Related topics: brain , dementia
Alzheimer's disease
hideAlzheimer's disease (AD), also called Alzheimer disease, Senile Dementia of the Alzheimer Type (SDAT) or simply Alzheimer's, is the most common form of dementia. This incurable, degenerative, and terminal disease was first described by German psychiatrist and neuropathologist Alois Alzheimer in 1906 and was named after him. Generally it is diagnosed in people over 65 years of age, although the less-prevalent early-onset Alzheimer's can occur much earlier. An estimated 26.6 million people worldwide had Alzheimer's in 2006; this number may quadruple by 2050.
Although each sufferer experiences Alzheimer's in a unique way, there are many common symptoms. The earliest observable symptoms are often mistakenly thought to be 'age-related' concerns, or manifestations of stress. In the early stages, the most commonly recognised symptom is memory loss, such as difficulty in remembering recently learned facts. When a doctor or physician has been notified, and AD is suspected, the diagnosis is usually confirmed with behavioural assessments and cognitive tests, often followed by a brain scan if available. As the disease advances, symptoms include confusion, irritability and aggression, mood swings, language breakdown, long-term memory loss, and the general withdrawal of the sufferer as their senses decline. Gradually, bodily functions are lost, ultimately leading to death. Individual prognosis is difficult to assess, as the duration of the disease varies. AD develops for an indeterminate period of time before becoming fully apparent, and it can progress undiagnosed for years. The mean life expectancy following diagnosis is approximately seven years. Fewer than three percent of individuals live more than fourteen years after diagnosis.
The cause and progression of Alzheimer's disease are not well understood. Research indicates that the disease is associated with plaques and tangles in the brain. Currently used treatments offer a small symptomatic benefit; no treatments to delay or halt the progression of the disease are as yet available. As of 2008, more than 500 clinical trials were investigating possible treatments for AD, but it is unknown if any of them will prove successful. Many measures have been suggested for the prevention of Alzheimer's disease, but their value is unproven in slowing the course and reducing the severity of the disease. Mental stimulation, exercise, and a balanced diet are often recommended, as both a possible prevention and a sensible way of managing the disease.
Because AD cannot be cured and is degenerative, management of patients is essential. The role of the main caregiver is often taken by the spouse or a close relative. Alzheimer's disease is known for placing a great burden on caregivers; the pressures can be wide-ranging, involving social, psychological, physical, and economic elements of the caregiver's life. In developed countries, AD is one of the most economically costly diseases to society.
For more information about Alzheimer's disease, read the full article at
Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.
News tagged with alzheimer s disease
Blood test identifies women at risk from Alzheimer's
Nov 06, 2009 |
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Middle-aged women with high levels of a specific amino acid in their blood are twice as likely to suffer from Alzheimer's many years later, reveals a thesis from the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. ...
Metal Deficit in Mouse Brain Plaques Guides Direction of Human Alzheimer's Disease Research
Medicine & Health / Neuroscience
Nov 04, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Minuscule plaques in the brains of mice with Alzheimer's disease contain much less metal than the brains of affected humans, according to a study conducted at the NSLS. This surprising finding ...
Benefit of memantine in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease not proven
Medicine & Health / Medications
Oct 28, 2009 |
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There is no scientific proof that patients with moderate or severe Alzheimer's disease benefit from drugs containing the agent memantine. This is the conclusion in the final report that the Institute for Quality and Efficiency ...
Epilepsy drugs could treat Alzheimer's and Parkinson's
Medicine & Health / Neuroscience
Oct 27, 2009 |
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Researchers in the USA have discovered a potential new function for anti-epileptic drugs in treating neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. The study, published in BioMed Central's open access ...
Does diabetes speed up memory loss in Alzheimer's disease?
Medicine & Health / Neuroscience
Oct 27, 2009 |
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ST. PAUL, Minn. -Research has shown that diabetes increases the risk of Alzheimer's disease and the risk of memory loss in people who don't have Alzheimer's disease. But it hasn't been clear whether people with Alzheimer's ...
Blood test shows promise for early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease
Oct 21, 2009 |
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Elderly people exhibiting memory disturbances that do not affect their normal, daily life suffer from a condition called "mild cognitive impairment" (MCI). Some MCI patients go on to develop Alzheimer's disease within a few ...
Scientists remove amyloid plaques from brains of live animals with Alzheimer's disease
Oct 15, 2009 |
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A breakthrough discovery by scientists from the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, FL, may lead to a new treatment for Alzheimer's Disease that actually removes amyloid plaques -- considered a hallmark of the disease -- from patients' ...
Skills tests like 'connect the dots' may be early Alzheimer's indicator
Oct 14, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- A study of mental decline in the years prior to diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease suggests that changing the focus of testing may help physicians detect signs of the disease much earlier. School of Medicine ...
Declines in other thinking and learning skills may precede memory loss in Alzheimer's disease
Medicine & Health / Neuroscience
Oct 12, 2009 |
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Cognitive abilities other than memory, including visuospatial skills needed to perceive relationships between objects, may decline years prior to a clinical diagnosis in patients with Alzheimer's disease, according to a report ...
Enzyme may be a key to Alzheimer's-related cell death
Medicine & Health / Neuroscience
Oct 06, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- A Purdue University researcher has discovered that the amount of an enzyme present in neurons can affect the mechanism thought to cause cell death in Alzheimer's disease patients and may have ...
Risk of abnormally slow heart rate twice as high in those taking drugs to slow Alzheimer's
Oct 01, 2009 |
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People taking one of several drugs commonly prescribed to treat Alzheimer's disease are more likely to be hospitalized for a potentially serious condition called bradycardia than patients not taking these medications.
Study explores how life experiences contribute to the biological changes of Alzheimer's
Oct 01, 2009 |
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The National Institutes of Health has awarded Rush University Medical Center approximately $5.5 million in grants to study how epigenetic changes - chemical modifications to genes that result from diet, aging, stress, or ...
Oleocanthal may help prevent, treat Alzheimer's
Sep 29, 2009 |
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Oleocanthal, a naturally-occurring compound found in extra-virgin olive oil, alters the structure of neurotoxic proteins believed to contribute to the debilitating effects of Alzheimer's disease. This structural change impedes ...
Scientists to test gammaglobulin treatment for Alzheimer's disease
Sep 24, 2009 |
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Researchers from the Memory and Cognition Center at University Hospitals Case Medical Center will begin testing an intriguing new approach to slowing down the progression of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) using Intravenous Immune ...
Rethinking Alzheimer's disease and its treatment targets
Medicine & Health / Neuroscience
Sep 22, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Psychiatry professor George Bartzokis introduces a new theory about the fundamental cause of Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases.
