Alzheimer’s disease

Alzheimer’s disease results in severe mental deterioration. It is also known as senile dementia-Alzheimer type (SDAT). It usually affects older people but may begin in middle life with symptoms of memory loss and behavioral changes. The disease affects 10% of people older than 65 and nearly half of those 85 or older. Symptoms worsen dramatically in individual older than 70. Symptoms include memory failure, confusion, and a decrease in intellectual capacity, restlessness, disorientation, and occasionally speech disturbances. The disease produces a loss of neurons in the cerebral cortex of the brain resulting in a decrease in brain size. The sulci widen and the gyri become narrowed. The temporal and frontal lobes of the cerebrum are particularly affected. Enlarged axons containing beta-amyloid protein, called plaques, form in the cortex. There is a genetic predisposition for the disease. The first symptoms of the disease usually begin with an inability to assimilate new information despite the ability to retain old knowledge, difficulty in recalling words, and disorientation in common surroundings. Death usually occurs 8 to 12 years after the onset of symptoms. The disease has no cure. The patient should be kept comfortable and carefully observed to keep the individual from self-harm.

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