At first, Alzheimer's disease typically destroys neurons and their connections in parts of the brain involved in memory, including the entorhinal cortex and hippocampus. It later affects areas in the cerebral cortex responsible for language, reasoning, and social behavior.
What is Alzheimer disease? Alzheimer disease is a disease that affects the brain and nervous system. It happens when nerve cells in the brain die. The disease gets worse over time.
Who is affected? Alzheimer's disease is most common in people over the age of 65. The risk of Alzheimer's disease and other types of dementia increases with age, affecting an estimated 1 in 14 people over the age of 65 and 1 in every 6 people over the age of 80.
Alzheimer's disease and dementia are most common in Western Europe (with North America close behind) and least common in Sub-Saharan Africa. African-Americans are about twice as likely to have Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia as whites.
Alzheimer's disease is a brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills, and eventually, the ability to carry out the simplest tasks. In most people with Alzheimer's, symptoms first appear later in life.
Primarily, Alzheimer's impacts the brain. However, as the disease progresses, it starts to harm other bodily systems as well. As the brain deteriorates, it has more difficulty controlling parts of the body.
A person with dementia is more likely to have accidents, incontinence or difficulties using the toilet than a person of the same age who doesn't have dementia. For some people, incontinence develops because messages between the brain and the bladder or bowel don't work properly.
Alzheimer's disease is thought to be caused by the abnormal build-up of proteins in and around brain cells. One of the proteins involved is called amyloid, deposits of which form plaques around brain cells. The other protein is called tau, deposits of which form tangles within brain cells.
Is Alzheimer's passed on by mother or father? Alzheimer's is not passed on by the mother more than the father, or vice versa. A mother or father may pass on an “Alzheimer's gene” or mutation that increases your risk. Even if both your parents pass on a risk gene, your Alzheimer's risk is higher, but not certain.
The causes probably include a combination of age-related changes in the brain, along with genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors. The importance of any one of these factors in increasing or decreasing the risk of Alzheimer's disease may differ from person to person.
The most common cause of death among Alzheimer's patients is aspiration pneumonia.
The greatest known risk factor for Alzheimer's and other dementias is increasing age, but these disorders are not a normal part of aging. While age increases risk, it is not a direct cause of Alzheimer's. Most individuals with the disease are 65 and older.
The average life expectancy figures for the most common types of dementia are as follows: Alzheimer's disease – around eight to 10 years. Life expectancy is less if the person is diagnosed in their 80s or 90s. A few people with Alzheimer's live for longer, sometimes for 15 or even 20 years.
This lack of movement can cause problems such as pressure sores or bedsores, and stiffness of the arms, hands, and legs. If the person with Alzheimer's cannot move around on his or her own, contact a home health aide, physical therapist, or nurse for help.
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an increasingly common neurodegenerative disease. Since the intestinal microbiome is closely related to nervous system diseases, alterations in the composition of intestinal microbiota could potentially contribute to the pathophysiology of AD.
The following conditions can cause or contribute to multiple organ failure and death in seniors with severe Alzheimer's disease: Heart attack. Dehydration and malnutrition, whether due to a voluntary stopping of eating and drinking (VSED) health care directive or due to the natural dying process.
Although scientists have conducted many studies, and more are ongoing, so far nothing has been proven to prevent or delay dementia caused by Alzheimer's disease. But researchers have identified promising strategies and are learning more about what might—and might not—work.
In fact, around twice as many women have Alzheimer's disease – the most common type of dementia – compared to men. The main reason for this greater risk is because women live longer than men and old age is the biggest risk factor for this disease.
Introduction: The five-word test (5WT) is a serial verbal memory test with semantic cuing. It is proposed to rapidly evaluate memory of aging people and has previously shown its sensitivity and its specificity in identifying patients with AD.
Change in routine
This means that a sudden disruption in routine may cause dementia symptoms to get worse. This is especially true if a person experiences stress. Some changes that might trigger worsening symptoms include: moving to an assisted living facility or a nursing home.
Scientists believe that for most people, Alzheimer's disease is caused by a combination of genetic, lifestyle and environmental factors that affect the brain over time.
As Alzheimer's disease progresses, it is common for incontinence of the bladder and bowels to occur, particularly in the middle and late stages.
Reasons for incontinence in a person with dementia include: reduced mobility, causing difficulties reaching the toilet in time. memory problems – they might forget to use the toilet, or where it is. difficulty recognising the physical signals of needing the toilet.
Stages 6c, 6d, 6e
The AD person may also forget to flush the toilet properly. As the disease evolves in this stage, AD person subsequently become incontinent. Generally, urinary incontinence occurs first (stage 6d), then fecal incontinence occurs (stage 6e).