When Does Alzheimer’s Begin

Stage : Moderate Decline

During this period, the problems in thinking and reasoning that you noticed in stage 3 get more obvious, and new issues appear. Your friend or family member might:

• Forget details about themselves
• Have trouble putting the right date and amount on a check
• Forget what month or season it is
• Have trouble cooking meals or even ordering from a menu
• Struggle to use the telephone
• Not understand what is said to them
• Struggle to do tasks with multiple steps like cleaning the house.

You can help with everyday chores and their safety. Make sure they aren’t driving anymore, and that no one tries to take advantage of them financially.

Health Environmental And Lifestyle Factors That May Contribute To Alzheimer’s Disease

Research suggests that a host of factors beyond genetics may play a role in the development and course of Alzheimer’s disease. There is a great deal of interest, for example, in the relationship between cognitive decline and vascular conditions such as heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure, as well as metabolic diseases, such as diabetes and obesity. Ongoing research will help us understand whether and how reducing risk factors for these conditions may also reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s.

A nutritious diet, physical activity, social engagement, sleep, and mentally stimulating pursuits have all been associated with helping people stay healthy as they age. These factors might also help reduce the risk of cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease. Clinical trials are testing some of these possibilities.

Early-life factors may also play a role. For example, studies have linked higher levels of education with a decreased risk of dementia. There are also differences in dementia risk among racial groups and sexesall of which are being studied to better understand the causes of Alzheimers disease and to develop effective treatments and preventions for all people.

What Happens To The Brain In Alzheimer’s Disease

The healthy human brain contains tens of billions of neuronsspecialized cells that process and transmit information via electrical and chemical signals. They send messages between different parts of the brain, and from the brain to the muscles and organs of the body. Alzheimers disease disrupts this communication among neurons, resulting in loss of function and cell death.

Read Also: How Fast Does Dementia Kill

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

The Need For Further Research

Because very little is known about Alzheimer’s disease, there are still limited options for treatment and extension of life. The best way to help improve patient care and eventually cure this terrible illness is through further research and by analyzing one Alzheimer’s case at a time.

There are many ways you can help improve the way Alzheimer’s disease and Early-onset Alzheimer’s disease are tested, diagnosed, and treated. One way is simply by getting paid to participate in clinical trials to aid in the research of this degenerative brain disease.

You May Like: How To Help Alzheimer’s Caregivers

Stage : Very Severe Decline

Many basic abilities in a person with Alzheimer’s, such as eating, walking, and sitting up, fade during this period. You can stay involved by feeding your loved one with soft, easy-to-swallow food, helping them use a spoon, and making sure they drink. This is important, as many people at this stage can no longer tell when they’re thirsty.

In this stage, people with Alzheimer’s disease need a lot of help from caregivers. Many families find that, as much as they may want to, they can no longer take care of their loved one at home. If thatâs you, look into facilities such as nursing homes that provide professional care day and night.

When someone nears the end of their life, hospice may be a good option. That doesn’t necessarily mean moving them to another location. Hospice care can happen anywhere. Itâs a team approach that focuses on comfort, pain management and other medical needs, emotional concerns, and spiritual support for the person and their family.

Show Sources

Mild Alzheimers Or Moderate Decline

Stage 4 lasts about 2 years and marks the beginning of diagnosable Alzheimers disease. You or your loved one will have more trouble with complex but everyday tasks. Mood changes such as withdrawal and denial are more evident. Decreased emotional response is also frequent, especially in challenging situations.

New symptoms of decline that appear in stage 4 may include:

• losing memory of personal history
• trouble with handling finances and bills
• inability to count backward from 100 by 7s

A clinician will also look for a decline in areas mentioned in stage 3, but there will often have been no change since then.

Caregiver support: Itll still be possible for someone to recall weather conditions, important events, and addresses. But they may ask for help with other tasks such as writing checks, ordering food, and buying groceries.

You May Like: Maria Carrillo Alzheimer’s Association

Stage : Moderately Severe Dementia

When the patient begins to forget the names of their children, spouse, or primary caregivers, they are most likely entering stage 6 of dementia and will need full time care. In the sixth stage, patients are generally unaware of their surroundings, cannot recall recent events, and have skewed memories of their personal past. Caregivers and loved ones should watch for:

• Delusional behavior

Frequently Misplacing Items And Not Being Able To Retrace Steps

Most people will lose items at some time, but they are usually able to locate them again by searching in logical locations and retracing their steps.

However, someone with Alzheimers disease may forget where they placed an item, especially if they put it in an unusual place. They may also be unable to retrace their steps to find the missing item. This can be distressing and cause the person to believe that someone is stealing from them.

Read Also: Can You Forget How To Swallow With Dementia

Indications Of Alzheimer’s Disease

Early symptoms of Alzheimers disease are lapses with memory.

At first, these lapses may be infrequent and inconsistent, but over time they become more regular. As the disease progresses, new symptoms will present themselves, such as uncontrollable anxiety, fear, confusion, and anger. Mood swings occur for no apparent reason. Judgment becomes impaired. Familiar-even simple-tasks, such as boiling water, become difficult. And misplacing possessions becomes a regular occurrence.

These could be viewed as inconveniences, as mild cognitive impairments. But the disease is far more debilitating than what these beginning stages reveal. As the disease progresses, mobility becomes limited. Eating becomes something often forgotten. Speaking becomes difficult, or even impossible. Increasing neurological damage can result in heart attack, stroke, and other common causes of death. Researchers now believe that Alzheimers disease begins to develop in the brain up to 20 years before the first symptoms occur, and that deterioration can continue for 10 to 20 years after diagnosis. It is a slow, painful, costly disease and it is always fatal.

Key Biological Processes In The Brain

Most neurons have three basic parts: a cell body, multiple dendrites, and an axon.

• The cell body contains the nucleus, which houses the genetic blueprint that directs and regulates the cells activities.
• Dendrites are branch-like structures that extend from the cell body and collect information from other neurons.
• The axon is a cable-like structure at the end of the cell body opposite the dendrites and transmits messages to other neurons.

The function and survival of neurons depend on several key biological processes:

Neurons are a major player in the central nervous system, but other cell types are also key to healthy brain function. In fact, glial cells are by far the most numerous cells in the brain, outnumbering neurons by about 10 to 1. These cells, which come in various formssuch as microglia, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytessurround and support the function and healthy of neurons. For example, microglia protect neurons from physical and chemical damage and are responsible for clearing foreign substances and cellular debris from the brain. To carry out these functions, glial cells often collaborate with blood vessels in the brain. Together, glial and blood vessel cells regulate the delicate balance within the brain to ensure that it functions at its best.

You May Like: Is There A Cure For Alzheimers

How Does Alzheimer’s Disease Affect The Brain

Scientists continue to unravel the complex brain changes involved in Alzheimers disease. Changes in the brain may begin a decade or more before symptoms appear. During this very early stage of Alzheimers, toxic changes are taking place in the brain, including abnormal buildups of proteins that form amyloid plaques and tau tangles. Previously healthy neurons stop functioning, lose connections with other neurons, and die. Many other complex brain changes are thought to play a role in Alzheimers as well.

The damage initially appears to take place in the hippocampus and the entorhinal cortex, which are parts of the brain that are essential in forming memories. As more neurons die, additional parts of the brain are affected and begin to shrink. By the final stage of Alzheimers, damage is widespread and brain tissue has shrunk significantly.

Benefits Of Alzheimer’s Clinical Trials In Tampa

The youngest case of Alzheimer’s disease is believed to be 31 years old. However, the typical early-onset Alzheimer’s age range is between 40 and 50. This is much too young for people to develop such a debilitating and tragic disease.

The best way to understand Alzheimer’s in order to properly treat it and one day eliminate it is through hard-working professional researchers conducting clinical trials, like the trials currently being performed through Santos Research Center, Corp.

Why partake in clinical trials for young-onset Alzheimer’s?

• Gain access to top medical professionals: If you or a loved one suspect or have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, these trials in Tampa provide access to leading medical researchers who have tons of experience, knowledge, and passion working in this specific field.
• Early access to new treatments: As technology evolves, advances in medicine do too, which provides professionals with the tools and materials required to create a treatment that can improve your condition.
• Getting paid to participate in a clinical trial: You won’t only have access to great doctors, top-of-the-line treatment options, and the newest medications on the market you will also be paid for your cooperation and time.
• Meeting others going through the same things you are: When you are involved in clinical research trials, you have the opportunity to meet new people and even connect with others who are in the same position.

Read Also: Is There A Diagnostic Test For Alzheimer’s

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.

The Basics Of Alzheimers Disease

Scientists are conducting studies to learn more about plaques, tangles, and other biological features of Alzheimers disease. Advances in brain imaging techniques allow researchers to see the development and spread of abnormal amyloid and tau proteins in the living brain, as well as changes in brain structure and function. Scientists are also exploring the very earliest steps in the disease process by studying changes in the brain and body fluids that can be detected years before Alzheimers symptoms appear. Findings from these studies will help in understanding the causes of Alzheimers and make diagnosis easier.

One of the great mysteries of Alzheimers disease is why it largely affects older adults. Research on normal brain aging is exploring this question. For example, scientists are learning how age-related changes in the brain may harm neurons and affect other types of brain cells to contribute to Alzheimers damage. These age-related changes include atrophy of certain parts of the brain, inflammation, blood vessel damage, production of unstable molecules called free radicals, and mitochondrial dysfunction .

Also Check: What To Do When Your Parent Is Diagnosed With Alzheimer’s

How Alzheimer’s Disease Is Treated

There’s currently no cure for Alzheimer’s disease, but medicines are available that can help relieve some of the symptoms.

Various other types of support are also available to help people with Alzheimer’s live as independently as possible, such as making changes to your home environment so it’s easier to move around and remember daily tasks.

Psychological treatments such as cognitive stimulation therapy may also be offered to help support your memory, problem solving skills and language ability.

Read more about treating Alzheimer’s disease.

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.

Read Also: How Do People Die From Dementia

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.

What Happens If A Doctor Thinks It’s Alzheimer’s Disease

If a primary care doctor suspects Alzheimers, he or she may refer the patient to a specialist who can provide a detailed diagnosis or further assessment. Specialists include:

• Geriatricians, who manage health care in older adults and know how the body changes as it ages and whether symptoms indicate a serious problem.
• Geriatric psychiatrists, who specialize in the mental and emotional problems of older adults and can assess memory and thinking problems.
• Neurologists, who specialize in abnormalities of the brain and central nervous system and can conduct and review brain scans.
• Neuropsychologists, who can conduct tests of memory and thinking.

Memory clinics and centers, including Alzheimers Disease Research Centers, offer teams of specialists who work together to diagnose the problem. In addition, these specialty clinics or centers often have access to the equipment needed for brain scans and other advanced diagnostic tests.

Also Check: Nursing Home Specializing In Dementia

Stage : Very Mild Changes

You still might not notice anything amiss in your loved one’s behavior, but they may be picking up on small differences, things that even a doctor doesn’t catch. This could include forgetting words or misplacing objects.

At this stage, subtle symptoms of Alzheimer’s don’t interfere with their ability to work or live independently.

Keep in mind that these symptoms might not be Alzheimer’s at all, but simply normal changes from aging.

What Can I Expect If My Loved One Has Alzheimers Disease

Its important to remember that no two people with Alzheimers disease are affected in the same way. Its difficult to predict how your loved one will be affected. The best way you can prepare is to talk to healthcare providers who specialize in researching and treating Alzheimers disease and dementia.

As the condition progresses, your loved one may benefit from a team of providers who can care for their needs.

Read Also: Does Medicaid Cover Nursing Home Care For Dementia

How Do People Know They Have It

The first sign of Alzheimer disease is an ongoing pattern of forgetting things. This starts to affect a person’s daily life. He or she may forget where the grocery store is or the names of family and friends. This stage may last for some time or get worse quickly, causing more severe memory loss and forgetfulness.

What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Alzheimers

Memory problems are often one of the first signs of Alzheimers. Symptoms vary from person to person, and may include problems with:

• Word-finding, or having more trouble coming up with words than other people the same age.
• Vision and spatial issues, like awareness of the space around them.
• Impaired reasoning or judgment, which can impact decisions.

Other symptoms may be changes in the persons behavior, including:

• Taking longer to complete normal daily tasks.
• Repeating questions.
• Trouble handling money and paying bills.
• Wandering and getting lost.
• Losing things or misplacing them in odd places.
• Mood and personality changes.
• Increased anxiety and/or aggression.

Don’t Miss: When Should A Dementia Patient Go Into A Care Home