Alzheimer’s
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia among older people. It is a brain disorder that seriously affects a person’s ability to carry out the daily activities of living. Alzheimer’s affects the parts of the brain that control thought, memory, and language.
Approximately 4 million Americans suffer from Alzheimer’s. The disease usually begins after age 60, and risk increases with age. About 3 percent of men and women ages 65 to 74 have AD, and nearly half of those age 85 and older may have the disease. It is important to note, however, that Alzheimer’s is not a normal part of aging. Alzheimer’s results in the growth of abnormal clumps in the brain called amyloid plaques and tangled fibrous bundles called neurofibrillary tangles.
Other differences in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients include a loss of nerve cells in areas that are vital to memory and other mental abilities. There also are lower levels of chemicals in the brain that carry complex messages back and forth between nerve cells. Alzheimer’s may disrupt normal thinking and memory by blocking these messages between nerve cells.
Understanding the Diagnosis
If you or a loved one is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, it’s important to know the difference between cognitive and behavioral symptoms in order to seek the appropriate treatment. Cognitive symptoms include memory loss, disorientation, confusion and problems with reasoning and thinking. Behavioral symptoms include agitation, anxiety, delusions, depression, hallucinations, insomnia and wandering.
A diagnosis of Alzheimer’s usually falls into one of the following three categories:
- Probable - Alzheimer’s indicates that the physician has ruled out all other disorders that may be causing dementia and concluded that the symptoms are most likely the result of Alzheimer’s disease.
- Possible - Alzheimer’s means that Alzheimer’s disease is the primary cause of the dementia symptoms but that another disorder may be affecting the known progression of Alzheimer’s, so that the disease process is somewhat different from what is normally seen.
- Definite - Alzheimer’s can only be diagnosed at the time of autopsy and requires examination of brain tissue. A brain autopsy is the only way to diagnose the disease with 100 percent accuracy.
Treating Alzheimer’s
No treatment can stop Alzheimer’s. It is a slow disease, starting with mild memory problems and ending with severe brain damage.The course the disease takes and how fast changes occur vary from person to person. Alzheimer’s patients live an average of 8 to 10 years after they are diagnosed, though some have the disease for as many as 20 years.
However, for some people in the early and middle stages of the Alzheimer’s, the drugs tacrine (Cognex), donepezil (Aricept), rivastigmine (Exelon), or galantamine (Reminyl) may help prevent some symptoms from becoming worse for a limited time. Also, other drugs help to control behavioral symptoms such as sleeplessness, agitation, wandering, anxiety, and depression. Treating these symptoms often makes Alzheimer’s patients more comfortable and easier to care for by caregivers.
Ongoing Alzheimer’s research is focused on testing a number of drugs to see if they prevent or slow the disease’s progression or help reduce it’s behavioral symptoms.
Scientists are testing two different types of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to find out if they slow the disease. There is evidence that inflammation in the brain may contribute to Alzheimer’s damage, so anti-inflammatory drugs such as NSAIDs might help slow its progression. Rofecoxib (Vioxx) and naproxen (Aleve) are two NSAIDs currently being studied.
Research has also shown that vitamin E slows the progress of some consequences of Alzheimer’s by almost one year. Other studies using ginkgo biloba, an extract made from the leaves of the ginkgo tree, may be of some help in treating Alzheimer’s symptoms. Another study is currently investigating estrogen to see if it reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s or slows the disease.
Alzheimer’s Products
Walking Aids: Bathroom: Bedroom:Alzheimer’s Resources
Alzheimer’s Disease Education and Referral (ADEAR) Center
National Institute of Aging
800 438-4380
www.alzheimers.org
The Alzheimer’s Association
800 272-3900
www.alz.org