Healthinmind/Mental Health Disorders/Cognitive Disorders/Dementias

Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's Disease is the most common of the dementias. It seldom occurs before age 50, and becomes progressively more frequent as people age. Its progression is insidious; patients may live 15 years after being diagnosed, although life expectancy is in the range of 7 to 10 years. In the early stages victims show subtle changes in cognition and personality; in the beginning they may only have difficulty in finding words, or they may be lost in places that should be familiar. In the later stages Alzheimer's patients may lose their memory completely, not recognizing family members, and they may suffer from hallucinations and delusions. They may also have difficulty with movement, and it is not unusual for them to have problems with swallowing or to suffer from falls or other accidents. Death can occur from infections following aspiration of food into their lungs or other causes; post mortem examination of the brain of Alzheimer's patients reveals brain atrophy and a number of other changes, with plaques and tangles as prominent features. Some progress is being made in slowing the progression of Alzheimer's disease. The San Francisco Chronicle reported on July 12, 2000, that a vaccine developed by the Elan Corporation of Dublin, Ireland, helps, in mice, to prevent or eliminate the beta amyloid plaques that are a prominent feature of the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease. (Beta amyloid plaques are deposits of "bad" protein.) It is too early to know whether the vaccine will work in humans, or whether reducing the plaques will improve the thinking and memory of Alzheimer's victims. The vaccine does, however, offer a ray of hope for the future. 

There are many ways family members or loved ones can help individuals  to deal with the disorder better. 

Life is dangerous for Alzheimer's patients, adding to the burden of their caretakers. Click here to read about one tragic incident.

Read a book on the subject:

The 36-Hour Day : A Guide to Caring for Persons with Alzheimer's Disease... by Nancy Mace and Peter Rabins

The Alzheimer's Sourcebook for Caregivers: A Practical Guide for Getting Through the Day by Frena Gray-Davidson

Alzheimer's : Caring for Your Loved Ones, Caring for Yourself by Sharon Fish


The Mayo Clinic  web site has a page with information on the latest treatments,  suggestions for handling Alzheimer's disease, access to other information, and links to a wealth of other sites. 
Visit the site of The Alzheimer's Association.
A very interesting site for caregivers can be visited by clicking here.  

                                                                                                                                Last updated  12/19/03