WHAT IS  ALZHEIMER'S

Alzheimer's disease causes brain cells to waste away (degenerate) and die. It is also the most common cause of dementia -  a continuous decline in thinking, behavioral pattern and social skill-sets that disrupt an individual's ability to function independently.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF ALZHEIMER'S

1. Memory loss is the key symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. Early signs may include forgetting recent events , conversations. But as it progresses, patient might  develop severe memory impairment and lose the ability to proceed with day to day tasks

2. People with Alzheimer's disease may typically repeat statements or questions over and again, forget conversations, important appointments or significant events  and not recollect them later

3. They may routinely misplace possessions, often end up placing them in illogical locations and are prone to get lost in familiar places. Eventually they end up forgetting the names of family members and everyday objects, have trouble finding the right word to identify objects, express thoughts or take part in meaningful conversations, lose the ability of thinking and reasoning

4. Alzheimer's disease may cause difficulty in concentrating and thinking, especially when it comes to  abstract concepts such as numbers

5. Once-routine activities that require sequential steps such as planning and cooking a meal or playing a favorite game, become a struggle for the patient as the disease progresses 

6. Alzheimer's patient may show signs of severe depression, apathy , social withdrawal, mood swings, distrust in others, irritability and aggression, changed sleeping habits, wandering, zero inhibitions, delusions,etc

7. Preserved skills like reading or listening to books, telling stories,  reminiscing, singing, listening to music, dancing, drawing, or art & crafts may also be lost to disease

Causes 

• According to research, Alzheimer's disease is caused by a robust combination of genetic, lifestyle and environmental factors that affect the brain over a period of time

• But, less than 1% of the time, Alzheimer's disease is caused by specific genetic changes which are rare occurrences usually resulting in disease onset in middle age

• Though the accurate cause of Alzheimer's disease has not been fully understood, at its core are problems with brain proteins that fail to function normally and end up disrupting the work of brain cells (neurons) and unleash a series of toxic events

• Ageing  too is the greatest known risk factor for Alzheimer's disease

• Many people with Down syndrome are prone to develop Alzheimer's . Signs and symptoms of the disease tend to appear 10 to 20 years earlier in people with Down syndrome

• People suffering with Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) have a significant risk of developing dementia due to Alzheimer's 

• Even people who've had a severe head trauma too run a greater risk 

• Poor sleep patterns are also related to an  increased risk of Alzheimer's disease

• Few lifestyle patterns like obesity, lack of exercise, active or passive smoking , high blood pressure and  cholesterol, poorly controlled type 2 diabetes too increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease

• Low education levels — less than a high school education — too appears to be a risk factor 

DIAGNOSIS & TREATMENT

Diagnosis 

1. A key component of a diagnostic assessment is self-reporting about symptoms, as well as the details  a close family member or a patient’s friend can provide about the prevailing symptoms and their respective impact on day to day life in  addition to diagnostic tests the doctor may recommend. 

2. Laboratory and Imaging tests ideally rule out other potential causes and enable the doctors to better characterise the disease causing the dementia symptoms. The tests may comprise of the physical and neurological exam, reflex testing, evaluating the sense of sight and hearing, co-ordination, balance. Blood tests shall help the doctor rule out other potential causes of memory loss and confusion, e.g.  a thyroid disorder or a certain vitamin’s deficiency

3. Mental status and neuropsychological testing may be conducted. Brain imaging through CT Scan ,MRI Scan or PET Scan may be used chiefly to pinpoint visible abnormalities related to conditions other than Alzheimer's disease- such as strokes, trauma or tumours . Other tests may be used to measure abnormal beta-amyloid or tau in the cerebrospinal fluid

4. Researchers are working on future tests to measure the biological evidence of disease processes in the brain that may improve the accuracy of diagnoses and enable earlier diagnosis before the severe onset of Alzheimer’s symptoms

5. Genetic testing is generally not recommended for a routine Alzheimer's disease evaluation with an exception of people with a family history of early-onset of Alzheimer's disease

Treatment 

-So far, there has been no ascertained treatment. In advanced stages of the disease, other complications like dehydration, malnutrition or infection — may result in death. However, couple of lifestyle modifications help such as changes in diet, inclusion of exercise and other healthy habits.

-Current Alzheimer's medications like Cholinesterase inhibitors and Memantine (Namenda )can help for the time being with memory symptoms and rest of the cognitive changes.