There is no cure for Alzheimer's disease, nor any proven ways to prevent its onset. Treatment focuses on support and managing symptoms to maximize a person's ability to carry out daily activities and tasks so that they maintain their independence for as long as possible.
The condition is ultimately fatal. Often, physical functions such as bowel and bladder control are also affected. The symptoms of Alzheimer's disease typically develop quite slowly. The time between the onset of the disease and death can range from five to 20 years.
The types of behaviour change, and the time over which symptoms develop, are different for each person. Symptoms commonly experienced during the early stages of Alzheimer's disease include: Mild forgetfulness — especially short-term memory loss Mood changes, including irritability and anxiety Difficulty processing new information and learning new things Loss of spontaneity and initiative Confusion about time and place Communication difficulties Decline in ability to perform routine tasks.
Towards the later stages of the disease the following symptoms may be experienced: Inability to understand or use speech Incontinence Inability to recognise self or family Severe disorientation Increasing immobility and sleep time. Although a person loses many abilities as the disease progresses, it is often helpful to focus on the abilities they still have, such as the senses of touch and hearing and the ability to respond to emotion. Medications such as sleeping tablets, tranquillisers and antidepressants may help to control symptoms such as sleeplessness, agitation and aggression, and depression.
However, sleeping tablets and tranquillisers can cause increased confusion, so their use should be limited. A group of medications called cholinesterase inhibitors improve mental function thinking and memory and daily living abilities in some people. Cholinesterase inhibitor medications that are available in New Zealand include donepezil, rivastigmine, and galantamine.
Another drug - memantine — may also help ease memory loss symptoms. 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. Although it's not known exactly what causes this process to begin, scientists now know that it begins many years before symptoms appear. As brain cells become affected, there's also a decrease in chemical messengers called neurotransmitters involved in sending messages, or signals, between brain cells.
Levels of one neurotransmitter, acetylcholine, are particularly low in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease. Over time, different areas of the brain shrink. The first areas usually affected are responsible for memories. In more unusual forms of Alzheimer's disease, different areas of the brain are affected. The first symptoms may be problems with vision or language rather than memory.
Although it's still unknown what triggers Alzheimer's disease, several factors are known to increase your risk of developing the condition. Age is the single most significant factor. A person can have more than one type of dementia. If a doctor suspects the presence of the condition, they will ask the person — and sometimes their family or caregivers — about their symptoms, experiences, and medical history.
A number of assessment tools are available to assess cognitive function. Testing for relevant genes early could indicate the likelihood of someone having or developing the condition. However, the test is controversial, and the results are not entirely reliable. It is not possible to reverse the death of brain cells. Treatments can, however, relieve its symptoms and improve quality of life for the person and their family and caregivers. Drugs called cholinesterase inhibitors can ease cognitive symptoms, including memory loss, confusion, altered thought processes, and judgment problems.
They improve neural communication across the brain and slow the progress of these symptoms. A combination of memantine and donepezil Namzaric is also available. People may increasingly experience irritability, anxiety, depression, restlessness, sleep problems, and other difficulties. Treating the underlying causes of these changes can be helpful. Some may be side effects of medications, discomfort from other medical conditions, or problems with hearing or vision. Identifying what triggered these behaviors and avoiding or changing these things can help people deal with the changes.
Triggers may include changing environments, new caregivers, or being asked to bathe or change clothes. It is a neurodegenerative condition, which means that the brain cell death happens over time. Plaques develop between the dying brain cells. They are made from a protein known as beta-amyloid. The tangles, meanwhile, occur within the nerve cells. They are made from another protein, called tau.
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