Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia, and this terminal, progressive brain disorder has no known

cause or cure. It slowly steals the minds of its victims, leading to memory loss, confusion, impaired judgment, personality changes, disorientation and the inability to communicate. Stages of Alzheimers disease
Initial Stages
o

Alzheimer's disease can be difficult to detect in its very earliest stages. This is because of the fact that many people, especially those over the age of 55, may experience an occasional lapse of memory, such as forgetting a phone number or a person's name. It is when these lapses begin to occur more frequently that the possibility of Alzheimer's disease arises.

Moderate Stages
o

According to the Alzheimer's Association the ability to perform mathematical computations or planning tasks such as menu and household budget planning may be noticed. The ability to recall recent events or facets of personal history may also be indications of the onset of this disease. The person may also begin to seem withdrawn or subdued, especially in social or mentally challenging situations.

More Severe Stages

o

Being confused about where they are or why they are there can be symptoms of the disease, as well as having difficulty in everyday functions like choosing appropriate clothing or problems in the bathroom including forgetting to flush or increased incontinence. Changes in behavior may begin to appear, such as radical mood swings, paranoia, hallucinations, or compulsive actions like hand-wringing or tearing paper.

Very Severe Stages

o

Ordinary functions will become severely impaired in the most advanced stages of Alzheimer's. The ability to speak coherently or even speak at all will decrease significantly. The person may become unable to feed or dress themselves and will need help going to the bathroom. They will begin to need assistance sitting up and walking as their overall ability to control motor functions deteriorates. This will seriously inhibit their ability to make facial expressions, to speak, to react to physical stimuli of any kind, or even to swallow.

10 warning signs of Alzheimer's:

Memory loss that disrupts daily life One of the most common signs of Alzheimer's is memory loss, especially forgetting recently learned information. Others include forgetting important dates or events; asking for the same information over and over; relying on memory aides (e.g., reminder notes or electronic devices) or family members for things they used to handle on their own.

Challenges in planning or solving problems Some people may experience changes in their ability to develop and follow a plan or work with numbers. They may have trouble following a familiar recipe or keeping track of monthly bills. They may have difficulty concentrating and take much longer to do things than they did before. Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, at work or at leisure People with Alzheimer's often find it hard to complete daily tasks. Sometimes, people may have trouble driving to a familiar location, managing a budget at work or remembering the rules of a favorite game.

Confusion with time or place People with Alzheimer's can lose track of dates, seasons and the passage of time. They may have trouble understanding something if it is not happening immediately. Sometimes they may forget where they are or how they got there.

Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships For some people, having vision problems is a sign of Alzheimer's. They may have difficulty reading, judging distance and determining color or contrast. In terms of perception, they may pass a mirror and think someone else is in the room. They may not realize they are the person in the mirror

New problems with words in speaking or writing People with Alzheimer's may have trouble following or joining a conversation. They may stop in the middle of a conversation and have no idea how to continue or they may repeat themselves. They may struggle with vocabulary, have problems finding the right word or call things by the wrong name (e.g., calling a "watch" a "hand-clock"). Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps A person with Alzheimer's disease may put things in unusual places. They may lose things and be unable to go back over their steps to find them again. Sometimes, they may accuse others of stealing. This may occur more frequently over time. Decreased or poor judgment People with Alzheimer's may experience changes in judgment or decisionmaking. For example, they may use poor judgment when dealing with money, giving large amounts to telemarketers. They may pay less attention to grooming or keeping themselves clean.

Withdrawal from work or social activities A person with Alzheimer's may start to remove themselves from hobbies, social activities, work projects or sports. They may have trouble keeping up with a favorite sports team or remembering how to complete a favorite hobby. They may also avoid being social because of the changes they have experienced.

Changes in mood and personality The mood and personalities of people with Alzheimer's can change. They can become confused, suspicious, depressed, fearful or anxious. They may be easily upset at home, at work, with friends or in places where they are out of their comfort zone.

Alzheimers disease leads to nerve cell death and tissue loss throughout the brain. Over time, the brain shrinks dramatically, affecting nearly all its functions. These images show:

A brain without the disease A brain with advanced Alzheimers How the two brains compare

Here is another view of how massive cell loss changes the whole brain in advanced Alzheimer's disease. This shows a crosswise "slice" through the middle of the brain between the ears. In the Alzheimer brain:

The cortex shrivels up, damaging areas involved in thinking, planning and remembering. Shrinkage is especially severe in the hippocampus, an area of the cortex that plays a key role in formation of new memories.

Ventricles (fluid-filled spaces within the brain) grow larger.

STATISTICS: Usually, dementia affects the elderly, and as improved healthcare helps more people live longer, the world population has a greater proportion of older people and the challenges that come with that. Just under 36 million people will be living with dementia in 2010, an increase of around 12 million from how many suffered some form of dementia in 2005, said a report by Alzheimer's Disease International (ADI), which groups Alzheimer associations around the world. Incidences of dementia were expected to nearly double every 20 years, to reach around 66 million in 2030 and more than 115 million by the middle of the century.

ALZHEIMERS DISEASE
SUBMITTED BY:
CABALLERO, MARYJOY CABRADILLA, FARAH CLAUDIO, ANDREW JAMES DAGASDAS. MILO II DEMETRIA, ALJESSA DOLINO, CHUCK JERU ESTROSOS, IRAH GAYLE GOMEZ, ARVITH JANE IBARRA, HAZEL DIANNE JAYME, ARGIE LIRASAN, MA. CRISTE