ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE AS ONE OF THE DEMENTIA TYPES
Posted: under Parkinson's.
Dementias are progressive brain impairments that interfere with memory and normal intellectual functioning. Although there are many types of dementia, one of the most common forms is Alzheimer’s disease. In November 1994, the announcement that former president Ronald Reagan has Alzheimer’s disease dramatized the Alzheimer patient’s struggle for those who had not yet experienced its effects on a relative or friend. Attacking over 4 million Americans, and killing over 100,000 of them every year, this disease is one of the most painful and devastating conditions that families can endure. It kills its victims twice: first through a slow loss of personhood (memory loss, disorientation, personality changes, and eventual loss of the ability to function as a person), and then through the deterioration of bodily systems as they gradually succumb to the powerful impact of neurological problems.
Currently, Alzheimer’s afflicts an estimated 1 in 10 people over the age of 65 and 1 in 5 people over the age of 85. These numbers are certain to increase. It is estimated to cost society over 100 billion dollars a year currently. With the U.S. population gradually aging, the economic burden of the future seems even more dismal. While the disease is associated in most people’s minds strictly with the elderly, Alzheimer’s has been diagnosed in people in their late 40s. In fact, about 5 percent of all cases occur before age 65.
What is Alzheimer’s? Actually, contrary to what many people think, Alzheimer’s is not a new disease. Named after Alois Alzheimer, a German neuropathologist who recorded it as early as 1906, Alzheimer’s refers to a degenerative disease of the brain in which nerve cells stop communicating with one another. Ordinarily, brain cells communicate by releasing chemicals that allow the cells to receive and transmit messages for various types of behavior. In Alzheimer’s patients, the brain doesn’t produce enough of these chemicals, cells can’t communicate, and eventually the cells die.
This degeneration happens in the sections of the brain that affect memory, speech, and personality, leaving the parts that control other bodily functions, such as heartbeat and breathing, working just fine. Thus, the mind begins to go as the body lives on. It all happens in a slow, progressive manner, and it may be as long as 20 years before symptoms are noticed.
Alzheimer’s is generally detected first by families, who note changes, particularly unusual memory losses and personality changes, in their loved ones. Medical tests rule out underlying causes and certain neurological tests help confirm the likelihood of this disease.
Alzheimer’s disease is characteristically diagnosed in three stages. During the first stage, symptoms include forgetfulness, memory loss, impaired judgment, increasing inability to handle routine tasks, disorientation, lack of interest in one’s surroundings, and depression. These symptoms accelerate in the second stage, which also includes agitation and restlessness (especially at night), loss of sensory perceptions, muscle twitching, and repetitive actions. Many patients become depressed and tend to be combative and aggressive. In the final stage, disorientation is often complete. The person becomes completely dependent on others for eating, dressing, and other activities. Identity loss and speech problems are common symptoms. Eventually, control of bodily functions may be lost.
Once Alzheimer’s disease strikes, the victim’s life expectancy is cut in half. Tragically, little can be done at present to treat the disorder. Scientists are experimenting with various drug regimens, but it is unlikely that a drug will be discovered in the immediate future that will undo the damage associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
The results of research into the causes of Alzheimer’s disease are inconclusive. Current research is looking into genetic predisposition, malfunction of the immune system, a slow-acting virus, chromosomal or genetic defects, and neurotransmitter imbalance, among other possibilities.
Preliminary research indicates that a defect in the chromosomes may be the most likely cause, partly because virtually everyone with Down syndrome eventually develops Alzheimer’s. Treatments for Alzheimer’s tend to focus on the only medication that has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration, Cognex, which slows the loss of memory by preventing the destruction of neurotransmitters. Unfortunately, this drug seems to be effective for only about 20 percent of the patients who receive it.
Some researchers are looking at anti-inflammatory drugs, theorizing that Alzheimer’s may develop in response to an inflammatory ailment. Others are focusing on estrogen as a possible preventive measure, noting that women who take estrogen during menopause have been found to develop Alzheimer’s much later on average than women who don’t. Still others are focusing on stimulating the brains of Alzheimer’s-prone individuals, believing that as people learn, more connections between cells are formed that may offset those that are lost. All such research is very preliminary.
Much attention has also been focused on the family, as the family is often another victim when Alzheimer’s occurs. Having to decide between trying to tend to the needs of a loved one at home or seeking the assistance of a long-term care facility can be difficult for relatives of Alzheimer’s victims. Caring for such patients is a challenge for even the most dedicated family members. And even the best preparation for the final days of a loved one with this disease does not make the process easy. Knowing what the options are and being able to recognize the differences between normal physiological aging and the ravages of certain diseases can help make age-related problems easier to cope with for both the elderly themselves and their families.
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