Did you know?
Alzheimer's is an old disease. Ancient Greek and Roman writers described symptoms similar to those that we know as Alzheimer's disease.
In the 16th century, Shakespeare wrote about very old age as a time of "second childishness and mere oblivion" suggesting that the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease, or something quite like it were known and recognized then.
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Dementia and Alzheimer's Disease
Dementia is a general term for several diseases that cause changes in an individual's orientation, ability to remember, reasoning and judgment. Ability to learn, personality, language skills and a person's perception can also be affected. The losses caused by dementia interfere with a person's ability to function normally in personal, social and occupational activities.
Common Types of Dementia
Vascular Dementia - results from brain damage caused by multiple strokes (infarcts) within the brain. Symptoms can include disorientation, confusion and behavioral changes. This disease is neither reversible nor curable, but the treatment of underlying conditions (e.g., high blood pressure) may halt progression.
Parkinson's Disease - a disease affecting control of muscle activity, resulting in tremors, stiffness and speech impediment. Dementia can occur in the late stages of this disease. Parkinson's drugs can improve steadiness and control, but have no effect on mental deterioration.
Creutzfeldt-Jakob's Disease - a rare, fatal brain disease caused by infection. Symptoms are failing memory, changes in behavior and lack of muscular coordination. The disease progresses rapidly, usually causing death within a year. No treatment is currently available.
Pick's Disease - a rare brain disease that closely resembles Alzheimer's disease with personality changes and disorientation that may precede memory loss. As with Alzheimer's disease, diagnosis is difficult, and can only be confirmed by autopsy.
Huntington's Disease - a hereditary disorder characterized by irregular movements of the limbs and facial muscles, a decline in thinking ability, and personality changes. In contrast to Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's can be positively diagnosed and its movement disorders and psychiatric symptoms controlled with drugs. The progressive nature of the disease cannot be stopped.
Depression - a medical condition marked by sadness, inactivity, difficulty with thinking and concentration, feelings of hopelessness, and in some cases, suicidal tendencies. Many severely depressed persons also display symptoms of memory loss. Depression can often be reversed with treatment.
Lewy Body Disease - a disease recognized only in recent years, in which the symptoms are a combination of Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. Usually, dementia symptoms are initially present followed by the abnormal movements associated with Parkinson's. There is no treatment currently available.
There are also some medical disorders that can cause dementia symptoms. These include but are not limited to fluctuating blood sugar, urinary tract infection(s), loss of hearing or sight, drug reactions, thyroid problems, inadequate diet and dehydration. Many of the causes of these memory problems are treatable.
Alzheimer's Disease
Alzheimer's disease accounts for over half of all dementia. It is an irreversible progressive brain disorder that occurs gradually and results in memory loss, behavior and personality changes and a decline in thinking abilities. These losses are a result of the death of brain cells and the breakdown of the connections between them. The course of the disease and the rate of decline vary from person to person. Though the disease can last for up to 20 years, on average individuals live for 8-10 years after they are diagnosed. Alzheimer's disease is the fourth leading cause of death among adults after heart disease, cancer, and stroke.
The National Institute on Aging estimates that about 4 million Americans
suffer with the disease. The risk of Alzheimer's disease increases dramatically
with age as it affects about 3 percent of people ages 65 to 74 years old
but nearly 50 percent of those 85 or older. It does not discriminate on
the basis of race, education, economic status, culture or gender.
Normal Aging and Alzheimer's Disease
Occasional forgetfulness is a normal part of aging and is very different from the kind of forgetfulness that results from Alzheimer's disease. Healthy people, for example, may forget a person's name or forget why they went into the kitchen. These episodes of forgetfulness are infrequent, do not get worse over time and often are recalled later.
Individuals with Alzheimer's disease begin to forget basic information about themselves and family members. They can't remember things they used to do every day. Communication becomes difficult as the individual struggles to find words, finish thoughts or follow directions. Finally they forget how to perform basic activities, such as how to eat, dress and toilet themselves. Eventually they become totally unable to care for themselves.
Down Syndrome and Alzheimer's Disease
Persons with Down Syndrome are at risk for Alzheimer's disease beginning as early as 40 years.
Symptoms of Alzheimer's disease in persons with Down Syndrome are similar to the general population. They may include increased memory loss, personality change, more or less communication, slowing of activities, decline in function and motivation, weight loss, apathy, less demonstrative affection, sleep disturbances, stubbornness, impaired gross and fine motor abilities, gait problems, neurological and/or EEG changes, incontinence, and seizures. Once the dementia is apparent, the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease in persons with Down Syndrome seem more severe, almost as though at a later stage of the illness. The decline is more rapid and the course is often shorter than that of the general population.
Caregiving issues and behavioral interventions are similar to those of Alzheimer's disease in the general population. However, families of persons with Down Syndrome have been lifelong caregivers and often remain isolated from support resources. Also, due to their child's age, the child is usually ineligible for aging services.
Services appropriate for persons with Down Syndrome and Alzheimer's disease or their caregivers include support groups, respite, home health care, housekeeping, adult day care, long term nursing home care and medical support. The Mental Retardation, Developmental Disability, aging and Alzheimer's networks serve this population.
(This information was contributed by and used with permission from Eliza K. Kendall, M.A.)
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