ALZHEIMERS DISEASE

[AD]

What is Alzheimers
Alzheimers is the most common form of dementia. A

neurological brain disorder.

It is an incurable , degenerative and terminal disease
which was first described by German Psychiatrist
Alois Alzheimer in 1906 and was named after him.
It is characterized by impairment of memory and
eventually disturbances in reasoning , planning ,
language and perception.

Causes of AD
Age factor.
Family history.
Neurological factors.
History of head

trauma.
Long standing high
blood pressure.
Female gender.

Types of AD
Early onset.
Late onset.

EARLY ONSET AD
Symptoms first appear before age 60.
It tends to progress rapidly and usually run in

families.
Cases of early onset AD are rarely
encountered.
Presently accounts for 5% of total AD patients
worldwide.

LATE ONSET AD
It is the most

commonly
encountered form of
AD.
Symptoms appears
after the age of 60
years.
It may run in families
but the role of genes
is still unclear.

SYMPTOMS OF AD
Language problem.
Misplacing items.
Getting lost on familiar routes.
Personality changes and loss of social skill.
Difficulty in performing task that takes some

thought.
Forgetting details.
Change in sleep pattern.

Difficulty in reading or writing.

Poor judgment and loss of ability to recognize

danger.
Withdrawing from social contacts.
Having hallucination and violent behavior.
Intricacies in communicating with other
people.
Difficulty in doing basic task.

3 STAGES OF AD
Mid/Early.
Moderate/Middle.
Severe/Late.

MID/EARLY
Duration-2 years
Characteristics Frequent recent memory loss, particularly of

recent events and conversation.

Repeated question.
Mild coordination problems.
Mood swings.

MODERATE/MIDDLE
Duration-2 to 10 years.
Characteristics Pervasive and persistent memory loss.
Sleep disturbances.
Mobility and coordination is affected.

SEVERE/LATE
Duration-1 to 3+ years.
Characteristics Unable to care for self.
Immobility.
Problems with swallowing, incontinence, and

illness.
Extreme problem with moods and behaviour.
Round the clock intensive support and care.

DIAGNOSIS OF AD
Neuropsychological testing.
Medical history
Physical Examination
Brain-imaging scan

TREATMENT OF AD
There is no definite cure for AD.
The goals of treating AD are
Slowing the progression of disease.
Manage behavioral problem, confusion, sleep

problems and agitation.

Support family members and other caregivers.
Drug treatment.
Supplements.

PROGNOSIS
How quickly AD gets worse for each person?
Patient with AD dies earlier than normal.
Although a patient might live anywhere

between 3-20 years after diagnosis.se

The final phase of Ad may last from a few
month to several years.
Death usually occurs from an infection or a
failure of other body systems.

COMPLICATIONS
Loss of ability to function or care for self.
Loss of ability to interact.
Failure of body system.
Malnutrition or dehydration.
Violent behavior towards self or others.
Abuse by over-stressed caregiver.

PREVENTION
Well there is no proven way to prevent AD but

if u have a family history of dementia there

are some practices worth incorporating in
your daily routine Consume a low fat diet.
Maintain a normal blood pressure.
Stay mentally and socially active.
Increase antioxidants like vitamin E and
vitamin C by eating a plenty of darkly
coloured fruits and vegetables.

NOTABLE
CASES
Ronald Reagan.
George Fernandes.
Charles Kao.
Iris Murdoch.
Nanabhoy Palkhivala