Alzheimer’s Disease

Causes

• As you get older, your risk of developing AD goes up.

• Having a close blood relative increases your risk of AD

Symptoms

• Difficulty in the following:

• Language

• Memory

• Perception

• Emotional Behavior or Personality

• Cognitive Skills

Early Symptoms Include:

• Language problems, such as trouble finding the name of familiar objects

• Misplacing items

• Getting lost on familiar routes

• Losing interest in things previously enjoyed

Signs and Tests

• Thyroid Disease

• Vitamin Deficiency

• Brain Tumor

• Stroke

• Chronic Infection

• Severe Depression

Treatment

• There are no cures but goals are:

• Slow the progression of the disease

• Modify the home environment

• Support family members and other caregivers

• Manage behavior problems, confusion, sleep problems, and agitation

Examples of Memory Loss

• Forgetting an entire experience

• Forgetting how to drive a car or read a clock

• Forgetting recent events such as leaving the stove on

• Forgetting ever having known a particular person

Mild Alzheimer’s Disease

• As Alzheimer’s disease progresses, memory loss continues and changes in other cognitive abilities appear. Problems can include getting lost, trouble handling money and paying bills, repeating questions, taking longer to complete normal daily tasks, poor judgment, and small mood and personality changes.

Complications

• Loss of ability to function or care for self

• Bedsores, muscle contractures, and other complications related to immobility during end stages of AD

• Falls and broken bones

• Loss of ability to interact

• Failure of body systems

Famous People with Alzheimer’s

• Burgess Meredith- Actor

• Dane Iris Murdoch- Novelist and Philosopher

• Margaret Rutherford- Actress

• William Hanna- Animator and Director

Sources

• http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001767/

• http://www.nia.nih.gov/Alzheimers/Publications/adfact.htm

• http://www.google.com/imghp?hl=en&tab=wi