What Are The Symptoms Alzheimer’s Disease

How Is Alzheimers Diagnosed And Treated

Doctors may ask questions about health, conduct cognitive tests, and carry out standard medical tests to determine whether to diagnose a person with Alzheimers disease. If a doctor thinks a person may have Alzheimers, they may refer the person to a specialist, such as a neurologist, for further assessment. Specialists may conduct additional tests, such as brain scans or lab tests of spinal fluid, to help make a diagnosis. These tests measure signs of the disease, such as changes in brain size or levels of certain proteins.

There is currently no cure for Alzheimers, though there are several medicines approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that can help manage some symptoms of the disease along with coping strategies to manage behavioral symptoms. In 2021, FDA provided accelerated approval for a new medication, aducanumab, that targets the protein beta-amyloid, which accumulates abnormally in the brains of people with Alzheimers. The new medication helps to reduce amyloid deposits, but has not yet been shown to affect clinical symptoms or outcomes, such as progression of cognitive decline or dementia.

Most medicines work best for people in the early or middle stages of Alzheimers. Researchers are exploring other drug therapies and nondrug interventions to delay or prevent the disease as well as treat its symptoms.

Emotion And Behavior Treatments

The emotional and behavioral changes linked with Alzheimers disease can be challenging to manage. People may increasingly experience irritability, anxiety, depression, restlessness, sleep problems, and other difficulties.

Treating the underlying causes of these changes can be helpful. Some may be side effects of medications, discomfort from other medical conditions, or problems with hearing or vision.

Identifying what triggered these behaviors and avoiding or changing these things can help people deal with the changes. Triggers may include changing environments, new caregivers, or being asked to bathe or change clothes.

It is often possible to change the environment to resolve obstacles and boost the persons comfort, security, and peace of mind.

The Alzheimers Association offer a list of helpful coping tips for caregivers.

In some cases, a doctor may recommend medications for these symptoms, such as:

• antidepressants, for low mood

develops due to the death of brain cells. It is a neurodegenerative condition, which means that the brain cell death happens over time.

In a person with Alzheimers, the brain tissue has fewer and fewer nerve cells and connections, and tiny deposits, known as plaques and tangles, build up on the nerve tissue.

Plaques develop between the dying brain cells. They are made from a protein known as beta-amyloid. The tangles, meanwhile, occur within the nerve cells. They are made from another protein, called tau.

What Happens In Alzheimer Disease

You probably know that your brain works by sending signals. Chemical messengers, called neurotransmitters , allow brain cells to talk to each other. But a person with Alzheimer disease has lower amounts of neurotransmitters.

People with Alzheimer disease also develop deposits of stuff that prevent the cells from working properly. When this happens, the cells can’t send the right signals to other parts of the brain. Over time, brain cells affected by Alzheimer disease also begin to shrink and die.

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Diagnosing Alzheimer’s Disease Symptoms At Bwh

Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital have made groundbreaking discoveries in Alzheimer’s research over the past 30 years. The BWH Alzheimer Center in the Department of Neurology Services provides a comprehensive program that involves laboratory research, clinical trials, and patient care to advance the prevention of Alzheimer’s and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease symptoms.

In this video, Reisa Sperling, MD, provides an overview on Alzheimer’s disease dementia and a new groundbreaking study, the Anti-Amyloid Treatment in Asymptomatic Alzheimer’s Disease Study. The A4 Study is the first study to examine early treatment of older adults at risk for Alzheimer’s disease dementia with the hope of preventing memory loss before it begins.

Who Has Alzheimers Disease

• In 2020, as many as 5.8 million Americans were living with Alzheimers disease.1
• Younger people may get Alzheimers disease, but it is less common.
• The number of people living with the disease doubles every 5 years beyond age 65.
• This number is projected to nearly triple to 14 million people by 2060.1
• Symptoms of the disease can first appear after age 60, and the risk increases with age.

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Key Points About Early

• Alzheimer disease commonly affects older people, but early-onset Alzheimer disease can affect people in their 30s or 40s.

• It affects memory, thinking, and behavior.

• Although there is no known cure, early diagnosis and treatment can lead to better quality of life.

• Stay healthy with a good diet and regular exercise.

• Avoid alcohol and other substances that may affect memory, thinking, and behavior.

Assessing Your Mental Abilities

A specialist will usually assess your mental abilities using a special series of questions.

One widely used test is the mini mental state examination . This involves being asked to carry out activities such as memorising a short list of objects correctly and identifying the current day of the week, month and year. Different memory clinics may also use other, longer tests.

The MMSE isn’t used to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease, but it’s useful to initially assess areas of difficulty that a person with the condition may have. This helps specialists to make decisions about treatment and whether more tests are necessary.

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What Is Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimers disease is a brain disorder that cannot be stopped or reversed. The disease severely affects memory, thinking, learning and organizing skills and eventually affects a persons ability to carry out simple daily activities. Alzheimers disease is not a normal part of the aging process.

Alzheimers is a disease whose symptoms worsen over time. In fact, scientists believe the disease process may go on for 10 years or longer before the first symptoms of Alzheimers disease appear.

When memory problems do begin to be noticeable, they are often identified as mild cognitive impairment . At this stage, intellectual function is affected but the ability to function and live independently remain intact as the brain compensates for disease-related changes.

In some people, MCI can hold steady at this stage. However, people with MCI are at high risk for progressing to dementia. Alzheimers disease is the most common form of dementia. With dementia, in contrast to MCI, daily function is affected.

As dementia due to Alzheimers disease progresses to late stages, affected individuals cannot carry on a conversation, recognize family and friends, or care for themselves.

Why You Should Make An Appointment Now

The sooner you know, the better. Starting treatment may help relieve symptoms and keep you independent longer.

It also helps you plan better. You can work out living arrangements, make financial and legal decisions, and build up your support network.

Show Sources

Alzheimerâs Association: â10 Early Signs and Symptoms of Alzheimer’s,â âDiagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia,â âWhat Is Dementia?â

University of California San Francisco: âAlzheimer’s Disease Signs and Symptoms.â

National Institute on Aging: “Forgetfulness: Knowing When To Ask For Help.”

American Psychological Association: “Aging: When should I be concerned about a senior’s forgetfulness?”

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What Is Alzheimer Disease

Alzheimer disease, which affects some older people, is different from everyday forgetting. It is a condition that permanently affects the brain. Over time, the disease makes it harder to remember even basic stuff, like how to tie a shoe.

Eventually, the person may have trouble remembering the names and faces of family members or even who he or she is. This can be very sad for the person and his or her family.

It’s important to know that Alzheimer disease does not affect kids. It usually affects people over 65 years of age. Researchers have found medicines that seem to slow the disease down. And there’s hope that someday there will be a cure.

Preparing For Early Onset Ad

Receiving an early onset AD diagnosis can be worrying. Now is the time to put together a plan so that you have peace of mind for the future when symptoms appear or intensify.

Try creating a plan together with your family, friends, and medical team. It can also be beneficial to meet with a financial planner and a lawyer.

Here are some key things to consider:

• Education. You may find it helpful to learn more about AD and how it progresses. Talk with your doctor and learn about what your care plan could look like in the future.
• Health insurance. Find out which medications and treatments are covered by your plan.
• Future care costs. What will your medical and care expenses be? This may include professional home care of safety equipment for the home.
• Disability insurance. What is covered by your employer? What documentation is needed?
• Loss of income. Will you be able to keep working? If so, for how long? Will someone in your family need to stop working in order to become a caregiver?
• Power of attorney. Who will have the authority to make health, financial, and legal decisions for you when you cant any more?
• Support. Try finding a support group specifically for people with early onset AD and their caregivers. Their life situations are likely to be more similar to yours.

Its important to have a detailed, realistic plan for your future care. This will allow you to be more confident as you navigate through the stages of AD.

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What Are The Symptoms Of Early

For most people with early-onset Alzheimer disease, the symptoms closely mirror those of other forms of Alzheimer disease.

Early symptoms:

• Withdrawal from work and social situations

• Changes in mood and personality

Later symptoms:

• Severe mood swings and behavior changes

• Deepening confusion about time, place, and life events

• Suspicions about friends, family, or caregivers

• Trouble speaking, swallowing, or walking

• Severe memory loss

How Is Alzheimer’s Disease Diagnosed

Doctors use several methods and tools to help determine if a person with thinking or memory problems has Alzheimers disease. To diagnose Alzheimers, doctors may:

• Ask the person experiencing symptoms, as well as a family member or friend, questions about overall health, use of prescription and over-the-counter medicines, diet, past medical problems, ability to carry out daily activities, and changes in behavior and personality.
• Administer a psychiatric evaluation to determine if depression or another mental health condition is causing or contributing to a person’s symptoms.
• Conduct tests of memory, problem solving, attention, counting, and language.
• Order blood, urine, and other standard medical tests that can help identify other possible causes of the problem.
• Perform brain scans, such as computed tomography , magnetic resonance imaging , or positron emission tomography , to support an Alzheimers diagnosis or rule out other possible causes for symptoms.

Doctors may want to repeat these tests to help best determine how the persons memory and other cognitive functions are changing over time. The tests can also help diagnose other causes of memory problems, such as stroke, tumor, Parkinsons disease, sleep disturbances, side effects of medication, an infection, or another type of dementia. Some of these conditions may be treatable and possibly reversible.

People with memory problems should return to the doctor every six to 12 months.

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When To See Your Gp

If you’re worried about your memory or think you may have dementia, speak to your GP.

You may be worried about someone else’s memory problems. If so, encourage them to make an appointment. You might suggest going along with them.

Dementia is not the only cause of memory problems. Depression, stress, medicines or other health problems can also be the cause.

Your GP can carry out some simple checks to try to find out what the cause may be. If it is dementia, there are medicines, therapies and support available. These can help you to live your life the way you want to for as long as possible.

Your GP can also refer you to a specialist for more tests if necessary.

Content supplied by the NHS and adapted for Ireland by the HSE

Page last reviewed: 1 September 2022 Next review due: 1 September 2025

What Are Some Complications Of Alzheimers Disease

Alzheimers disease is an irreversible form of dementia. The rate of progression differs between people: some people have it only in the last 5 years of their life, while others may have it for as long as 20 years. Alzheimers disease eventually leads to complete dependence and increasing frailty. This means a secondary illness, such as pneumonia, may eventually cause death.

Other complications of Alzheimers disease may include:

• an inability to complete daily tasks such as planning meals and managing money
• a tendency to wander from home
• personality changes such as anxiety, depression and irritability that make relationships more difficult
• delusions and hallucinations in advanced stages of the disease

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Facts About Alzheimer Disease

Alzheimer disease is becoming more common as the general population gets older and lives longer. Alzheimer disease usually affects people older than 65. A small number of people have early-onset Alzheimer disease, which starts when they are in their 30s or 40s.

People live for an average of 8 years after their symptoms appear. But the disease can progress quickly in some people and slowly in others. Some people live as long as 20 years with the disease.

No one knows what causes Alzheimer disease. Genes, environment, lifestyle, and overall health may all play a role.

What Causes Alzheimer’s Disease Symptoms

The research into the cause of Alzheimer’s disease and its symptoms is ongoing, but scientists believe the disease prevents certain brain cells from functioning normally. Researchers suspect that two abnormal structures in the brain plaques and tangles may be principally responsible for damaging and killing brain nerve cells. Plaques are deposits of a protein fragment that build up in the spaces between nerve cells, while tangles are twisted fibers of another protein that build up inside cells. Most people have some plaques and tangles as they get older, but those with Alzheimer’s tend to have far more. It’s unclear what role the structures play in the cause of Alzheimer’s disease, but some experts believe they are involved in blocking communication between nerve cells and interrupting processes that cells require to survive.

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Warning Signs Of Alzheimer’s

Memory often changes as people grow older. Some people notice changes in themselves before anyone else does. For other people, friends and family are the first to see changes in memory, behavior, or abilities. Memory loss that disrupts daily life is not a typical part of aging. People with one or more of these 10 warning signs should see a doctor to find the cause. Early diagnosis gives them a chance to seek treatment and plan for the future.

1. Memory loss that disrupts daily life: forgetting events, repeating yourself or relying on more aids to help you remember .

2.Challenges in planning or solving problems: having trouble paying bills or cooking recipes you have used for years.

3.Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, at work, or at leisure: having problems with cooking, driving places, using a cell phone, or shopping.

4.Confusion with time or place: having trouble understanding an event that is happening later, or losing track of dates.

5.Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relations: having more difficulty with balance or judging distance, tripping over things at home, or spilling or dropping things more often.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Alzheimers Association have created the Healthy Brain Initiatives State and Local Public Health Partnerships to Address Dementia: The 2018-2023 Road Map.

8. being a victim of a scam, not managing money well, paying less attention to hygiene, or having trouble taking care of a pet.

Who Gets Early Onset Ad

Although AD isnt an expected part of advancing age, youre at increased risk as you get older. More than 32 percent of people over age 85 have AD.

You may also have an increased risk of developing AD if a parent, sibling, or child has the disease. If more than one family member has AD, your risk increases.

A showed that African Americans, Native Americans, and Native Alaskans are at higher risk for developing early onset AD compared to white people.

Prevalence of early onset AD

Early onset AD affects approximately

The exact cause of early onset AD hasnt been fully determined. Many researchers believe that this disease develops as the result of multiple factors rather than one specific cause.

Researchers have discovered rare genes that may directly cause or contribute to AD. These deterministic genes are:

• amyloid precursor protein on chromosome 21
• presenilin-1 on chromosome 14
• presenilin-2 on chromosome 1

These genes may be carried from one generation to the next within a family. Carrying these genes can result in adults younger than age 65 developing symptoms much earlier than expected.

Mutations in these genes account for only 5 to 10 percent of all Alzheimers cases but a majority of early onset AD cases.

Apolipoprotein E is another gene associated with AD. Its more commonly a factor in people who develop AD after age 65.

Lifestyle changes that help reduce risk include:

• regular physical activity

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As The Disease Gets Worse

Alzheimers progresses over time, but the speed of change varies between people. As Alzheimers progresses, symptoms may include:

• Memory and thinking skills. People will find that their ability to remember, think and make decisions gets worse.
• Communication. Speaking and understanding people becomes more difficult.
• Recognition. People may have difficulty recognising household objects or familiar faces.
• Day-to-day tasks. Such as using a TV remote control, phone or using the kettle become harder.
• Sleeping. Changes to sleep patterns often occur, such as waking frequently during the night.
• Behaviour. Some people become sad, depressed, or frustrated about the challenges they face. Anxiety is also common, and people may become fearful or suspicious.
• Physical changes. People may have problems walking, be unsteady on their feet, find swallowing food more difficult or have seizures.
• Hallucinations and delusions. People may experience hallucinations, where they see or hear things that arent there. Others may believe things to be true that havent actually happened, known as delusions.
• Care. People gradually require more help with daily activities like dressing, eating, and using the toilet.
• Sundowning. People with Alzheimers can experience increased confusion and anxiety during the evening and at night. This is called sundowning.