these symptoms in yourself or a loved one? If so, it’s time to consult a physician. The sooner the disease is diagnosed, the sooner proper treatment, care and support services can be put in place. Source
